Join us to meet organizations active in welcoming refugees in our community - and for conversations with refugees and people who serve them.
About this event
This event will bring organizations that serve refugees together with members of the community who are inspired by the opportunity to support refugee resettlement.
In addition to meeting representatives of organizations that serve refugees, we invite you to join conversations with refugees, long-time residents of the area and newly-arrived, sharing stories about their experiences. We are honored to welcome Kamila Noori, formerly a judge on Afghanistan's Supreme Court - learn a bit about her story in this NPR program and you can hear her speak on the 17th - and we are also excited to host an exhibition by Jahan Ara Rafi, an artist recently profiled in this PBS News Hour story. Theirs are but two of the many stories that we look forward to sharing.
Our Welcoming Refugees Community Service Fair is featured as part of Welcoming Week, a nationwide initiative of Welcoming America that encourages communities to be more welcoming to immigrants and refugees. Together we will learn about the experiences of refugees as they make their way towards our community--and celebrate the progress they are making, often against difficult odds.
Montgomery County has declared itself a “welcoming county” as part of the “Welcoming America” initiative. We’re glad to be a part of the area’s welcoming efforts. Join us to think globally, serve locally, and build community!
We are also excited to have finalized a list of great organizations who will be represented on the 17th. You will be able to meet with representatives of organizations including the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Homes Not Borders, the Asmelash-Grant Foundation, Ukraine House DC, Do Kind Works, Mozaic, Their Story is Our Story, Montgomery County's Linkages to Learning, and the Montgomery County Health Connection. In addition, we invite you to learn more about the Washington Center for International Education, including our ESOL Programs for Refugees which are offered in partnership with the IRC and the International Association of Women Judges.
WCIE and English Now! thank program co-sponsors including the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Montgomery County's Linkages to Learning, the Asmelash-Grant Foundation, and the Afghan Judges Committee of the International Association of Women Judges.
This event is free to the public, but please do register for a ticket, and we will send you additional information about about the program. And please let us know if you'd like to help us get the word out about the program -- we look forward to partnering with other people and organizations in the community that care about making refugee resettlement work and encouraging more people to get involved.
We look forward to seeing you on September 17!
