The Lasting Effects of Champaign’s Welcoming Week

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — A week-long celebration is happening right now in Champaign County. It’s called Welcoming Week.

This year’s theme is “Stories We Share.” It’s a celebration and movement fully embracing immigrants and their contributions to the city.

Champaign County is home to more than 25,000 foreign-born residents and Welcoming Week is a way to highlight the many ways they enrich and strengthen the community.

Officials with the City of Champaign said that they’re hoping the celebrations go beyond just this one week.

“Immigrants that are in our community all the time… they’re here, they matter. It’s really important that we support them, and that we’re building a stronger, more inclusive community where everyone belongs. We want to make sure that we invite everyone to join in and to share in the stories and help shape the future of why diversity is celebrated in our community,” the City of Champaign’s Community Relations Specialist, Julio Velasco, said.

There’s more than twenty events going on this week, ending with a festival on Sunday with food, music, and activities in the downtown plaza from noon to 3 p.m.