Watertown Proudly Welcomes & Supports Immigrants!
World in Watertown is once again offering "No matter where you are from, we're glad you are our neighbor" multilingual signs.
These beautiful signs share a heartfelt message of welcome, acceptance, and inclusivity -- values our Watertown community holds dear.
You can choose from these language combinations.
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Haitian Creole, English, & Armenian,
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Spanish, English, & Arabic,
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Portuguese, English, & Russian
We are asking for a minimum donation of $10, if that is within your means. You can pay by check, venmo, or paypal. We can deliver to you if needed.
Meet the Watertown Human Rights Commission
World in Watertown hosted the "Meet Your HRC" event on December 10, 2023, in honor of Human Rights Day.
Watch the recording on WCATV's here.
Learn more about the HRC, including when it holds its public monthly meetings, on the City of Watertown's website here.
Watertown's Human Rights Commission (HRC) works to ensure that all persons enjoy equal opportunity to participate in local affairs, including but not limited to housing, employment, education, public accommodation, access to City services regardless of race, color, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, citizenship, age, religion, disability, health status, marital or familial status, military or veteran status, socioeconomic status, ex-offender status, genetic and/or protected class status.
Our Board of Directors
Xin Peng, Chair (he/him)
I moved to the US from China for graduate school when I was 20 years old and I currently currently live in Watertown with my husband Dylan. I work as a full-time Software Engineering Manager at ZoomInfo in Waltham, and as a part-time Yoga instructor, teaching all-level yoga classes that are open to the community.
I am a first-generation immigrant interested in promoting equity and inclusion with a focus on Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) populations and establishing solidarity between AAPI populations and other underrepresented groups. I first became involved in community work in Watertown when I organized a rally at Watertown Square after the 2021 shootings of Asian Americans in Atlanta. I am a member of the Watertown Human Rights Commission.
Before moving to the US, I volunteered for the National Intercity Games of the People's Republic of China and as a teacher for a school in a poverty-stricken mountainous area. I co-established and currently run an AAPI committee at ZoomInfo, volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts, and volunteer at the Farm with Food for Free.
Ben Jerome (he/him)
I immigrated to the US along with my mom and siblings from Haiti to join my dad when I was 17 years old. I am a graduate of Boston Public Schools and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
I hold liberal left leaning political views and am a strong believer in the inherent worth and dignity of every person. Along with my family, I have been a member of the Watertown First Parish for the past 6 years. During this time, I have been active in religious education, teaching Sunday classes, WFP Families of Color Affinity group, pledge drive as a personal caller as well as a circle supper facilitator.
I am also a member of the leadership team for the Annual Unity Breakfast in Watertown. I am involved in my children’s school's diversity organization and sing with my kids in the North Cambridge Family Opera.
I earn a living as an automation test engineer in the digital experience department at MassMutual and love working on various coding projects as well as woodworking in my free time.
Bevin Croft (she/her)
I live on the West End of Watertown with my partner and two kids who attend Cunniff Elementary.
I hold a masters and doctorate in social policy and direct the behavioral health team at the Human Services Research Institute where I conduct research and provide technical assistance for disability, mental health, and addiction treatment systems.
In my work, I am interested in person-centered practices that promote self-determination and seek to elevate the voices of people with disabilities and others who've been historically left out of system-level decision making. In previous roles, I oversaw the human rights program for a large psychiatric rehabilitation organization in the Boston area and served as a Human Rights Commissioner in the city of Cambridge.
In my personal and professional life, I am interested in creating opportunities for transformative growth and dismantling inequities in communities and systems..
David Gardner, Clerk (he/his)
I was born on a French airbase in the 1950's and grew up moving often between Air Force bases in the eastern US. This was generally a positive experience for us 7 kids, except maybe the years in Montgomery, Alabama in the 1960's.
After high school in Alexandria Virginia, I came to Cambridge for college and have been here since.
For my working career, I was an engineer (and sometime executive) in the semiconductor industry, mostly at LSI Logic. I retired young to be a stay-at-home dad with our 3 kids in high school.
My spouse and I came to Watertown from Sudbury 8 years ago after our kids left for college. My post retirement hobbies are hiking, duplicate bridge, racquet sports, fringe festivals, some kinds of programming, and finance.
Diane Ah-Kine (they/them)
I've been a resident of Watertown since 2007 when I moved here as a graduate student. I live in the East End with my wife and our 2 rescue dogs.
I first became involved in community work in high school in Mauritius, where I grew up, and have never really stopped! Most recently, since 2012 I've volunteered with All Dog Rescue to find local adoptable dogs loving homes and have fostered 50 dogs thus far. Since 2006 I've also traveled to El Salvador once a year to donate my time and professional services with Partners for Visual Health to provide eye care to the most needy in and around San Miguel. I've held adjunct faculty positions with The New England College of Optometry in the past, and currently with the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences to help develop my future colleagues and push the profession of optometry forward.
In 2022 my business partner and I opened up Gaze Optical to provide eyecare and eyewear right here in Watertown, and I am looking forward to doing more hyperlocal community work with World in Watertown to advance its mission of making Watertown a welcoming place for all.
Nicole Gardner, Treasurer (she/her)
I live in the East End, with my husband and cats. Before retiring, my career was in management consulting, HR, and Diversity & Inclusion. My 'second act' was at Perkins School for the Blind, starting a program to help blind and visually impaired young adults get into the workforce.
I am committed to sustainability, equity, and belonging for all, and transparency in government. I'm involved in various activist groups in Watertown and I'm a proud founder of Buy Nothing Watertown, which has strengthened our community while lightening our impact on the earth.
I am honored to serve as the City Councilor for District A.
Shivani Sharma (she/her)
I've been a resident of Watertown for the past 12 years and began working for the community in 2017 while I was a student at Watertown Middle School. My early involvement included conducting Kingian Trainings across the community and helping organize events like the anti-gun violence march and the MLK Vigil.
As I moved on to Watertown High School, I advocated for equitable practices, such as diversifying staff, petitioning for the creation of a Director of Equity and Inclusion position, and pushing for better curriculum representation in the English and History departments. I also co-led the Kingian Police Response Team, working to foster a fair and positive relationship between the community and the police department, particularly for people of color.
After graduating high school in 2022, I have continued to volunteer occasionally with local nonprofits like World in Watertown and have contributed to planning Unity Breakfasts. I remain committed to strengthening our community and am passionate about advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion in every way I can.
