Johnson County proclaims Welcoming Week as residents and organizers showcase events

The Johnson County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 18 adopted a proclamation declaring Welcoming Week in September 2025 and heard several community speakers who described local events and urged residents to participate.

Why it matters: The proclamation signals county support for community efforts to integrate and celebrate immigrants, and speakers described more than 15 free public events scheduled across Johnson County during the week.

Evan Doyle, speaking for Greater Iowa City and Better Together 2030, said the campaign “celebrates the work in our communities to become welcoming places for all, including immigrants” and reported that “there's over 15 events scheduled during welcoming week, all put on by local organizations throughout Johnson County.” A board member of IC Compassion who helped organize the welcome festival described strong attendance and thanked local partners, including the City of Iowa City and neighborhood associations.

Speakers explained that the national program, Welcoming America, launched in 2012 and that the local effort is now in its third consecutive year of county-level recognition. One speaker described historic and cultural elements of Filipino formal dress and linked the attire to resilience and cultural pride; another speaker said she had documented the county's welcome-week activities in a United Nations report and planned to forward that material to the chair.

Discussion vs. decision: The board approved the proclamation by unanimous roll call (5–0) and received public remarks; no funding appropriation or ordinance followed from the proclamation at this meeting.

Ending: The county chair signed the proclamation. Speakers and organizers encouraged residents to visit the local welcomeicarea.org site for event listings and said many of the events are free and open to the public.