San Diego County on Thursday opened its newest Immigrant and Refugee Welcome Center in Escondido.
Following the success of the county's first Welcome Center in National City, community listening sessions showed there was a need in North County.
"This is about knowing that there are gaps in our community as it relates to access to services," said Barbara Jiménez, community operations officer for the county. "We have, staff and partners — and this is really important — partners on site that are working with these populations, that have access to programs for these populations, and that can help everyone get connected to what they need."
Nearly 64% of the county's foreign-born residents live in North County, according to the county's 2021 figures.
Jiménez said workers are trained to take a holistic approach to providing service.
"They'll kind of just want to be able to get to know the person, see what the needs might be," she said. "Is it something connected to housing? Is it something connected to legal services? You know, what are the different needs? Answer their questions.”
She said it takes about two to three visits before someone becomes comfortable enough to ask for help connecting to services such as employment, Medi-Cal and CalFresh.
The Welcome Center is inside the county’s North Inland Live Well Center, putting all services in one location. There’s a children’s area with books and activities to keep kids occupied and extra desks for community groups and organizations.
In addition to county resources and services provided, the Welcome Center also connects immigrants to community partners, such as the Mexican Consulate and the county Department of Education for things such as paperwork or to enroll their children in school.
Alicia Kerber Palma, San Diego’s Consul General of Mexico, said the consulate would have a table at the center every month and would work closely with the center to help immigrants from Mexico.
"If they have any doubt or any concern about their situation, they can come to the consulate," she said. "We have plenty of programs and services to provide them. Especially legal assistance can be provided. It’s totally free for our nationals.”
Jiménez said the center is a safe place for immigrants to ask for connection to community partners with specialized services.
The Immigration and Refugee Welcome Center is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
