Hemming Park to
Host World Refugee Day Celebration June 15
Celebration follows
naturalization ceremony in the Jacksonville Main Library
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., June 7, 2016 – The public
is invited to the Jacksonville Main Library on June 15 at 11:45 a.m. to witness
the naturalization ceremony of new American citizens representing a number of
countries around the world as part of World Refugee Day 2016. A celebration
featuring traditional music, dance performances, and a children’s fashion show
will be held in Hemming Park after the ceremony. The public is then invited
back to the Jacksonville Main Library for a free screening of the new film
“Refugee Kids: One Small School Takes on the World” at 1:30 p.m.
“This day celebrates the resilience of our local refugee community
- people forced to leave their homes because of war, religious persecution,
social persecution, or another legitimate reason. People who have found a
secure and peaceful home for their families and loved ones here Jacksonville.
The local Refugee Resettlement Agencies Catholic Charities, Lutheran Social
Services and World Relief, along with their many community partners, are proud
to provide welcoming wrap-around services to assist in these successful
transitions,” said Michelle Karolak, Director of Catholic Charities' Refugee Resettlement
Program.
Worldwide, World Refugee Day celebrates the achievements and
contributions of more than 50 million refugees and displaced people across the
globe. Locally this annual event highlights the diversity throughout
Jacksonville and brings the public closer to the human side of the refugee
story by sharing tales of hope and spirit, and by highlighting the common links
we all share with refugees.
The 2016 ceremony and celebration is presented by the Catholic
Charities Bureau Inc. of Jacksonville, Lutheran Social Services, World Relief's
Jacksonville Refugee Community Services, United States Citizenship and
Immigration Service, the Department of Children and Families Refugee Services
Program, the Center for Language and Culture, the Jacksonville Area Refugee
Task Force, and the Jacksonville Area Legal Aid Refugee Immigration Project
with the help of First Coast Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, The League of
Women Voters and the FSCJ ESOL Department.
The Jacksonville Public Library’s Center for Adult Learning works
regularly with immigrants and locally resettled refugees. The library has been
involved with World Refugee Day for the past eight years. This will be Friends
of Hemming Park’s second year hosting the cultural celebration.
About Friends of
Hemming Park (FOHP)
Founded in 2013, Friends of Hemming Park is a 501(c)3 nonprofit
organization dedicated to transforming Jacksonville’s oldest public park into a
modern, urban space that engages diverse communities and brings vitality to our
city’s public square through improved amenities, daily programming, a
family-friendly environment, and community-driven partnerships. To learn more
about the park and upcoming events, visit hemmingpark.org.
