After delays caused by the Dec. 11 tornadoes, the city of Bowling Green was finally able to formally greet the majority of 354 new Afghan refugees with open arms Saturday night.

For a few hours, the wounds left behind by the devastating storm subsided and the community was able to exchange warm smiles and hugs with their new neighbors.

Mayor Todd Alcott and City Commissioners Carlos Bailey, Melinda Hill and Dana Beasley-Brown, Warren County Sheriff Brett Hightower and Bowling Green Police Chief Michael Delaney all attended the welcoming.

The event featured a resource fair providing information for Afghans to help their transition into their new lives, and they were also treated with a free, culturally-appropriate dinner.

Leyda Becker, the city’s international communities liaison, helped create the greeting event after she said several new arrivals reached out to her with questions on how to acclimate to the city.

“The idea was to bring all of the Afghan community together so that we could welcome them officially to Bowling Green,” Becker said. “Part of that was offering the dinner, and that got expanded into an opportunity to also share some key resources and information about navigating the city.”

Becker said every new Afghan arrival was invited to the event with a personalized invitation.

One major aspect of the night was the focus on their immigration status and the steps they needed to take to fully acclimate.

“This was also an opportunity for the Afghans to get to know one another since the community hasn’t had an opportunity to do so,” she said. “The majority of them are coming through humanitarian parole, which is a very different immigration status than an average refugee.”

Other information offered concentrated on driver’s license education, English language classes, workforce services, outlets to better one’s mental health and city transportation.

Several other community partners also stepped up to offer programs for specific demographics within the new arrivals.

Bowling Green Parks and Recreation Department and the Warren County Public Library offered recreational games to the dozens of children in attendance, and KY STEPS hosted a women’s-only space for mothers, daughters and friends to connect with one another.

The event culminated with the free meal while attendees were treated to a special strings concert from the Bridging Cultures with Music nonprofit organization.

In a brief statement, Alcott greeted the new Afghan refugees and offered words of support and solace.

“It’s an honor to be your mayor and to welcome each of you to the city of Bowling Green,” Alcott said. “Bowling Green is a very special place, and what makes it special is we consider our neighbors to be our friends. You are our neighbors, and you are our friends. On the surface, we may think we are different. But when you look closely – we are very much alike.”