Welcoming Week is an event celebrated by all Welcoming Cities and Counties in the nation and is meant to highlight the contributions of immigrants to our communities and to offer an opportunity to learn more about migration and what it is like for refugees and immigrants who try to make a new life in the United States.

On September 22 at 5 PM we will gather in front of Gainesville’s City Hall and hear Mayor Lauren Poe proclaim that September 16 – 25 is officially Welcoming Week in Gainesville, FL. County Commissioner Robert Hutchinson and Daniel Valdez from Welcoming America will share why it is important to be a Welcoming  City and County and what we hope to achieve going forward!

There will be an opportunity to learn more about Welcoming Gainesville, the Gainesville United Nations Association, the Gainesville Sister City Program and a movement called “Books not Bombs” that aims to increase the amounts of scholarships given to Syrian college students. There will also be a photo booth for community members to share their personal story of migration and a special treat – food from Falafel King Sandwiches!