Looking Ahead
Looking Ahead: Building Bridges Together
Building bridges with our immigrant neighbors requires more than meeting immediate needs. It calls for lasting relationships, strong partnerships, faithful stewardship, and a community of people committed to honoring the God-given dignity of every person.
As we look toward the coming year, we are investing in four interconnected areas that strengthen our ability to love our immigrant neighbors in practical, relational, and hope-filled ways. Every volunteer, every prayer, and every financial gift helps build another bridge.
Four Ways We Build Bridges
Rather than organizing our budget around expenses, we've organized it around ministry. Each dollar supports one of four areas that work together to build bridges throughout our community.
Immigrant Support
This is the heart of our ministry.
Many immigrant families face overwhelming obstacles as they seek stability in a new country. Some need help completing immigration paperwork. Others face unexpected financial crises, language barriers, transportation challenges, or other practical needs that threaten their ability to move forward.
Your support allows us to respond with compassion and dignity, helping families overcome barriers while building relationships rooted in hope.
Examples of support include:
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Immigration paperwork assistance
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Emergency financial assistance for living expenses
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Crisis support: groceries, rent, medical care
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Other urgent family needs for families in crisis
Annual Investment: $27,000 (38%)
Schools
Schools are where many of our most meaningful relationships begin.
By partnering with local schools, we build bridges between churches, volunteers, educators, students, and families. Reading Buddies, classroom support, special events, and practical assistance all help create an environment where children can thrive and families feel welcomed.
These partnerships also create natural opportunities for long-term relationships that extend beyond the classroom.
Examples of support include:
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Reading Buddy program
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Classroom support
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Snacks for students
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School events
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Teacher support
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Parent engagement
Annual Investment: $18,900 (27%)
USD 259 Newcomer Program
Moving to a new country can be overwhelming.
As we look ahead, partnering with the USD 259 Newcomer Program and the Wichita Public Schools Foundation will become one of Ambassadors of Dignity's primary areas of focus. There were 15 schools with Newcomer Programs in USD 259 in the 2025/2026 school year; nine elementary schools, three middle schools and three high schools.
In the 2026/2027 school year we will be piloting a partnership with the Colvin Elementary Newcomer classes. We also hope to have one additional pilot school for the school year.
Each year, Wichita Public Schools welcomes students and families from around the world. Many arrive with tremendous resilience and hope, but also face significant challenges as they learn a new language, navigate unfamiliar systems, and begin building a new life.
Through partnerships with schools, churches, volunteers, and community organizations, we hope to walk alongside these families from their earliest days in Wichita. Our vision is not simply to meet immediate needs, but to foster lasting relationships that help newcomer families experience belonging, stability, and hope.
Examples of support include:
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Welcoming newly arrived families
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Connecting families with churches and community resources
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Providing practical assistance during the transition to life in Wichita
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Building friendships through trained volunteers
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Providing resources for students
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Providing resources for teachers
Learn more about our vision for this ministry by reading our Newcomer Program Overview.
Annual Investment: $14,000 (20%)
Capacity Building
Healthy ministries don't happen by accident. They are built on faithful people, strong systems, wise stewardship, and a commitment to long-term sustainability.
While this category may be less visible, it enables everything else we do. It supports volunteer recruitment, communications, technology, insurance, administration, leadership development, developing material, partner ministry support and organizational systems that allow our ministry to grow sustainably.
Every bridge we build depends on these behind-the-scenes investments.
Annual Investment: $11,000 (15%)
Building Bridges Together
Every volunteer.
Every prayer.
Every conversation.
Every financial gift.
Together they become something far greater than any one person could accomplish alone.
Thank you for helping us build bridges with our immigrant neighbors while honoring the God-given dignity of every person.