RELEASE: Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition opens doors to new community hub and headquarters

TIRRC opens a new community hub and headquarters

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 13, 2021

NASHVILLE - On Saturday, August 21st, Tennessee Immigration and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) will host an opening celebration for the organization’s community hub and new headquarters. The family-friendly event will follow strict COVID protocols and will feature immigrant and refugee-owned food trucks, Tempo the Coyote from Nashville Soccer Club, live performances, and activities.

“This building is a testament to the resiliency of our movement. Over the last four years, our members powerfully resisted attacks on our communities and continued working to make sure their families were healthy, safe, and fed during the pandemic, and now we've emerged stronger than ever, with a permanent home that declares, "We are here to stay!” 

The ongoing pandemic has shown us how important it is to build communities where everyone can participate and belong, and our new space will help to foster a more connected and thriving community right here in Antioch. Already, our new headquarters have hosted vaccine clinics, FEMA assistance workshops, weekly CSAs for our members, and more! We’re so excited to safely open our doors to our new neighbors and the entire immigrant and refugee community in TN. “ - TIRRC Executive Director, Lisa Sherman Nikolaus

Address: 3310 Ezell Road, Nashville, TN 37211

Time: 4-7PM

Agenda:

4:30 pm: Tempo from NSC arrives

5:00 pm: Cultural Performance

5:30 - 6:00 pm: Program

Background

In 2019, TIRRC launched a capital campaign to fund a nearly $3 million initiative to build a community hub and headquarter. The new community hub includes a thoughtfully designed office space loft to house TIRRC’s staff and has flexible open areas, private meeting rooms, and a legal services suite. The main floor includes large and adaptable open spaces to host services, community meetings, and events. The 7,000 square-foot building is a key component of a thriving indoor and outdoor community hub that will also include a soccer field, playground, and community gardens to allow immigrants, refugees, and their U.S.-born neighbors to build stronger and more connected communities.

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TIRRC is a statewide, immigrant and refugee-led collaboration whose mission is to empower immigrants and refugees throughout Tennessee to develop a unified voice, defend their rights, and create an atmosphere in which they are recognized as positive contributors to the state. Since its founding in 2001, TIRRC has worked to develop immigrant leadership, build the capacity of its immigrant-led member organizations, help immigrant community members understand and engage in the civic process, and educate the public about policies that would better promote integration of new immigrants and facilitate their full participation in US society. In just a few years TIRRC has grown from a grassroots network of community leaders into one of the most diverse and effective coalitions of its kind, a model for emerging immigrant rights organizations in the Southeast and throughout the United States.