Building relationships starts with sharing a table

Earlier in July, more than 120 immigrant-serving organizations, advocates, attorneys, community leaders, and regional partners from across California gathered in Sacramento for the Regional Network Hub for Immigrant Families Convening.

The convening began with an evening mixer, where participants broke bread, made new connections, and built relationships in a welcoming and intentional space before a full day of collaboration.

Through interactive workshops, facilitated discussions, and coalition-building opportunities, attendees strengthened cross-sector partnerships, shared promising practices, and developed collective strategies to better support immigrant families across California.

The gathering was appreciated by participants, who shared their thoughts on how this would impact their work:

• “Building connections with other organizations in my region, gaining a better understanding of the RRN process, and meeting inspiring individuals were the most valuable aspects of the experience.” “The importance of connecting in person with colleagues and finding inspiration from other participants—especially young advocates.”

• “Overall, it was a great event. It was thoughtfully executed, with a strong focus on fostering networking and collaboration.”

• “Thank you for allowing us to attend—including my high school interns. It was such an incredible experience for them.”

ELF is grateful to everyone who joined in Sacramento and to our Regional Network Hub partners for helping create a space where collaboration could flourish. Together, we’re strengthening regional partnerships and building lasting networks of support for immigrant families.