Learning an immigrant’s story and experiencing local businesses are two key elements of the inaugural Taste of Columbus Junction happening this Wednesday.

The Columbus Junction Community Development Center is partnering with Iowa Wesleyan University students and the local Justice for Our Neighbors site to host the event, which will have 10 international restaurants and stores in downtown Columbus Junction offering samplings from 4:30-6:30 p.m.

All of the businesses participating are owned and operated by immigrant families, and the proceeds will benefit Justice for Our Neighbors, an organization that provides free or low cost legal services to low-income immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. Columbus Junction Community Development Director Mallory Smith says this service is important for immigrants and Burmese refugees living in the community, “Refugees, because of being refugees, are low on the economic scale. You start basically with nothing when you come to the country, and there’s a good chance your family doesn’t have many resources to offer either. And it can be especially difficult to get paperwork, you know let’s say get an original copy of a birth certificate from a country that you’ve become a refugee from. This sort of a program is especially important as we have refugees moving into our community, making this their home.”

Smith hopes to do the event monthly to benefit other local businesses and organizations. Tickets for Taste of Columbus Junction are $5 and can be purchased in advance at the United Methodist Church in the morning or at Take 2 Scene 2, where they can also be purchased during the event. Businesses participating are OK Restaurant, Asian Grocery Store, Chin Family Asian Store, Rey de Reyes, Take 2 Scene 2, Santa Ana Bakery, Santisima Trinidad, El Mariachi, New York Dollar, and Antojitos Carmen.