Fargo-Moorhead Holds Semi-Annual Welcome Party for New Residents
The Fargo-Moorhead Economic Development Corporation hosts this event every May and October
FARGO, N.D. — Adjusting to life in a new city comes with its fair share of obstacles.
“When you move to a new place, the biggest challenge is your social connection,” Fargo resident, Solomon Ayalew, said. “You are coming from a place where you are familiar, where you have friends. Now, you have to start over.”
The Greater Fargo-Moorhead Economic Development Corporation hopes to make that hurdle a little easier with a welcome party.
“If you recently relocated here and you haven’t been out yet and you maybe don’t know what there is to do at night, or maybe you don’t know what things happen here on the weekends, you can come out and you can learn more about those sorts of things and meet other new people just like yourself,” Senior Vice President of Workforce Development Tifanie Gelinske said.
Meeting those like-minded people is one of major goals of this party.
“We do have volunteer hosts and we try to choose people who have relocated themselves and who are passionate about Fargo-Moorhead,” said Gelinske.
One of those people is Alex Cyusa, who moved to the area from Rwanda to continue his education at Concordia Colllege in 2010. He once attended this event as a newcomer where he felt the impact of forming connections with those in his community.
“In the words of my Mama ‘Hospitality is measured by the level of willing to come back,’ and the level of hospitality I found here – people were welcoming, people were willing to engage and strike a conversation – so I remember leaving the first time being like ‘I’m going to come back,'” Cyusa said.
Cyusa has come back in order to help people who find themselves in a situation he was once in.
“When you are still new and don’t know where to start and how to start, it is also good to meet people who have been in your shoes and that can guide you through those first diligent, tactful steps,” Cyusa said.
That guidance can help these newcomers as they try to get accustomed to their different surroundings. And once they do, the difficult part may no longer be adapting to the area, but rather deciding to leave it.
“For sometime, when I moved here, I was planning to move after a year or maybe a year and half. The longer I stayed, I started to enjoy it, so I am not planning to leave anytime soon,” Ayalew said.
