For Immediate Release

August 25, 2026

For media inquiries, contact: Ricardo Diaz, 217-979-0255  xpenn.diaz@gmail.com) or Janel Gomez, 217-403-8843 janel.gomez@champaignil.gov

Congratulations to the 2026 Recipients of the Immigrant Welcome! Awards

(Urbana/Champaign, Illinois) The CU Immigration Forum, as sponsor of the 13th Annual Immigrant Welcome Awards, is happy to announce the recipients of this year’s recipients. The 2026 Immigrant Welcome Award winners are:

• Student Leadership Award – Elif Varlik and Joel Díaz

• Emergent Leader Award - Mymy Gnahoré

• Immigrant Leadership Award  – Belinda Guillén Rodríguez 

• The Claire Szoke Distinguished Service Award – Guadalupe Abreu

• Business Leadership Award – Rooted Pathways Counseling and Consulting (Nadia Abuamouneh)

All award recipients will be honored during the Immigrant Welcome Awards Ceremony and Celebration on Saturday, September 19, 2026.  The celebration starts at 1:30 PM and will be held at Lewis Auditorium of  The Urbana Free Library (210 W. Green St. Urbana).  The event includes entertainment, special guests, and features Mariachi Libertad. The public is invited to attend this free event and the reception afterwards on the main floor of the library to celebrate the diversity of cultures that make up Champaign-Urbana.

The Immigrant Welcome Awards Ceremony and Celebration is sponsored by C-U Immigration Forum and cosponsored by City of Champaign, The Urbana Free Library, the City of Urbana, Urbana Arts and Culture Program, University YMCA’s New American Welcome Center, Immigrant Services of Champaign-Urbana, The Refugee Center, The Immigration Project, Bend the Arc Jewish Action of Champaign-Urbana, and the Immigrant Justice Team of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Urbana-Champaign. The 13th Annual Immigrant Welcome Awards Ceremony and Celebration is part of 2026 Welcoming Week, a national week of events that brings together immigrants and U.S. born residents in a spirit of better understanding and unity.

The CU Immigration Forum’s Steering and the Planning Committees recognize we each have a story to share and Welcoming Week this year encourages us to share them and find commonalities.

What does the Champaign-Urbana Immigration Forum do? We advocate, educate, network, and celebrate the contributions of immigrants. Whether working for local immigrant justice, highlighting issues that our immigrant neighbors face, hosting local forums, creating shows on WRFU and UPTV or celebrating diversity through the annual Immigrant Welcome Awards, we stand with our immigrant communities.  

Media Contacts:

Ricardo Diaz – CU Immigration Forum – 217-979-0255, xpenn.diaz@gmail.com

Janel Gomez – - City of Champaign – 217-403-8830,   janel.gomez@champaignil.gov 

Olivia Coleman – Urbana Free Library – 217-367-4057,  ocoleman@urbanafree.org

Follow the event on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CUImmigrationForum/

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Welcome Awards 2026, Thirteenth Edition Nominate Now

This will be the 13th year that CU Immigration has organized these awards as part of celebrating immigrants among us. 

 Please nominate folks who have excelled in these 6 categories, which are further explained in the Google Form nomination form: 

 1) Student Leadership Award 

 2) Business Leadership Award 

 3) Immigrant Leadership Award 

 4) Emergent Leader Award 

5) Community Impact Award 

 6) The Claire Szoke Distinguished Service Award 

 Also mark your calendar for the afternoon of Sept. 19 which will be the presentation of the awards at The Urbana Free Library. It's really a cool event!

Nomination form: https://tinyurl.com/CUIFAwards26

The Central Illinois Immigration Advocates Symposium happened, and it was good

Over 70 people shared insights, ideas and energy at last Saturday's symposium. About half of attendees came from organizations (some tabled) and the other half are individuals that want to make a difference in their communities...and most are from Champaign County.

They share a high commitment to action and being involved. One couple reminded us that the small towns also need support and that we should seek to help over the artificial walls.

The planned symposium was hosted in the architecture building on campus and several expressed that this meeting should happen at least every year.

2025 Welcome Award Recipients

 Press Release

For Immediate Release

September 3, 2025

For media inquiries, contact: Ricardo Diaz, 217-979-0255  xpenn.diaz@gmail.com or Janel Gomez, 217-403-8843 janel.gomez@champaignil.gov

Congratulations to the 2025 Recipients of the Immigrant Welcome Awards!

