World Refugee Day quilt hangs proudly at One World Market
We at CWS are big fans of this movement. All across the country for seven consecutive days (9/12-9/19), American cities mobilize to announce their joy, appreciation, and respect for the array of contributions that refugees and immigrants bring to our communities.
National Welcoming Week highlights the successes of New Americans as they transition into building new lives in the United States. Folks come from all corners of the world and all walks of life to start over in this country. CWS (in our case, the Durham office) plays a significant role in this process for the NC Triangle area, as we resettle between 250 and 300 refugee families per year. It is such a delight to watch a movement like National Welcoming Week unfold to reveal the amazing accomplishments of the brilliant and resilient migrant communities we serve.
To celebrate National Welcoming Week this year, CWS-Durham has a travelling quilt made by attendees at this summer’s World Refugee Day. Durhamites and newly arrived refugees families together hand painted and crafted this wonderful collage of thoughts, experiences, and identities. It will hang at a variety of locations around the city, beginning this weekend at One World Market on Ninth St. in Durham. We will keep you posted on its next stops, so please stop by and take a look.
National Citizenship Day also falls on Thursday, September 17th. Volunteers and staff alike work hard with new arrivals at CWS to assist throughout the long process of naturalization and citizenship. Take a moment to check out our current giving opportunity that showcases two special volunteers who have worked over a year together with our immigration team, and now assist in teaching ESL classes. From data entry to interpretation, Therese and Suzanne have really gone the extra mile.
