Welcoming Refugees to Bennington

Start: Sunday, January 26, 2025 1:30PM
End: Sunday, January 26, 2025 3:00PM

The public is invited to learn more about refugee resettlement in Bennington in a free event, "Welcoming Refugees to Bennington," on Sunday, January 26 at 1:30 p.m. at the Bennington Free Library, 101 Silver Street.

The event is co-presented by the Bennington Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and the Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC), Bennington's refugee resettlement agency.

Bennington was designated as an official refugee resettlement site in October 2022, and the following year, the Bennington County Multicultural Community Center was opened in the heart of downtown. Since they began arriving in Southern Vermont, more than 100 refugees have come to Bennington, where they have found employment at more than two dozen local businesses, as well as at several non-profit organizations.

The presentation will offer updates on local resettlement efforts, provide information about how interested community members can get involved, and discuss projects and programs ECDC has launched in the last year. Attendees will have a chance to hear from refugees who have arrived in Bennington, staff of ECDC, and volunteers. Light refreshments, in consultation with resettled refugees, will be provided.

"We are pleased to be joining with our friends at ECDC to hold this public gathering, as our respective missions overlap," said AAUW president Suzanne Kirkpatrick. "ECDC staff and volunteers provide direct support to families and individuals from around the world as they start their new lives in Southern Vermont, while AAUW offers year-round programs that promote equity, education, and economic independence for women and girls in our community."