Uniting America at the McCormick Theological Seminary
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February 09, 2012
On Wednesday morning, our new CEO, Lawrence Benito, along with two Board Members, Ahmed Rehab and Jane Ramsey, gave a very enlightening presentation of ICIRR’s work and political history at the University Church in Hyde Park. The Church is currently hosting a series of events this week as the McCormick Theological Seminary inaugurates its new president, Frank M. Yamada. After the morning presentation, Uniting America’s Program Manager, Monika Starczuk, gave an informative introduction of the three arms of Uniting America: Youth Civic Leadership, New Americans Initiative, and the AmeriCorps Partnership. She followed by sharing her earliest memories as an immigrant in the United States and further connected with the audience touching on her personal faith and values.
As a panel, three of the Uniting America Fellows had the opportunity to share their stories of why they chose a career in service in the immigrant community. Megan Benham emphasized the importance of ‘family’ to all people regardless of race, culture, or immigration status. Another Fellow, Militza Pagan, drew upon her past work and volunteer experience with diverse communities and how it tied to her passion of social justice. Finally, Katherine Rivera, who works in the north-side of Chicago with the Asian-American community, spoke about her life changing experience in Egypt and Turkey and how it opened her eyes to what people go through when migrating to unfamiliar countries.
In tradition, the staff and fellows ended the presentation with a ‘Call to Action’ offering the audience a variety of opportunities to volunteer, stay connected with Uniting America, and how to continue the conversation of helping build strangers into neighbors and neighbors into friends.
The opportunities include:
