A colorful mural in my Certified Welcoming City

[Mousetoescamper]

I've wanted to get some shots of this mural for a while and finally did so yesterday during a long camera-in-hand walk around the neighborhood. Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was recently designated a certified welcoming city, which comes as no surprise to those of us who call Lancaster City our home. Visitors to our beautiful city will encounter people from all over the planet.

The City of Lancaster, in partnership with many community benefit organizations and businesses, is proud to be a designated Certified Welcoming City by Welcoming America. The City of Lancaster is now part of a leading network of Certified Welcoming Cities across the nation.

Lancaster City boasts a 300-year long history of welcoming, and is recognized as “America’s refugee capital” for resettling 20 times more refugees per capita than the rest of the nation.

“We are so proud to certify what we, and the world, knows about Lancaster--that we’re America’s refugee capital. We know that refugees and immigrants make our community and our economy stronger. We know that we are better together, and we are proud to embody what I think is truly American value of welcoming the stranger.”

Danene Sorace
Mayor, City of Lancaster