FunTimes Magazine

Under the leadership of Portia Kamara and the MCFS board of directors, MCFS began the provision of culturally targeted and interconnected advocacy, educational, social, prevention, health and recreation support services aimed at bridging the cultural, linguistic and communication gaps faced by Liberians and other African/Caribbean immigrants and empowering them to succeed in their resettled community.

Upper Darby was a community built in the 1600s through the influx of immigrants settling in the area. Tom Judge and former Mayor Raymond Shay took note of their community’s history of immigrants and brainstormed ways to engage their new community members into feeling welcome.

From the School District, Police Department, the Sikh Community, and the Multicultural Commission, FunTimes Magazine has interviewed four members of the community on Mayor Micozzie’s Agenda for Upper Darby.

Donald Bonnett is Council President of the Township of Upper Darby. He has worked with Mayor Micozzie to advance the administration’s welcoming policy and its goal of forging a more diverse community with the immigrant population

Celebrating cultural diversity has now become a tradition in the township of Upper Darby, a suburb of Philadelphia. In its second year this September, the Upper Darby International Festival show cased how diverse and welcoming the township has become under the leadership of Mayor Thomas Micozzie, who is equally focused on rebranding the township’s image and improving its business climate.

Our initial contact with Mayor Micozzie was his wanting to train his entire staff on cultural sensitivities in a town that is shaped by so many different cultures; one would be hard pressed to stay abreast of it all. He recognized that diversity is something to be celebrated amidst the challenges he and his staff may face from having to be sensitized to the needs of each culture.