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Franklin County marks World Refugee Day and thanks Welcome Advisory Council
Summary
The Franklin County Board of Commissioners recognized World Refugee Day during its June 16 meeting, heard remarks from Welcome Advisory Council chair Nadia Castrin about refugee resilience and local welcoming efforts, and adopted a resolution acknowledging the observance.
The Franklin County Board of Commissioners recognized World Refugee Day (observed June 20) at its June 16 general session, inviting members of the Franklin County Welcome and Advisory Council to the podium.
"Welcoming begins in our communities," Nadia Castrin, chair of the Welcome Advisory Council and cofounder and co-director of Us Together, told the board. Castrin said she arrived in the United States as a refugee from Ukraine 32 years ago and urged the county to invest in belonging and opportunity, calling refugees “business owners, health care professionals, educators, skilled workers, community leaders, taxpayers, neighbors, and friends.”
Commissioners thanked the council and encouraged continued outreach and youth engagement. President O'Grady told the group the resolution would recognize the contributions of refugees and immigrant communities and encouraged broader distribution of factual information to counter distortions in the political environment.
The recognition occurred before the board’s scheduled acknowledgments of spring sports state champions and was presented as a formal resolution for the county to observe World Refugee Day.
No policy changes or funding decisions were announced as part of the recognition; the agenda item was a formal acknowledgment and expression of support for local refugee and immigrant-serving efforts.
