The City of Dallas Community Ambassador Program: Facilitating Access to Information and Services for Linguistically Diverse Communities

Summary

The City of Dallas commits to implement the Community Ambassadors Programme.  Rooted in Dallas’ Welcoming Strategic Plan, this programme aims to raise awareness of municipal services in linguistically diverse communities and to enhance communication between the city and its residents. 

In collaboration with local non-profits, the City of Dallas has recruited immigrant residents as community ambassadors, engaging them directly in neighbourhoods that host high numbers of migrants and refugees. 

These ambassadors will offer information about available services in multiple languages. Acknowledging the evolving diversity of the Dallas immigrant population, the City is also interested in providing services in languages of more recent newcomer populations.

Dallas also will work with the ambassadors to identify needs and thresholds, with the aim to better tailor municipal services.  They will also play a crucial role in collecting information from their networks and in building trust between the city administration and language-diverse communities. 

 By partnering with local non-profits and working directly with community members, the City of Dallas aims to build welcoming connections and address the unique needs of immigrant and refugee populations, ultimately building bridges among immigrant residents and other members of the community.

Impact

The rollout of the Community Ambassadors program seeks to promote inclusion by specifically addressing the distinct needs of Dallas residents with diverse linguistic backgrounds. By enlisting immigrant residents as ambassadors, the City aims to proactively address the unique needs of linguistically diverse communities.

As part of this initiative, the City will collaborate with local non-profits to recruit and empower ambassadors who will serve as vital conduits between municipal services and neighborhoods with high migrant and refugee populations. These ambassadors will play a crucial role in disseminating information about available services, fostering better communication, and building trust within their respective communities.