Volunteers needed for Lancaster’s One World Festival on September 11 at Franklin and Marshall College [United Way column] | Together

Announced by the BBC as the ‘refugee capital’ of the American East in 2017, Lancaster is one of the most culturally diverse cities in a country of its size.

Diversity is woven into the fabric of the community, and on Sunday, September 11, neighbors will come together for the city’s first One World Festival to celebrate our culture with food, music, art and more.

The seed for the One World Festival was planted by Deepa Balepur, president of the Indian Organization of Lancaster County. She reached out to local Hispanic and African-American event planners, who agreed that Lancaster was a prime location for a festival that celebrates a community rich with neighbors of many cultures.

Franklin and Marshall College is hosting a free event from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on the second Sunday in September. The festival is looking for over 50 volunteers to fill important roles that will help the event run smoothly.

You can sign up for as many two-hour shifts as you want! This is a great chance to volunteer with family members – children can volunteer if accompanied by an adult guardian.

Volunteer opportunities

Some of the One World Festival volunteer opportunities include:

— Social Media Team: Bring drones, iPhones, DSLRs and more to document the festival and create original content. Visit bit.ly/oneworldmedia register.

— Festival navigators: When neighbors arrive at the festival, navigators will provide information about performance times, direct families to events and food stalls, and provide assistance to anyone who needs it. Visit bit.ly/oneworldnavigator for registration.

– Runner Vendors: Vendors will have various requests throughout the event and Runner Vendors will be available to answer them. These may include grabbing extra paper products for food vendors or water bottles for performers. See bit.ly/oneworldrunner.

Visit the One World Festival Volunteer Needs page for a full list of opportunities at bit.ly/oneworldvolunteer.

For more general information about the festival, see oneworldfestivallancaster.org.

To find more volunteer opportunities in the community or to register your organization’s volunteer needs, visit uwlanc.org/volunteer.

Julie Kennedy is the Community Initiatives Manager for United Way of Lancaster County.