In recognition of National Immigrant Heritage Month, June, and World Refugee Day, Thursday, June 20, Church World Service (CWS) Harrisburg will hold its second annual World Refugee Day Block Party at Maclay and North Second streets on Saturday, June 22, from noon to 3 p.m. The event will be held outdoors, rain or shine, and will include family-friendly activities and live multicultural entertainment.

Activities will include a baby goat petting zoo, sidewalk chalk drawing, handmade toy and craft kit giveaways while supplies last, a visit from princesses, a human-size hamster wheel, face and henna painting, music by DJ Bernie, a photo booth, an inflatable obstacle course, balloon art, and animals of many kinds. Food may be purchased from food trucks.

The event will also celebrate the region's Afghan community through the Afghan Food Festival, which will feature Afghan national dishes. Contestants will prepare their dishes, and event attendees may join the judging panel, taste the entries while supplies last, and cast their vote for their favorite recipe.

The event partners include the Dauphin County Library System, Pennsylvania Immigrant and Refugee Women's Network (PAIRWN), Llah Charity, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, and the Vietnamese Alliance Church of Enola. Cultural performances will be featured throughout the event.

"During this historic time in refugee resettlement, our community has stepped up in multiple ways to assist in the welcoming and delivery of core services to our newly arriving and existing clients," said Alex Swan, CWS Harrisburg site director. "Our event not only celebrates our newcomers and all they bring to our region's increasingly diverse and welcoming community, but also recognizes all that our caring community has accomplished together."

"In 2022, we recognized the lack of local community celebrations of World Refugee Day, so in 2023, we decided to create one ourselves," added Durre Sharif, CWS Harrisburg associate director of resettlement and engagement. "It was a huge success and attracted 400 attendees, including 200 refugees that were resettled over the previous year. The sense of integration and community belonging was palpable as our newest neighbors immersed themselves in a welcoming crowd of fellow community members. This special event focuses on fostering community engagement and unity, making it a beautifully significant occasion for everyone involved."

The free activities and entertainment are made possible through sponsorships. To sponsor the event and learn more, visit http://www.cwsharrisburg.org/wrdblockparty.

Church World Service (CWS) is a faith-based, 501(c)(3) organization with the mission to transform communities around the globe through just and sustainable responses to hunger, poverty, displacement, and disaster. Founded in 1946 to provide relief in the immediate aftermath of World War II, CWS operates in more than 30 countries worldwide and is one of the nine national refugee resettlement agencies in the U.S., where it operates more than 27 offices.

Among these is CWS Harrisburg, which opened in March 2022 as the second of two CWS offices in Pennsylvania. Through the organization's resettlement program, new refugee and immigrant neighbors are supported as they secure housing, enroll in English and cultural orientation classes, register children for school, find employment, schedule medical appointments, connect with the community, and move toward self-sufficiency. Integration programs provide extra and longer-term support to help clients obtain employment and related skills and to guide the most vulnerable clients through intensive case management.

World Refugee Day is an internationally designated observance created by the United Nations to honor refugees around the globe. It celebrates the strength and courage of people who have fled their home country to escape conflict or persecution. World Refugee Day aims to build empathy and understanding for refugees' circumstances and to recognize their resilience in rebuilding their lives.

National Immigrant Heritage Month honors the rich historical, societal, and cultural contributions of immigrants to American history.