Pontiac, Michigan – Oakland County Executive David Coulter today designated the week of September 12 as Welcoming Week as the county joins the national Welcoming America celebration and its 2020 theme of “Creating Home Together.”

“I want to make sure Oakland County is accessible and safe for foreign-born residents who are so vital to the social, cultural and economic fabric of our communities,” Coulter said. “These residents continue to enrich our culture with new ideas, educate us about new places, introduce us to new traditions and embrace an entrepreneurial spirit that improves our lives. We want our cities, villages and townships to be welcoming places where everyone feels they belong.”

Launched nationally in 2009, Welcoming America is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that supports diverse communities and partners which lead efforts to make their communities more vibrant places where everyone feels at home in the places they call home. A growing number of communities recognize that being welcoming leads to prosperity. Welcoming America provides the roadmap and support Oakland County and other locations need to become more inclusive toward immigrants and all residents.

In 2019, Commissioner William Miller delivered the initial welcoming resolution to the Oakland County Board of Commissioners, kicking off what became Welcoming Oakland, a consortium of agencies and organizations that operate in the immigrant and refugee space within the county. Earlier this year Coulter directed the county to become a member of Welcoming America.

Oakland County is hosting a virtual event on September 17 at 5 p.m. as part of the celebration. State Representative Padma Kuppa, 168 Group CEO Ricky Dong, and MSU Mechanical Engineering student Kattie Romero-Otero will share their stories of Creating Home Together and their experiences in Oakland County.

Register at Eventbrite https://ocwelcomeweek20.eventbrite.com and a secure Zoom link will be emailed to you. Please include your email in your registration. More information about Welcoming Week is at www.oakgov.com/welcomingweek.