688 Minnehaha Ave E
Saint Paul
Minnesota 55106
Observed on June 20th on an annual basis, World Refugee Day is an international observance which is designed to raise awareness of the plight of refugees all over the world. Each and every minute, over 25 people leave their home and everything they own to escape war, terror, and/or persecution.
You Are Welcome Here Night is a night for celebrating and supporting our refugee neighbors…and ultimately sending the message that “You are welcome here.” And we’re communicating all of this… by simply showing up. Here’s the beauty of it… 7% of everything spent, whether it be on a beer, shopping from a vendor at the pop-up market, food, or anything else will be invested into refugee communities right here in Minnesota. It’s a simple and fun way for us to invest in them together.
Do you want refugees here? Then we want you here. This is a great event for people looking for people to celebrate our diverse community, especially refugees.
The event will include:
1. Shopping – There will be a few brands set up as a part of our pop-up market. Some are established and well-known brands such as Northern Glasses, Hagen and Oats, and more… while others are up and coming brands and makers among Minnesota’s very own refugee population.
2. Beer – Duh.
3. Food – The event will be full of opportunities to try food from a few of the different refugee populations that call Minnesota home. A HUGE thank you to our friends at Stories Foundation and Freedom Truck for lending us their food truck so that the Karen community can share their food with us! Come out and try the Karen take on a few familiar foods, such as egg rolls or noodles, OR try something you probably haven’t tried before like the chicken feet or ice salad.
4. Speakers – Want to learn more about refugees and how to be a welcoming and supporting neighbor? Come and hear from 4 leaders in the Minnesota community responding to the prompt of “Why I support refugees…” This time will conclude with a panel of 4 speakers addressing how to best support refugees by answering the question “I stand in solidarity with refugees when I… ?”
Event Schedule:
12:00pm | Event “opens” – Pop-Up market, food, beer
4:00pm – 6:00pm | Speakers outside on patio
4:00 – 4:20 | Speaker A – To Be Announced
4:20 – 4:40 | Speaker B – To Be Announced
4:50 – 5:10 | Speaker C – To Be Announced
5:10 – 5:30 | Speaker D – To Be Announced
5:30 – 6:00pm | Forum: 4 Speakers respond to: “I stand in solidarity with refugees when I…”
Money from the evening will be invested into one of 2 places investing in refugees:
1. The Urban Village – A St. Paul based non-profit whose mission is to be a launch pad for Karen students, artists, leaders, entrepreneurs, dreams, businesses, movements, and community projects.
2. International Institute of Minnesota – Helping New Americans achieve self-sufficiency and full membership in American life.
