This past Valentine’s Day, people across the country moved beyond romantic love to celebrate the love of community. Purpose was proud to support and scale Refugees Welcome❤, an initiative launched by UNICEF Global on Valentine’s Day that brought folks from refugee and non-refugee backgrounds around a table to break bread and break barriers.
Refugees Welcome❤ asked folks in towns and cities across the US to start or join a welcoming dinner for refugees in their local communities. Purpose provided a set of materials, resources and tools to help attendees plan and host dinners, and turn love into action.
Dinners were held at Global Citizen, General Assembly, Civic Hall, Purpose NY and across the country from Maryland to Texas to California, and were featured in Mashable, Fusion, Voice Of America, MoveOn, CityLab and other media outlets.
Last weekend, Syrian refugees shared a meal w/ new neighbors & refugees from other countries in Potomac, MD. #RefugeesWelcome @KindWorksOrg pic.twitter.com/HQCPskoeiI
— MoveOn (@MoveOn) March 3, 2017
The initiative has continued beyond Valentine’s Day to partner with existing coalitions of organizations dedicated to hosting welcome dinners across the globe.
This #ValentinesDay, let’s share the love with our communities: https://t.co/pxvGdO2G0q #RefugeesWelcome pic.twitter.com/MhXcn605dZ
— Richard Branson (@richardbranson) February 14, 2017
Learn more and get updates from #Refugees Welcome❤ by visiting their site, and by following them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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