The Johnson County community will celebrate Welcoming Week Friday, Sept. 10 through Saturday, Sept. 19, 2021, by bringing together people of all backgrounds to build connections and affirm the importance of welcoming and inclusive places.
“What makes this Johnson County community great? Our diversity,” John Boller, Executive Director of Coralville Community Food Pantry, said. “The Welcoming America initiative urges us to think and act on ways we can improve community connectedness, to ensure that every single one of our neighbors feels welcomed, valued and safe. May we take this as an opportunity to commit to fostering a truly welcoming and inclusive culture in Johnson County--as individuals, businesses, schools, places of worship, nonprofit organizations, and in our public policy.”
Under the theme of “Belonging Begins with Us,” organizations throughout Johnson County will host several events.
- Thursday, Sept. 2, 9 a.m. – Johnson County Welcoming Week proclamation at Board of Supervisors formal meeting, Johnson County Administration Building, 913 S. Dubuque Street, Iowa City
- Tuesday, Sept. 7, 6 p.m. - City of Iowa City Welcoming Week proclamation at City Council meeting. More information at https://www.icgov.org/city-government/departments-and-divisions/city-council.
- Friday, Sept. 10, 5:30 p.m. – WorldCanvass – Wellspring: The Power of Partnerships, outside of Hancher Auditorium, 141 East Park Road, Iowa City. More information is available at https://international.uiowa.edu/worldcanvass-wellspring-power-partnerships.
- Friday, Sept. 10, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. – Free Community Meal, Coralville Public Library, 1401 5th Street, Coralville. More information is available at https://www.facebook.com/events/289098522969165/.
- Tuesday, Sept. 14, 6:30 p.m. – City of North Liberty Welcoming Week proclamation at City Council meeting, via Zoom. More information is available at https://northlibertyiowa.org/government/city-council/.
- Wednesday, Sept. 15 through Friday, Sept. 17 – North Liberty Community On-Demand Cooking Classes, online. More information will be available at https://northlibertyiowa.org/.
- Sunday, Sept. 19, 2 p.m. – Johnson County Photo Scavenger Hunt, Iowa City West High School driveway, 2901 Melrose Avenue, Iowa City. Registration is required. More information is available at bit.ly/JoCoScavengerHunt2021 or https://www.facebook.com/events/588642722326130.
- Tuesday, Sept. 28 – City of North Liberty Good Neighbor Day, Good neighbors build great neighborhoods. To celebrate National Good Neighbor Day, we're congratulating our Good Neighbor Honor Roll, some Neighborhood Ambassadors are hosting outdoor gatherings, and more. More information is available at https://northlibertyiowa.org/residents/great-neighborhoods/?fbclid=IwAR3lerL_kfz6xx84_pJWnec57D14Cq1TWTCiyzC4xQXfn_8B6s8X0TQZY6M.
“Welcoming Week is an invitation to join in the everyday work of building welcoming places for all,” said Rachel Perić, Executive Director of Welcoming America. “Together with their neighbors, people of all backgrounds will come together through events in places large and small, rural and urban, reminding us of how our communities work best when every member belongs.”
Since 2012, Welcoming Week has served as the annual campaign and celebration led by Welcoming America to showcase the growing movement of communities striving to be more welcoming places for all, including immigrants. By fostering mutual respect and cooperation between new and long-time residents, Welcoming Week brings together people across lines of difference toward greater prosperity for all. Learn more at welcomingweek.org.
Welcoming America is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that leads a movement of inclusive communities becoming more prosperous by ensuring everyone belongs. Through the Welcoming Network, they work to change systems and culture by providing communities the roadmap they need to create welcoming policies and share new approaches to inclusion to create an environment where everyone can truly thrive. Learn more at welcomingamerica.org.