Welcoming Week 2022: Growing Together

  Growing Together is a series of events organized by Refugee Services, a resettlement agency of Catholic Charities of Central and Northern Missouri, in partnership with local organizations and the City of Columbia, Missouri, as part of Welcoming Week 2022. Welcoming Week 2022 is a national campaign that will unfold from September 9th to 18th. This year’s theme is Where We Belong. Growing Together events will center around cultivating our knowledge of refugees and immigrants’ cultures and their foods as a way to explore where we belong. This year Growing Together will also incorporate discussions of broader issues surrounding refugee resettlement such as civic engagement, government and community leadership, community connections, economic development, and equitable access to resources.  Locations  All Growing Together events will be held at Broadway Christian, 2601 W. Broadway Columbia, MO 65203 (at the amphitheater and Refugee Services’ Community Garden plot in the garden at the back of the church building, accessible via Heather Lane, see map on website) unless otherwise stated. In case of rain, events will be held inside the church. Covid measures will apply if needed.  Schedule of events 

Schedule of events

• Growing Together Kick-Off
  Broadway Christian Church Garden Amphitheater
  Friday, September 9th
  5:00 PM
  Join our Kick-Off event for Welcoming Week’s Growing Together program with a performance by Jabberwocky Studios, a Proclamation by the City of Columbia Mayor’s office, and a presentation of the week’s events, and resources, from Welcoming America.
      
• Connected Communities: Visit with a Refugee Family
  Broadway Christian Church Gardens
  Saturday, September 10th
  2:00 PM
  Join us as we host a Syrian refugee family, who will talk about their country, culture, and food — while preparing and offering samples of their cuisine to visitors.
   
• “Welcome Refugees” Webinar
  Online Event, Zoom Call (Click here to join our Zoom call)
  Sunday, September 11th 2:00 PM
  Join us for our “Welcoming Refugees” webinar outlining on refugee resettlement processes, answering common questions on refugee resettlement, and more.
   

• Equitable Resources: Food and Food Growing
  MU Healthcare Pavilion (Farmer’s Market)
  Monday, September 12th
  5:00 PM
  Join us and the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture for a presentation on food and food growing with a finger food dinner catered by a local refugee restaurant and a City of Columbia Economic Development Department (REDI) presentation on entrepreneurship.
      
• Community Panel: Welcoming and Equipping Refugees
  Broadway Christian Church Garden Amphitheater
  Wednesday, September 14th
  5:00 PM
  We’re bringing together local organizations to present their work around refugee and immigrant issues, including the Cambio Center at the University of Missouri on voter registration efforts and immigration advocacy, the English Language Learning Department at Columbia Public Schools, and the University of Missouri’s Office of International Programs.  Catholic Charities Health and Nutrition Services director Judith Mutamba will present on healthy and culturally diverse eating that reflects countries where our clients come from.
     
• Online Cooking Demonstration
  Online Event, Zoom Call (Click here to join our Zoom call)
  Thursday, September 15th
  4:00 PM
  Celebrate Mexican Independence Day with us and join the owners of La Terraza Mexican Restaurant, Maria and Luis, immigrants from Mexico, who will share their talents with us in our online cooking demonstration streamed live via Zoom.
      
• Closing Event: Community Potluck
  The Crossing Church, Student Center Room 315
  3615 Southland Dr. Columbia, MO 65201
  Sunday, Sept. 18th
  1:00 PM
  Join us in a community potluck as we close our Welcome Week activities. Please bring a dish that you love (and love to share!) and look forward to visiting with neighbors and newcomers.

Event Partners 

• The Crossing Church
• Broadway Christian Church (BCC) 
• City of Columbia, Office of the Mayor and City of Columbia’s Economic Development Department (REDI) 
• Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture (CCUA) 
• Jabberwocky Studios (JS) 
• Columbia Public Schools’ ELL Department (CPS) 
• Missouri Faith Voices (MFV) 
• Jabberwocky Studios (JS) 
• La Terazza Mexican Grill (LT) 
• University of Missouri-Columbia International Programs (MU Intl.)