(Urbana/Champaign, Illinois) The CU Immigration Forum, as sponsor of the 12th Annual Immigrant Welcome Awards, is happy to announce the recipients of this year’s awards. The 2025 Immigrant Welcome Award winners are: Student Leadership Award – Maria Emilia Mancero Business Leadership Award – La Paloma Mexican Delicacies Community Impact Award – Amnesty International of UIUC Emergent Leader Award - María Jiménez Immigrant Leadership Award – Ishtiaq Khan The Claire Szoke Distinguished Service Award – Tam Thi Dang Wei All award recipients will be honored during the Immigrant Welcome Awards Ceremony and Celebration on Saturday, September 20, 2025.  The celebration starts at 2 PM and will be held at Lewis Auditorium of The Urbana Free Library (210 W. Green St. Urbana). The event includes entertainment, special guests, and features the Bulgarian/Balkan accordion as played by Colin Hochstetler, M.M. Musicology. The public is invited to attend this free event and reception to celebrate the diversity of cultures that make up Champaign-Urbana. The Immigrant Welcome Awards Ceremony and Celebration is sponsored by C-U Immigration Forum and cosponsored by City of Champaign, The Urbana Free Library, the City of Urbana, Urbana Arts and Culture Program, University YMCA’s New American Welcome Center, Immigrant Services of Champaign-Urbana, The Refugee Center, The Immigration Project, Bend the Arc Jewish Action of Champaign-Urbana, and the Immigrant Justice Team of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Urbana-Champaign. The 12th Annual Immigrant Welcome Awards Ceremony and Celebration is part of 2025 Welcoming Week, a national week of events that brings together immigrants and U.S. born residents in a spirit of better understanding and unity. The CU Immigration Forum’s Steering and the Planning Committees recognize we each have a story to share and Welcoming Week this year encourages us to share them and find commonalities. What does the Champaign-Urbana Immigration Forum do? We advocate, educate, network, and celebrate the contributions of immigrants. Whether working for local immigrant justice, highlighting issues that our immigrant neighbors face, hosting local forums, creating shows on WRFU and UPTV or celebrating diversity through the annual Immigrant Welcome Awards, we stand with our immigrant communities.   Media Contacts: Ricardo Diaz – CU Immigration Forum – 217-979-0255, xpenn.diaz@gmail.com Janel Gomez – - City of Champaign – 217-403-8830,  janel.gomez@champaignil.gov  Lauren Chambers – Urbana Free Library – 217-367-4405, lchambers@urbanafree.org
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Welcome Awards 2025 continue the positive spirit

Nominations for the 2025 Awards are now open!!!

Chambana never disappoints and we trust you have your nominations ready so it is time to send them in.

Us this link and we will make sure they are considered by the judges: 

https://forms.gle/5b1xtf793cfSpsFn9

As a reminder, there are no repeat winners in any one category; the form can reminder who has won where.  We also don't accept nominations for board members of the CU Immigration Forum.

These are the categories:

Student Leadership Award - A student who has shown promise this year as a leader in immigration or demonstrated commitment to serving or working with immigrants or refugees, locally or abroad.

Business Leadership Award - A local business (immigrant-owned or not) that contributes to the local immigrant community through advocacy, hiring, donations, or in-kind services, all of which contribute to the economic development of Champaign County. 

Immigrant Leader Award - An immigrant individual who has been a strong leader of the immigrant community for their particular immigrant community or for the larger immigrant community. 

Emergent Leader Award - An individual who has in the last few years been a regular contributor to advancing the cause of immigrants through service or advocacy, in the local community, in their work sphere, or in their interactions with the state of Illinois. His/her/their contributions may be as a volunteer or as part of their job. This person is a promising new leader who has emerged quite recently, rather than one who has contributed over the years.

Community Impact Award - A community-based organization, non-profit, public sector institution, or local government which demonstrates exceptional commitment to serving and advocating for local immigrants in our community. The nominee may also be considered for adopting specific policies or initiatives in response to the growing immigrant population.

The Claire Szoke Distinguished Service Award - An individual in Champaign County who has strongly contributed to the well-being of immigrants over the years. Like Claire's consistent drive towards justice, this individual has continued to stand up for immigrants in belief and action. Claire's work spanned her involvement with El Centro de Los Trabajadores, being a local leader in the Sanctuary Movement, and helping found the CU Immigration Forum. Unlike the other awards, nominees from previous years may be considered, since this award considers long-standing contributions.

         The  CU Immigration Forum Welcome Awards Planning Committee thanks you!

Troubled times

It is 2025. We trust our readers are well aware of our troubled times. 

Internally there are lots of conversations and subgroups that are seeking to deal with the many executive orders and their fall out. We have chosen to not respond publicly for now.

In Champaign County we have a force of many volunteers and members of the CU Immigration Forum and we continue to meet every second Tuesday at 5:30 at the University Y and Chalmers and Wright. If you arrive after the doors close, you can call our number at 217-979-0255. 

Sanctuary City Resources

We encourage you to contact your local leaders and tell them how much you appreciate their support for all the newcomers to our communities.

Copy the following, paste and make it personal. It is important for local leaders to know that they are not alone and that we support them as they resist the federal pressure.

Dear mayor:

I feel fortunate to live in a welcoming community; valuing the foreign born as assets rather than a hindrance is a forward outlook that shows you are looking out for the long-term strength of our town.

I am proud of the city's support for the foreign born, no matter what their status. The Welcoming Plan of Champaign County has the city's long term commitment and I support its continued implementation.

Lastly, your defense of the TRUST Act  is commendable and your law enforcement and city policies that implement this support, are also worthy of praise. Keep at it. We so appreciate you,

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