One More Citizen, Inc.: Building Community One More Citizen at a Time
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Our speaker is Nanci Flores, Co-founder of One More Citizen, Inc.
One More Citizen was established in August of 2023 to help expand much needed access to citizenship preparation programming for legal permanent residents seeking assistance in studying for the USCIS Naturalization exam and interview. One More Citizen is committed to building community through working together with immigrants who qualify for naturalization by providing bilingual support in a welcoming classroom that includes quality English language learning with accredited instructors who also prepare immigrant students with the U.S. history and civics learning and interview skills needed to pass the naturalization exam. One More Citizen further works to broaden access to citizenship programming and elevate immigrant advocacy through providing citizenship programming consultation and support for community organizations seeking to provide citizenship classes in the region and nationwide. One More Citizen’s mission is to welcome and empower immigrants in our shared community with the skills to achieve the goal of becoming One More Citizen. Nanci will discuss the path to citizenship, challenges immigrants face in seeking to become citizens, and how our community is benefitting from the work of One More Citizen.
Speaker’s Bio:
Nanci has lived and worked in Michiana her entire life. She holds bachelor’s degrees in social work and nursing, has worked in social work in community non-profits since 1987 and as an RN in obstetrics and labor and delivery in her earlier career. As a member of a blended immigrant family, Nanci has sought to find and fill gaps in services in our community that support and elevate area immigrants. As a result, over the last 17 years Nanci has dedicated her work and efforts to founding and directing citizenship and immigration legal programming, English classes and free, bilingual non-immigration legal consultations at La Casa de Amistad and other area nonprofit organizations. Since 2007, Nanci’s work has resulted in successful area citizenship classes and programs with an unprecedented 100% passing rate of the USCIS Naturalization interview and exam for over 1,100 U.S. citizens in the region, from over 87 countries.
Nancy also founded and directed a successful immigration legal clinic through La Casa for more than 9 years, resulting in affordable immigration legal services, vital immigration advocacy and her coordination of Know Your Rights community information programs, making it possible for hundreds of area individuals and families to successfully obtain immigration legal benefits with USCIS. The program was recognized by Mayor Pete Buttigieg in 2019, earning the United Way Program of the Year Award. She continued this work through the pandemic by designing online citizenship classes and celebrates her students’ accomplishments by organizing and facilitating Naturalization ceremonies She now brings her experience in citizenship programming and processes as the co-founder of One More Citizen, Inc., to further citizenship education, advocacy, and successful naturalization in extended locations throughout the region, offering more of our immigrant neighbors greater access to these vital services.
The League of Women Voters of the South Bend Area was proud to recognize Nancy’s important work in 2018 by selecting her to receive the League’s annual Making Democracy Work Award. That same year Nancy was also a recipient of the Celebrating Michiana Women Leaders Award for women who have made positive and lasting contributions to our community.