A picture mural on the Third National Bank building, at 34 N. Main St. facing Courthouse Square in downtown Dayton, shows the faces of a dozen immigrants and refugees who live in the community.
People walking past the building can access QR codes that take them to profiles of each immigrant. Welcome Dayton worked with every immigrant and refugee featured on the building to gather details about who they are, where they come from and what Dayton means to them now.
Included in the mural is Horwitz herself — she came to the U.S. from Sweden as a student studying English and has since become a citizen.
“The world is more colorful when we have people who have different backgrounds,” said Horwitz. “We can learn from each other.”
Welcome Dayton is planning other hands-on methods of outreach, too.
A festival in recognition of World Refugee Day, hosted by Welcome Dayton and other groups that provide support to immigrants, will be held at Dayton Metro Library from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 21.
Dayton recognizes World Refugee Day annually, but this year’s event comes after federal changes to the Refugee Resettlement Program, protected immigration statuses and more.
Horwitz said she has seen more “negativity” surrounding immigrants and refugees over the past year. She hopes the event will provide some community members a chance to learn more about their neighbors.
“It’s an opportunity for the community to just kind of celebrate and learn who refugees are, why they’re here, how they came here,” Horwitz said.
Dayton’s World Refugee Day Event will include a panel discussion where immigrant leaders will discuss the impact of federal changes and other topics. The event will also include food, music and other performances.
Refuge Robotics, a group that aims to give immigrant and refugee children an opportunity to learn more about robots, will also be at the event. Parents and their children are invited to build with Lego bricks, watch a robot demonstration and also drive a robot.
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