Correspondent photo / Sean Barron Kaydence Nutter, 10, and her brother, Zayden Runion, 5, both of Austintown, take advantage of a bit of bubble blowing at Thrive Mahoning Valley’s open house celebration Tuesday at its new location on Youngstown’s East Side.

YOUNGSTOWN — A new agency is doing its part to ensure a huge welcome mat greets those who desire to call the Mahoning Valley home — or intend to return.

“Thrive Mahoning Valley is all about welcoming, very much about including, about building a community in the community,” Terry Vicars, Thrive MV’s community engagement coordinator, said. “The one practical word that comes to mind is ‘connections.'”

The agency spread a large symbolic welcome mat to the community, many members of whom attended Thrive MV’s open house, ribbon cutting and celebration of the arts Tuesday afternoon at its new location, 854 Wilson Ave., on the East Side.

The gathering also was part of Welcoming Week, which began Friday and continues through Saturday.

Welcoming Week is a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization that works to ensure inclusive communities prosper via upholding the belief that all people, including immigrants, are vital contributors to communities’ success and shared future. Welcoming Week’s vision “is a just world in which we each belong, prosper and thrive in the place we now call home, no matter where we came from,” according to its website.

A formidable barrier for many newcomers to some communities — especially those who know little or no English — is a language barrier. Thrive MV has a bilingual staff member, with another about to be on board, to help newcomers in such a situation better navigate obtaining needed resources, said Vicars, who added that Thrive MV has partnered with 25 to 30 local organizations.

Immigrants are invaluable to communities also because it’s estimated that by 2030, the U.S. could have a shortage of 10 million workers, largely because of retirements and significantly fewer millennials. Immigrant workers can fill much of that gap, he noted.

Mahoning County has an estimated 2,500 to 3,000 unfilled positions, he said.

Vicars added that Thrive MV is apolitical and will not question an immigrant or refugee’s legal status.

Thrive MV also is poised to assist refugees after their first 90 days in the Mahoning Valley, Vicars’ wife, Vicki Vicars, noted. Such help includes offering programs for getting them better settled, as well as needed services and resources, she said.

In addition, Thrive MV is seeking U.S. Department of Justice accreditation to allow the agency to help immigrants with their legal status and work visas, applications for citizenship and efforts to seek asylum, Vicki Vicars noted.

“It’s all about welcoming newcomers to our community,” Christopher Colon, Thrive MV’s executive director, said, adding that the organization also will extend its welcome to others, including those returning to the community after having been incarcerated.

Also, the Youngstown / Warren Regional Chamber, in partnership with Eastgate Regional Council of Governments, has been hosting meetings to explore ways to repopulate the Valley in an effort to fill workforce needs.

A key piece of the strategy is to reach out to refugees from Ukraine and elsewhere.

In the 1960s, as the steel industry was thriving, Youngstown’s population was about 160,000. Today, that number has shrunk to roughly 60,000, according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics.

Among the vendors at Tuesday’s open house were Catholic Relief Services, Sight for All United, Youngstown CityScape and a pop-up library, courtesy of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County. Also available were voter registration forms and multicultural children’s books.

Welcoming Week 2024 locally will conclude with Hola Fest Youngstown Parade & Festival, set for noon to 9 p.m. Saturday in Wean Park, downtown.