The University YMCA, along with dozens of community partners, kicks off its annual Welcome Week celebrations this Saturday. Yes, many of the events will be virtual this year, but there are still a ton of offerings September 12-20. From the press release:
Welcoming Week 2020 (September 12-20) celebrates the joy of “Creating Home Together” across 30 free, family-friendly, and mostly virtual events throughout Champaign County. The New American Welcome Center at the University Y joins with over 20 organizations across the community for a global series of events that provides an opportunity for neighbors, both immigrants and US-born residents, to get to know one another and celebrate what unites us as a community.
Jes DeVries, Director of Immigrant Family Services and Welcoming Week coordinator, said, “The virtual aspect of Welcoming Week this year is really quite exciting because it allows people from all over to participate in the events. Our team has worked hard over the past several months to adapt this year’s programing to an online format, and we think that it’s going to be great!”
- Welcoming Week begins on Saturday, September 12 at 4:00pm with the Global Cafe, a fun-filled afternoon with recitals from across the globe presented by Urban Planning students at UIUC who have lived, played and worked in different parts of the world. Other events that are taking place during Welcoming Week include:
- University YMCA Civity/Civic Dinner Launch on Sunday, September 13 at 5:00pm. Participants will be encouraged to acknowledge and talk authentically about differences, rather than looking past them (see event here).
- Beginning to Understand Race in 2020 on Tuesday, September 15 at 6:30pm. An online viewing and discussion of the show “Racial Taboo” hosted by the Stephens Family YMCA with Larkins Place (see event here).
- Public Workshop with Mark Menjivar: Migration Stories on September 19 at 11:00am. Migration Stories is an oral history project focusing on personal narratives of how we arrived to where we are now. Participants in this Zoom event will be invited to listen to recorded migration stories from the local community and explore their own migration narratives (see full list of hosts and co-hosts and register here).
- Immigrant Business Showcase (September 12-20, 2020). A celebration of immigrant-owned and operated businesses in Champaign County! The Showcase will include deals and discounts at local businesses, an immigrant business panel discussion (Monday, September 14 at 10:00am), a business visiting contest, and the launch of our Immigrant Business Directory (more info here).
You can find more information and a full list of events here.
Image from University YMCA Facebook page.