Gen Con is excited to host the Immigrant Welcome Center (IWC) as one of our two official charity partners for the 2026 convention. This partnership is particularly special as the IWC celebrates its 20th anniversary of providing support and advocacy for immigrants in Indiana.
We chatted with Rachel Leininger to learn more about the IWC and how Gen Con attendees can get involved.
Can you share the mission and vision of the Immigrant Welcome Center, and how being selected as an official charity partner for Gen Con 2026 aligns with those goals?
Immigrant Welcome Center is a nonprofit organization based in Central Indiana, and we’ve been providing comprehensive immigrant support, community integration, and advocacy since 2006. Our mission, from day one, has been to be a trusted partner and advocate for all immigrants. We support this through a variety of programs: Natural Helpers volunteers, community partners, English classes, citizenship workshops, trainings, and more.
It feels like such a natural fit to be connected with Gen Con because they bring such a diverse crowd—and they truly embrace every single person that walks through the door. We’re really excited to be in such a welcoming environment and have the chance to connect with everyone attending.
What specific initiatives or programs does the Immigrant Welcome Center plan to promote during Gen Con to engage the gaming community and raise awareness about the importance of immigrant support?
One of the important pieces we prioritize and bring to our community is advocacy for all immigrant neighbors. We’ll be educating about the citizenship process and legal statuses through a quiz-show style game, so we hope you’ll stop by to play (and learn).
We also want to bring to light some of the key findings in our most recent report, “The Effects of Immigration Policies on Immigrants in Central Indiana.” This study explored how some of our clients and community partners are dealing with the onslaught of recent policy changes focused on our immigrant neighbors.
The goal is to paint a picture of what individuals and families are going through on their integration journeys and what people are experiencing under new policies and procedures right now.
How do you envision the collaboration between the Immigrant Welcome Center and Gen Con benefiting both the local community and convention attendees?
Right now, immigration is a key issue across the country; it’s relevant to all attendees in one way or another. Every community is grappling with how to welcome immigrant neighbors and help keep them safe and protected. Case in point, our study found that people are experiencing fear, access to health care, legal services, and employment, and an overall disruption to their daily lives.
Being able to connect, share our stories, mythbust some of the rhetoric, and learn from one another are just a few ways we can continue making sure immigrant neighbors’ rights are protected—in every community across this country.
My hope is we can share one new piece of information or come up with an action step of how attendees are going to help where they live.
Can you discuss any success stories or impact you’ve seen through your organization that highlight the role of immigrants in enriching our community, particularly in relation to arts and culture?
In 2024, IWC was able to move into a space all our own, and we wanted to make sure our walls were covered with art from all different cultures. We collaborated with Indy Arts Council to identify an artist that could help us shine a light on the diversity of our community.
We were connected with Indianapolis artist Beatriz Vasquez, who works in the Papel Picado medium which is an homage to her Mexican American heritage. Now proudly hanging in our lobby, a tapestry that was created with Beatriz and many IWC friends shows off all the places that people in our community are from.
Immigrants bring their cultures to Indianapolis in a variety of ways and in turn, we all get to celebrate them and they become part of a successful economy. While in town, I encourage everyone to seek out new experiences and immerse yourselves in the communities. Find immigrant-owned restaurants and other businesses, visit the International Marketplace district, or take some time to walk around Saraga or other grocery stores to learn more about different cultures. I’m a self-proclaimed foodie, so I’m happy to share some of my favorites!
What opportunities exist for Gen Con attendees to get involved with the Immigrant Welcome Center, either during the convention or afterward, to continue supporting your mission?
First and foremost, find a way to be an advocate in your community. Whether that means contacting your representatives (local, state, and federal), voting, or testifying at a hearing for a piece of legislation, make sure you become civically engaged in order to be part of the change you want to see.
For those living in Indiana, we encourage attendees to stay plugged in with us during the 2027 General Assembly session, explore our volunteer opportunities, and continue celebrating our 20th anniversary and vision to make sure ALL immigrants are thriving.
About Rachel
A long-time advocate for social justice with a background in strategic communications, Rachel Leininger serves as the marketing and communications manager for Immigrant Welcome Center. Her past roles include senior public relations manager for Well Done Marketing, program specialist for Columbus Area Arts Council, strategic marketing coordinator for IU School of Nursing, and account executive with Goodman Public Relations. She graduated from Indiana State University and is a proud mom to all her children—one three-year-old and two cats.