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Gatherings
The table is always set.
A standing rhythm of gatherings across the year โ plus the one date every Congolese calendar circles in gold.
30JUNE
Annual flagship
Congo Independence Day Celebration
Music, dance, food, and history โ our biggest day of the year. Rumba under the summer sky, kids performing in Lingala and Kiswahili, and a feast that tastes like home. Everyone is welcome; bring a friend who has never had Congolese food. They'll thank you.
New York ยท Rotating host city each year
First Saturday ยท Monthly
Community Potluck & Welcome Table
New families are introduced, news is shared, and nobody leaves hungry. Bring a dish if you can โ just bring yourself if you can't.
Syracuse & Rochester chapters alternate
Saturdays ยท Weekly
Youth Culture Morning
Dance, drumming, and language classes for ages 6โ17, led by community elders and young artists. Parents' coffee circle runs alongside.
Community partner halls ยท See chapter for venue
Quarterly
Resource & Jobs Clinic
One room, every answer: benefits enrollment, rรฉsumรฉ reviews, employer meet-and-greets, asylum & immigration Q&A, and interpreters on site in six languages.
Rotating ยท Albany, Utica, Buffalo & Binghamton
๐ Upcoming events
Dated gatherings coming up. RSVP drafts an email to the events team โ and every event has a calendar file you can save to your phone.
Sat ยท Nov 14, 2026 ยท 10 AMโ2 PM
Resource & Jobs Clinic
Benefits enrollment, rรฉsumรฉ reviews, employer meet-and-greets and immigration Q&A, with interpreters in six languages.
๐ Buffalo โ community partner hall (confirm by RSVP)
Sat ยท Nov 21, 2026 ยท 11 AMโ3 PM
Winter Coat & Resource Day
Free winter coats for kids and adults, HEAP sign-up help, and winter-survival guidance for new families.
๐ Albany โ community partner hall (confirm by RSVP)
Sat ยท Dec 5, 2026 ยท 1โ5 PM
Community Potluck & Welcome Table
New families introduced, news shared, and nobody leaves hungry. Bring a dish if you can โ yourself if you can't.
๐ Syracuse โ chapter hall (confirm by RSVP)
Sat ยท Dec 19, 2026 ยท 10 AMโ1 PM
Christmas Toy Drive โ Distribution Day
Families who registered pick up gifts for their children; volunteers welcome from 8:30 AM.
๐ Rochester โ chapter hall (confirm by RSVP)
๐๏ธ Planned by Umoja243 โ the annual calendar
This is the organization's proposed program for the year โ events the team intends to run and will confirm with dates and venues as each approaches. Tap โNotify meโ and we'll include you when the newsletter launches.
Planned
๐จ๐ฉ Congo Independence Day Celebration โ June 30
Our flagship: rumba, dance, history and a feast โ rotating host city each year.
Planned
๐บ๐ธ US Independence Day Community Picnic โ July 4
A family picnic celebrating our second home: games, grilled food, and both anthems.
Planned
๐ Back-to-School Supply Drive โ August
Backpacks, supplies and school-readiness checks for community kids before the first day.
Planned
๐ฉบ Community Health Fair
Free screenings, vaccinations info, and health navigation in your language, with local clinics.
Planned
๐ผ Community Job Fair
Local employers, on-the-spot interviews, rรฉsumรฉ printing and civil-service guidance.
Planned
๐ฅ Cultural Heritage Festival
Music, dance and food from every region of Congo โ our culture on stage for the whole city.
Planned
๐ฆ Thanksgiving Community Dinner
A shared table in November โ turkey meets pondu โ open to every member family.
Planned
๐ Christmas Toy Drive
Donations collected in December; distribution day before Christmas for registered families.
Planned
๐๏ธ Monthly Town Halls & ๐ Quarterly Welcome Mixers
Every month online (see Meetings), and every quarter an in-person welcome mixer for new members.
Community Meetings
Meet face to face โ from anywhere.
Weekly online gatherings on Jitsi Meet โ free, no account, no download: join from any phone or computer browser. Tap Join, allow your camera and microphone, and you're in.
Weekly ยท Community
๐๏ธ Community Town Hall
Sundays, 4:00โ5:00 PM ET. News, questions and decisions for the whole community, in English, French and Lingala.
