Winter Tapestry Project: What Do Participants Have to Say?

When you move to a new country, there are so many things to learn and you find that there are things that you didn’t even know that you needed to know! MCC’s Tapestry Project aims to help new refugee and immigrant arrivals navigate some of this crucial learning process. This six-session series brings together recently-arrived refugees, immigrants, community resource providers, and welcoming volunteers to strengthen the community. You can read more about Tapestry here .

Mary (from South Sudan) and Leticia (Mexico) were two of the participants in our most recent Tapestry session in Mankato, and they were kind enough to share a few thoughts about their experience.

What was your favorite part of Tapestry?

Leticia enjoyed the visit to the Public Safety Center because she learned about how to use a fire extinguisher. Mary also enjoyed that visit because she learned the laws about how old children must be to be allowed to stay home alone or supervised by siblings.

What information have you used from Tapestry?

Both women spoke about car seat information that was very helpful, including what ages should be forward and rear-facing and that even older children need to be in booster seats. For both women, this information changed how their children ride in the car since the rules were different in their home countries.

Should others participate in Tapestry?

A resounding ‘yes’! Leticia and Mary loved learning about their new city and the people who live here, and important relationships like those between landlords and tenants.

What was most surprising about Tapestry?

Mary spoke about learning more about the participants in the class and the variety of speakers who came. Leticia was very surprised by her interactions with the police officers and the way in which they were talking and connecting with people in the community.

The Tapestry Project first grew out of hopes to build stronger landlord and law enforcement relationships with refugees and immigrants, and it’s so encouraging to hear firsthand from participants that they have had positive experiences and that the topics covered in Tapestry are changing their lives.

Our sincere thanks to the community partners, volunteers, and donors who make Tapestry Project possible in Mankato!