LANSING, MI- Peckham, in partnership with Catholic Charities of Ingham, Eaton & Clinton Counties, will host a Peace Pole dedication ceremony on June 20 from noon to 2 p.m. at its headquarters: 3510 Capital City Blvd., Lansing, MI 48906. The dedication is a part of Catholic Charities of Ingham, Eaton & Clinton Counties’ Peace Pole Initiative, which recognizes organizations that have made a commitment to be a safe, welcoming and diverse place for refugees in the Greater Lansing area.
The ceremony is one of the many events celebrating World Refugee Awareness Week. Peckham is the 12th organization to receive a peace pole.
“Peckham is the gold standard of an inclusive and welcoming working environment, as they are a safe landing spot for newcomers in Lansing and focus on celebrating diversity and including all in their workforce,” said Chelsea Lafferty, Director of Refugee Services. “We are overjoyed to honor Peckham for its amazing work on the front of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.”
The ceremony will include an unveiling of the pole, which represents a spirit of unity, and features the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth,” in braille and eight different languages. There will be a brief program at 12:30 p.m., featuring local speakers, a traditional wear exhibit – Clothes That Tell a Story: Refugee Fashion, and catering provided by NOOSH, an Afghan cuisine restaurant owned by a former Peckham employee and client of the charity.
“Peckham is honored to be chosen as one of the organizations to receive the peace pole,” said Jo Sperry, Peckham Chief Executive and Inclusion Officer. “We believe that different is awesome, and we are a better, more successful organization because of the skills, abilities and unique talents that our refugee workforce brings.”
World Refugee Awareness Week is June 19-28 and will be celebrated throughout Lansing with a host of events.
Partnering organizations include Catholic Charities of Ingham, Eaton & Clinton Counties, Samaritas, Immigrant Refugee Resource Collaborative, Allen Neighborhood Center, Global Institute of Lansing, Greater Lansing United Nations Association, Salvation Army, Cross-Cultural Community Connections, Office of Global Michigan, Michigan Immigrant & Refugee Council, Capital Area District Libraries, Michigan Disability Rights Coalition, Refugee Development Center, Ingham County MDHHS and Greater Lansing Food Bank Garden Project.
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Peckham is a nonprofit vocational rehabilitation organization that provides paid job training opportunities for people with disabilities and other barriers to employment. For more than 47 years, Peckham has provided jobs and job skills training to thousands of individuals with barriers through five different business lines throughout Michigan, and also has operations in Phoenix, Arizona and London, Kentucky.
Peckham, Inc., is a national award-winning organization, recognized for its achievement in providing exceptional vocational rehabilitation, creating inclusive cultures and building quality workplaces for employees.
Catholic Charities of Ingham, Eaton & Clinton Counties, a charitable non-profit, was established in 2024. Catholic Charities of Ingham, Eaton & Clinton Counties feeds the hungry, protects and enriches children, engages and honors our elderly, and advocates for the most vulnerable in our community on two local campuses – Cristo Rey and St. Vincent. Our Cristo Rey Campus, located at 1717 N. High St. Lansing, MI 48906, provides access to food, personal needs products, clothing, medical care, and counseling programs to our neighbors in need. Our St. Vincent Campus’s programs include Adoption, Foster Care, Refugee Resettlement, and Immigration Law Clinic, which are located on 2800 W. Willow St. Lansing, MI 48917.