Ithaca Welcomes Refugees

06/12/2026

06/11/2026

For those looking to join a soccer Men's World Cup watch party, check each participating venue's page to see which games they plan to show. Personal Best Brewing Bike Bar Ithaca State Eatery Bookies Sports Bar & Lounge

For bringing kids along, Personal Best and State Eatery are great kid-friendly options!

06/10/2026

The FIFA World Cup 2026 soccer games begin tomorrow and watch parties are popping up around Ithaca! Take the chance to get together while also supporting the community. Join the fun at select venues screening the matches and fundraising for IWR!

06/08/2026

One week of our Spring Appeal left to go... A big thank you to the 92 people who have already donated, raising an impressive $71,188 so far!

To help us reach $80,000 to support struggling refugee and immigrant families with basic needs through this summer and fall, please share this post and donate if you can. A gift of any size makes a difference to people's lives.

You can donate online here: https://www.ithacawelcomesrefugees.org/make-a-gift/
Or mail a check to Ithaca Welcomes Refugees, 315 N Cayuga St, Ithaca NY 14850

06/04/2026

What a beautiful ribbon cutting ceremony yesterday to launch our mural celebrating refugees and immigrants and the local spirit of welcome!

Thank you to everyone who came and celebrated with us. This project has been an incredible collaborative effort and we are thrilled by the results!

We are so grateful to Hugo Medina for the amazing work of transforming an idea into a stunning, community-informed artwork!

Our special thanks also to Ithaca Murals for supporting us all the way from site selection and permit navigation to hands on painting. A huge thank you to the Southern Tier AIDS Program, Inc. and Tompkins County for hosting this artwork on your walls. We are also thankful to our generous project funders: This project was made possible in part with funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, administered by the Community Arts Partnership of Tompkins County, and in part by a grant from the Tompkins County Tourism Program.

Photos by Adam Kokoni and video footage by Kristen Gregg, Downtown Ithaca

With thanks to Pastor Kirianne, First Presbyterian Church Ithaca NY, for quenching our thirst and adding joy with pink lemonade!

06/02/2026

06/01/2026

Happening this week: a free panel and webinar on Friday June 5 from 10:30-11:30 AM Eastern time.

"The New Immigration Regime: Restrictions, Outcomes & What’s Next"

Immigration has been a top priority in President Trump’s second term. The administration has restricted immigration in many ways, ranging from travel bans to mass deportations.

In the meantime, employers face labor shortages. Over 10 million people in the United States lack immigration status and fear deportation. And our immigration courts face a backlog of over 3 million cases.

Join retired Cornell immigration law professor Stephen Yale-Loehr, former immigration judge Angela Munro, and Cornell clinical professor of law Jaclyn Kelley-Widmer to learn how immigration law and policy have changed in this administration and what you can do to help immigrants.

To register, visit:

Immigration has been a top priority in President Trump’s second term. The administration has restricted immigration in many ways, ranging from travel bans to mass deportations. The White House has stated that the United States may have negative net migration to the United States for the first time...

06/01/2026

Join us this Wednesday, 1pm at 314 W State St to launch our new community mural celebrating immigrants and refugees in Tompkins County!

Celebrate with us, get photos, hear the backstory from artist Hugo Medina and our ED Casey Verderosa, mingle and enjoy!

This project was made possible in part with funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, administered by the Community Arts Partnership, and in part by a grant from the Tompkins County Tourism Program.