For 10 years, the Sisters of St. Joseph Welcome Center has been a vital link for hospitality and vital social services for recently arrived immigrants in urban Philadelphia.

Over the decade, by way of its simple goal, “Loving our neighbors without distinction,” the SSJ Welcome Center has offered classes in English, citizenship and computer skills and provided a link to social services that have eased the path of many a new arrival.

The center, staffed by five Sisters of St. Joseph, three lay people and a corps of volunteers, operates out of three row houses that have been joined together. There, a range of opportunities and help await all who enter.

According to a prepared release, those in need of assistance in navigating the complexities of the health and education systems will find the sisters ready to accompany them to clinics, banks and stores as they make the transition to life in America.

As the New Year approached, the sisters were preparing to celebrate these programs and achievements with a gala anniversary dinner in May in Chestnut Hill College.

 The dinner, to be held May 17, is intended to raise funding and awareness about the center’s mission and work.

The gala’s theme, “Rejoicing in a decade of welcoming all…serving many” is geared toward capturing the joy in the SSJ Welcome Center’s mission as well as the magnitude of the work itself.

Those seeking more information about the SSJ Welcome Center should contact Sister Eileen Marmien at the Sisters of St. Joseph Welcome Center, 728 E. Allegheny Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19134 or call 215-634-1696.