(Utica, NY – June 2013) The Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees is hosting a World Refugee Day event series this month. All events are free and open to the public.
Friday, June 14
Have a Voice in Your Community – The Office for New Americans (ONA) Opportunity Center in Utica invites members of the local community to come to the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees (MVRCR) at 309 Genesee Street, on June 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at DeSales Center Auditorium, 309 Genesee St. to learn more about having an active voice in the community. Conducted by the ONA Opportunity Center in conjunction with the Mohawk Valley Latino Association, NAACP Utica/Oneida County Branch, the League of Women Voters, and the Oneida County Board of Elections, the event will provide an opportunity for locals to connect with advocates and leaders and learn about opportunities to become full and active members within their community.
Saturday, June 15
Community Readers and Student Art Display- Mention our MVRCR Book Fair while you shop at Barnes & Noble at Consumer Square in New Hartford on June 15, and a percentage of sales will be donated to MVRCR! Engage in activities for kids and adults, view the student art display and learn about the refugee communities in the Utica.
10 a.m. to noon
Barnes and Noble Bookstore
4811 Commercial Dr.
New Hartford
Thursday, June 20
World Refugee Day Celebration – Experience a world of entertainment in an afternoon through music, dance, cultural displays, performances, works of art and handiwork by local ethnic groups.
2 to 5 p.m.
DeSales Center Auditorium
309 Genesee Street
Saturday, June 22
Family Fun with Puppet Show, Stories and Activities – Experience The Guild of Thespian Puppets, an extraordinary puppet acting troupe of original handmade puppets sure to entertain kids of all ages. There will also be stories, activities for children and an art exhibition.
Hosted by the Utica Public Library
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Utica Public Library, Second Floor Gallery
303 Genesee St.
There will also be a display by the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees commemorating World Refugee Day in the Utica City Hall lobby from Monday, June 10 through Friday, June 21.
Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees Executive Director Shelly Callahan commented, “While World Refugee Day is observed around the world, it is especially appropriate that we be observe it here in Utica and remember the millions of refugees around the world who have yet to find a safe home. Generations of immigrants and refugees have helped build Utica and are an important part of our future. The United Nations High Commission on Refugees has honored Utica by singling it out as The Town that Loves Refugees. Together from many cultures we are continuing to build one community.”
World Refugee Day raises awareness of the plight of refugees around the world honoring the courage, strength and determination of women, men and children who are forced to flee their homeland under threat of persecution, conflict and violence.
Utica’s World Refugee Day provides an opportunity to learn about the cultures of ethnic groups who have settled into Utica and surrounding areas, and hear their stories. The event is a realization of many cultures, one community—the mission of MVRCR as it calls to support refugees and immigrants who have made a new home in our community.
The Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees promotes the well-being of culturally diverse individuals and families within the region by welcoming new neighbors, refugees and immigrants, and by providing individual and community-centered activities designed to create opportunity and facilitate understanding.