At their recent quarterly meeting, the Hopkins House trustees voted unanimously to adopt a resolution affirming the "organization's commitment to nondiscrimination and inclusiveness in all its programs."  Their action was in direct response to the ongoing debate raging in Washington around immigration policy.

"During this time of heightened intolerance and bias in the country against immigrants, minorities, and women, we wanted to speak out, as we have so often in the past," said trustee chair Julie N. Jakopic, "to affirm Hopkins House’s unwavering commitment to being a nondiscriminatory and inclusive organization."

"Everyone is welcome at Hopkins House, regardless of their country of origin, ethnicity, or gender."
 
The trustee resolution noted that "Hopkins House was founded in 1939 as a consequence of and during a period of pervasive, systemic racial and ethnic discrimination. Since that time, the organization has fought tirelessly against discrimination and bias in all its forms, and has sought to reflect in its hiring and student enrollment, the cultural diversity of the communities in which we operate."

"A significant and growing number of our faculty, staff, and students are immigrants," said Jakopic. "These individuals contribute to the rich and dynamic learning environment that makes Hopkins House such an amazing learning environment for our students, staff, and volunteers."

The resolution directs the Hopkins House president to organize activities and events that "celebrate the organization’s diverse community", and to educate the community about the issue through dissemination of information.

The resolution also requires that the organization comply with all federal and state laws related to immigration, but restricts it from asking about or reporting on the citizenship of those who access or seek access to its services.