Welcoming Week & Immigrant Heritage Month 2017 Standing with Immigrants! Building a Nation of Neighbors May 18, 2017 Keenan Toohey, Welcoming.US & Keiron Bone Dormegnie, Welcoming America
Your Welcoming America Partners Keenan Toohey Director Welcome.US keenan@welcome.us Keiron Bone Dormegnie Membership & Events Director Welcoming America keiron@welcomingamerica.org
What connects Immigrant Heritage Month & Welcoming Week?
Where, when, who? Every June, across the country A network of hundreds of artists, entertainers, and influencers, elected officials representing all 50 states, and over 250 corporate and nonprofit partners What? IHM celebrates immigrants and their contributions Inspirational stories of immigration in America How?
Welcoming Week Bring together newcomers and long-term residents Stand in solidarity with vulnerable communities Help communities move beyond divisiveness and fragmentation
Immigrant Heritage Month
New for 2017 Celebrate with Service Looking for volunteers to support immigrants in your community this June? Become an IHM service provider! We are asking individuals to pledge to participate in a local service opportunity throughout June. We will match interested individuals with local organizations throughout the month. Service opportunities could include preplanned or regularly scheduled service days or something set specifically for IHM.
For Municipalities Sign/introduce a resolution or proclamation officially declaring June as Immigrant Heritage Month Participate in a digital day of action on June 1 to celebrate the launch of Immigrant Heritage Month Issue a press release announcing your support of ISWI during Immigrant Heritage Month and why it is impactful for your district/community Give a speech on the chamber floor in support of immigrant contributions to your community/ district Send an email to your colleagues and constituents to encourage others to get involved publicly by supporting ISWI and IHM Add ISWI branding to your web properties and offices Participate in social activations throughout IHM, and as part of the year-long kick-off of the ISWI campaign Host an event in support of ISWI
#IStandWithImmigrants Signatories Commit to the following three activities: 1. Participate in a digital day of action on June 1 to celebrate the launch of IHM and #IStandWithImmigrants. 2. Participate in social activations throughout IHM, and as part of the ongoing #IStandWithImmigrants campaign. 3. Host an event in support of ISWI. Here are some suggestions to help you plan
Why Welcoming Week?
How to get involved?
Partnership Ideas Champion Partners Commit to hosting events Commit to sending volunteers from your staff, and have your staff show-up to events. Co-host Know Your Rights event Amplifier Partners Support Welcoming Week on social media Encourage other organizations to host or co-host an event(s) Sponsor Partners Promote I m a Welcomer Store. - store.welcomingamerica.org Offer in-kind support for other organizations Fund an event
Welcoming Week Event Ideas
Event ideas Service Projects & Cultural Events Food - Art - Open-houses Murals & clean-up; gardening & gleaning food; community learning & open-houses Partner with a local cultural organization such as museum or a business association Welcoming Week coincides with Hispanic Heritage Month Citizenship Work Naturalization ceremonies & test preparation. Make it a block party! Citizenship Day is Sept. 17 USCIS: https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/teachers/constitutionday-and-citizenship-day Engage Champions Mayor/Commissioners Proclamation Invite a legislator, commissioner, faith leader Summit on Welcoming Agenda More ideas at WelcomingWeek.org
More ideas Lift up diverse businesses Tour of restaurants, start-ups, or small businesses run by people of diverse backgrounds. Recognize inspiring start-ups by New Americans. Support vulnerable communities Private potluck Know your rights events Games with themes of unity Soccer & sports tournaments More Than One Story card game - see store.welcomingamerica.org Toolkit at WelcomingWeek.org
Please use these hashtags: #WelcomingWeek and #IWelcome
Welcoming Week Messages
Messages for social media Immigrants & refugees make communities stronger economically & culturally #WelcomingWeek Sept 15-24 Every day more communities recognize that welcoming immigrants is right & the smart thing to do. #WelcomingWeek How will you celebrate #WelcomingWeek? Join the growing movement. et s show the world that our communities want to be welcoming to everyone #WelcomingWeek - welcomingweek.org
Welcoming Week Host Tools Toolkit & Marketing Materials
Hosting Toolkit Overview & Background Event Inspiration Hosting Checklist Sample Proclamation & Press Release Downloadable: Visit WelcomingWeek.org http://www.welcomingamerica.org/sites/default/files/welcoming%20week%20resource%20kit.pdf
Upcoming Webinars Aug: In-depth Welcoming Week Communications webinar Aug: School Lesson Plans toolkit release
Welcoming Store Store.WelcomingAmerica.org Batch of buttons (20) $4.50 Caps $10 T-shirts $12 Banners $40 The first 200 sign-ups receive a $12 discount code.
Questions? Contact Keenan Toohey, Welcome.US (keenan@welcome.us) or Keiron Bone Dormegnie (keiron@welcomingamerica.org) Visit: www.welcomingweek.org
Thank You!
Welcoming Institute Government Leadership Civic Engagement Equitable Access Education Connected Communities Economic Development Safe Communities
Join Us: Upcoming Webinars Welcoming 101: Beginning Strategies for Incorporating the Welcoming Framework in Communities May 31, 2017 2 p.m. EDT Find out more: Welcomingamerica.org/calendar