Our policy highlights how Lighthouse Immigrant Advocates (LIA) enacts our commitment to DEI practices.

These practices are often reviewed and peer-edited to best reflect our organization’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. We are committed to adhering to these policies despite how uncomfortable these can make others feel, and we understand everyone is at different stages in their DEI journey; we respect their journey. LIA is a safe space, respecting those in vulnerable situations, and continues to grow alongside each individual. 

• Lighthouse Immigrant Advocates is committed to fostering an environment where all people feel welcomed and included at our office, community events, and spaces of influence.

• We do not discriminate against others in either service or employment practices. This includes respecting, welcoming and celebrating an individual’s race, color, religion, creed, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status and any other status protected by applicable law.

• Through our hiring practices, we focus on soft skills, ambition, and passion along with a track record of success in projects. We do not discriminate on the basis of formal education except where such education denotes particular skills and/or certifications required for a position.

• We are committed to increasing representation, particularly in leadership positions, focusing on equitable treatment and opportunities.

• Our organization has served clients from more than 60 unique countries since 2015 and we strive to ensure that this rich diversity is represented within our staff, volunteers, and board members.

• The LIA team is passionate about this honorable work, our community, and serving each other. The team builds a culture that is communal; soft but focused; passionate while finding space to rest; family-oriented; all while comfortably bringing ideas and interests to the table. We pursue an environment where all team members can bring their full selves to work.

• We offer a sense of community, as a reflection of our culture and commitment to build community through service, partnership, and relationship-building.

• We are compassionate and strive to understand others. To do so, we are constantly learning and undergoing training to best serve our community.

• We offer a holistic approach to client service because we believe that serving the whole person will have a greater impact on their lives, families, and ability to thrive in their communities.

• We are justice-minded, thus we exist to counter the inequitable and exclusionary processes and systems that negatively affect the lives of immigrant and refugee families.

• We strive to achieve broader equity by lighting inclusive paths that fully recognize and celebrate the diversity of each individual.

• While our work cannot undo all of the past injustices that create the need for our efforts and existence as an advocacy organization, we combine our diverse backgrounds to provide services that are intentionally inclusive of those who have been systematically excluded.

This policy continues to evolve as our journey progresses. At LIA we have a diverse staff, board of directors, volunteers, and clients. With such diversity comes a need for awareness of and sensitivity to cultural diversity and how that impacts a person’s values, learning, behavior, and interaction with others. At LIA, we expect cultural sensitivity from all staff, volunteers, interns, and board members, and we will work with our team members to reinforce cultural sensitivity skills and skill-building.