City of Bend – Welcoming Week Sept. 10 to 19, 2021

Tonight the Bend City Council declared Welcoming Week Sept. 10 to 19, 2021.

Each year the City of Bend joins and supports numerous community partners in celebrating Welcoming Week, a series of community-organized events that highlight the principles of inclusion and create communities that prosper because everyone feels welcome. This year’s Welcoming Week theme is #BelongingBeginsWithUS supporting the narrative that each and every person in the community has the power to help others, regardless of their background, and each person has the right to feel like they are seen, embraced, welcomed and included.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Welcoming Week this year will include both virtual and in-person events. All in-person events are encouraged to take place outdoors. All events must follow current state requirements for wearing masks indoors or outdoors. Festivities will begin with a virtual kick-off celebration from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 10, hosted by the Latino Community Association.

Additional Welcoming Week events include Latino Fest, Advocacy Day Meet & Greet with City leadership, discussions on fair housing rights, uniting against racism, and fostering a welcoming business and community environment, a take-home Loteria game night with Bend Police Department, a back-to-school backpack distribution and more.

View the Welcoming Week webpage for a full list of events and information about how to participate.

In addition to attending Welcoming Week events, the City encourages all community members to participate on a social media. Participants can post a photo with an “I’m a Welcomer” sign to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Tag the City of Bend page and use the hashtags #IWelcome and #WelcomingWeek2021 to show support. There is also a “Bend Welcoming Week” photo frame available to add to Facebook profile photos and a Welcoming Week sticker to add to Instagram stories. Links to these items are also found on the Welcoming Week webpage.

Welcoming Week raises awareness about Bend’s status as a Welcoming City and the benefits of welcoming everyone, including immigrants and refugees. On June 21, 2017, the Bend City Council unanimously supported a resolution for the City of Bend to become a Welcoming City. Participation in Welcoming Week is one of the requirements for recognition as a Welcoming City.

For more information visit www.bendoregon.gov/welcomingweek or in Spanish at www.bendoregon.gov/bienvenido.