Somerville Welcoming Week 2026

Welcoming Week is an annual campaign that celebrates the work in communities to become welcoming places for all, including immigrants. Launched in 2012 by Welcoming America and its members, Welcoming Week provides individuals and organizations the opportunity to showcase their values through events and initiatives that foster connections and collaboration between immigrants and non-immigrants, as well as belonging for all.

For more information about the nation-wide event, visit the official Welcoming Week site. Read on below for more about what's happening here in Somerville! 

Learn more about Welcoming Week: 

• Read Mayor Wilson's Proclamation.
• Check out KYaRt - this year's Know Your Rights art project. 
• Watch the Welcoming Week video from the Somerville Office of Immigrant Affairs (SOIA) - coming soon! 
• Read the full press release announcing this year's activities.

This year's Welcoming Week activities include: 

• Somerville Citizenship Day (August 22 / 10-3 p.m. / @ Connexion)  

As we approach Welcoming Week and build out the activities leading up to it, the City of Somerville, in collaboration with Project Citizenship, will host Somerville Citizenship Day 2026. The Project Citizenship team will provide free legal assistance to eligible Green Card holders who are ready to apply for U.S. citizenship. The event supports Welcoming Week’s focus on civic participation and helping immigrant community members take the next steps toward becoming a U.S. citizen.   

• KYaRt Projection Project 

As part of Welcoming Week, we are exploring opportunities to project the KYaRt visuals onto different spaces throughout Somerville. The goal is to bring the campaign into public spaces and create a visible, community-focused message of welcome, belonging, and Joy.   

• Somerville Public Library BookList 

Invite SPL to curate a featured book list highlighting immigrant stories, inclusive narratives, and children’s books about welcoming communities.  Find the list here. 

• SOIA Community Get-Together (September 24/ 5-7 p.m. / @ 42 Cross St.) 

A casual, multilingual community gathering to wrap up Welcoming Week with food, music, and resource-sharing. Great opportunity to connect residents to each other.

Welcome to Somerville! We’re excited to have you become a part of our vibrant community. Visit our New Resident's Guide page to find some links and resources to help you get moved into the city, such as information on parking, trash and recycling, setting up your utilities, and more.

The Somerville Office of Immigrant Affairs (SOIA) is available to help you with any questions you might have. 

To contact our office, you can:

• Submit a referral through Somerville Hub
• Email us at soia@somervillema.gov
• Visit us at 42 Cross St., Somerville, MA

Or call us:

Spanish

• (617) 625-6600 extensions 2122; 2624

Portuguese

• (617) 625-6600 extensions 2123; 2627

Haitian Creole

• (617) 625-6600 extensions 2622; 2625

Nepali

• (617) 625-6600 extension 2610

Chinese

• (617) 625-6600 extension 2626

For all other languages

• (617) 625-6600 extension 2608 

SOIA has created a series of videos and educational materials to help you Know Your Rights. You can find these materials in the language of your choice on the SOIA homepage or by clicking the links below. 

You can also watch the Know Your Rights Training Video in English by clicking here. The training packet can be found in English by clicking here.

Having a library card can be an important step in being part of your community. You can learn how to get your own library card by visiting the Somerville Public Library page. Some important details to know: 

• It's free!
• It's available to any Massachusetts resident 5 years and older. (See below for details!)
• It's needed for all transactions, in person, online, or by phone.
• It can be used at all Somerville Library locations, as well as throughout the Minuteman Library Network. Its information should be kept up to date.
• Promptly inform the library of any changes in address, email address, or phone number.
• It's a VALUABLE POSSESSION - please treat it as you would a credit card. Report it immediately if lost!