At the turn of the New Year, Project FINE opened the doors of our brand new “Welcome Center” in St. Charles. It is a place close to home for the large population of newcomers in that area, where they know they will be understood and respected, and can receive walk-in assistance and attend Project FINE educational classes. It also serves as a base for working with our partners who are so essential to the achievement of the Project FINE mission. With a full-time staff member in this office, we are able to expand the quantity and quality of our programs and services to all newcomers in the St. Charles area. Some of our specific goals for the Welcome Center include:

• Community Outreach: Project FINE hopes to meet new diverse people in the St. Charles area in need of assistance, and establish stronger relationships with the clients we already serve. We hope to create a more welcoming and respectful community by building bridges between our newest residents and their area businesses and neighbors.  
• Integration: Welcome Center staff will work to break down lingual and cultural barriers between newcomers and the receiving community. We will assist the integration process by orienting newcomers to resources, and guiding them through their interactions with American systems. Through these services, newcomers will become more self-sufficient.
• Education: Provide a learning environment in the Welcome Center’s classroom that clients, young and old, can come enrich their lives through knowledge.