Community members are invited to attend a buffet style meal featuring exotic international dishes, which will help promote a Langhorne faith based nonprofit that offers free English as a Second Language (ESL), computer skills, and U.S. citizenship exam preparation to adult immigrants and refugees.
The event will be the 16th year that Welcoming the Stranger has held their International Dinner Fundraiser. The event is scheduled for October 22 at 6 p.m. at the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Hall on Park Avenue in Bensalem. Tickets cost $20 in advance or $25 at the door.
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According to a recent release, local students from Bensalem, Harleysville, Langhorne, Levittown, Morrisville, Newtown, Philadelphia, Southampton, Trenton, Warminster, and the surrounding areas will be preparing and serving and serving the multi-cultural dishes at the event. A silent auction, a live auction, a raffle, and door prizes will be offered to members of the community who attend. Musical entertainment will be provided by local musician Courtney Colletti of On Demand! Entertainment. At this year’s event, Welcoming the Stranger will also be honoring Ardmore Presbyterian Church for the church’s years of support.
Founded in 1999, what originally began as a ministry of the Lower Bucks Center for Church and Community, has become its own separate organization which has taught over 3,000 students from 99 different countries through free morning and evening classes at various locations throughout the area. Financial support for the organization comes from individuals, churches, and local businesses, as well as grants from area foundations, which allows all programs to remain free of charge for students.
The organization offers English classes at beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels and covers reading, writing, speaking, and listening. According to the organization, their English classes are highly personalized and curriculum is adjusted to meet the needs and goals of the current students in the course. Computer classes offered by Welcoming the Stranger serve mostly older adults interested in learning basic skills like email and the internet. Those who are interested can also take advantage of the organization’s citizenship preparation classes, where students study questions for the U.S. Naturalization Exam, as well as practice English language skills; according to the organization, they have a 99 percent success rate with students who take the exam, including more than 90% who pass on the first try.
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Those interested in finding out more information about the organization’s classes or purchasing tickets for the International Dinner Fundraiser can contact Executive Director Meg Eubank at meg@welcomingthestranger.org or by calling 215-702-3445.
