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309 Genesee St. |
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NEWS  |
COMPASS participates in a number of programs, projects, and special events, and we like to share news about these occasions with you. Please read below for COMPASS news and happenings. |
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 UTICA SEEN AS A MODEL FOR SUCCESSFUL INTEGRATION On Monday August 16, 2009 Compass, the multicultural division of the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees (MVRCR) welcomed a group of visitors from Buffalo, NY. The individuals visiting were comprised of members from a steering committee for a Refugee Tutoring Program, college professors, and officials from other organizations in Buffalo. The group from Buffalo was specifically interested in the areas of education and economic development for Refugee populations. Utica has come to be recognized as a model for successfully integrating emerging populations and being able to work with the community to develop strategies around these key issues. In 2005 Utica was internationally recognized as the “Town that Loves Refugees” by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) who committed an entire magazine to the City of Utica. As a result of this recognition Peter Vogelaar, the Executive Director, was invited to Windsor, UK later that year to present Utica’s successful integration techniques. Utica continued to gain recognition through an August 2007 article in the Reader’s Digest. During 2008 Utica was visited by PBS, ABC News, and Arte, a magazine from France specifically interested in Utica’s successful integration of emerging populations. The group from Buffalo arrived Sunday afternoon and received a tour, led by Compass Staff, former refugees, Utica Common Councilman Jim Zecka, and resident Lucrecia Hunt. Following the tour the group had dinner at Thuy’s Vietnamese Restaurant on Bleecker St. On Monday the group met with Compass staff, visited the National Running Hall of Fame to hear Tim Reed Speak about the International Mile of the Boilermaker Road Race, and spent time at Tabernacle Baptist Church talking with Rev. Dr. Mark S. Caruana. Utica has a strong immigrant background with a history of welcoming diverse groups of individuals. Refugees have been welcomed here for over 25 years, and new diverse populations continue to emerge through immigration, such as the Spanish speaking community. The Compass division of MVRCR emerged as a response to the community needs, offering daily services in interpretation, translation, immigration, citizenship, cultural competency training, and consulting. Welcoming outside individuals, such this visiting group from Buffalo, is the goal of Compass; to share with other communities the success story of Utica’s integration. ©Copyright 2009 COMPASS |
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