By Belen Quellet

“Welcoming Week,” observed this year from September 13-22, has again called attention to the cause of hospitality to immigrants and refugees as Welcoming Falls Church pursues its mission to “build a community of neighbors.”

The City Council kicked off the celebration on September 9 with a proclamation – for the seventh year in a row – that Falls Church would recognize Welcoming Week in Falls Church. The City’s enthusiastic support for the cause of welcoming comes as no surprise. The City’s Falls Church 2040 strategic vision underscores a long-term commitment to this value, stating in its first sentence, “Falls Church in 2040 will be a welcoming and inclusive community.” City Council resolutions have reaffirmed this vision by endorsing Welcoming Week each year since 2018.

Being a welcoming city is also becoming more visible with the announcement of signage installation — with the word “welcome” in 18 languages — outside City Hall. In a ceremony on the main stage of Saturday’s Fall Festival, Mayor Letty Hardi and City Community Relations and Legislative Affairs Director Cindy Mester unveiled the design for the signage, the culmination of year-long deliberations of a group involving City staff, Welcoming Falls Church representatives, and artistic input from Meridian High School’s artist-in-residence Marc Robarge and art Teacher Christina Leigh.

Among Welcoming Week’s other highlights were an author visit and workshop featuring Sindya Bhanoo, a professor at Oregon State University and former reporter for The Washington Post and The New York Times. Bhanoo’s book, “Seeking Fortune Elsewhere,” is an award-winning collection of short stories exploring the South Asian immigrant experience.

Bhanoo’s visit to Falls Church cut across the community, starting with a visit to Meridian High School last Friday. Every student in the school had read one of her short stories in their stable group. She continued with two public talks on Saturday at the high school and the Mary Riley Styles Public Library. Bhanoo’s visit was a true community effort, made possible through active partnership with the American Association of University Women’s Falls Church Chapter and the Library, and with support from the City’s Arts and Humanities Commission, the Falls Church City Schools, and the Falls Church Education Foundation.

Founded in 2018, Welcoming Falls Church is a grassroots, nonpartisan organization. Inspired by an Atlanta-based non-profit organization Welcoming America, but operating independently the organization has made significant strides in fostering a nurturing environment where newcomers can integrate and thrive. Its Adult & Family Literacy Center teaches English to 65 adults and 20 children at Oak Street Elementary on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Its Welcoming Refugees initiative has resettled five refugee families in the City. Welcoming Falls Church was also recently honored by the founding of a club dedicated to its support at Meridian High School, and it has over 100 active volunteers.

The community’s response to Welcoming Falls Church’s Welcoming Refugees initiative has been multi-faceted. The City’s $50,000 grant towards rent assistance to newly-arrived refugee families has inspired over $46,000 in private contributions and more than $20,000 in in-kind donations. Notably, Temple Rodef Shalom recently contributed an additional $5,000 to this impressive total. In addition to financial support, volunteers have committed over 4000 hours of service to the refugee families.

Welcoming Week also includes plenty of fun. An annual Ice Cream Social event at Mr. Brown’s Park held last Sunday attracted 175 people, and the week culminates with Harvey’s Yacht Club Fundraiser on September 21. Harvey’s will generously donate 10 percent of the proceeds from the event to Welcoming Falls Church. Attendees can enjoy fresh oysters and a selection of beverages while supporting a cause that makes a tangible difference in the community.

Beyond programs and events, the sentiment that inspires Welcoming Falls Church is best expressed by Samira Davis, a Board Member who commented at the City Council meeting last week: “We have resettled five refugee families in Falls Church, and they love the city. We are making a huge difference in their lives and their children’s lives.”

Mayor Letti Hardy and City Council members expressed their gratitude for Welcoming Falls Church’s leadership, applauding the organization for holding the city accountable to its values and bringing the community together. They encouraged the team to continue their inspiring work.