This weekend, Ames became a crossroads for many of the world’s cultures.

Families in Ames Celebrating Ethnicities celebrated its eighth year of existence City Hall on Saturday.

Participants also had a chance to eat some ethnic foods and mingle with other members of the community.

Sheila Lundt, assistant city manager, served as chairwoman of FACES this year. She said this year’s celebration expanded the number of organizations which hosted booths or presentations compared to years past.

“We’re getting more groups to come and do presentations. However, getting groups to do [dance] presentations is our biggest problem,” Lundt said.

Some of the groups that presented this year were the YWCA Ames-ISU, the New Iowan Centers, Beyond Welfare and the Ames Fire Department.

YWCA Ames-ISU had a two-table booth with artifacts from nations such as China, Peru, Sudan and Zimbabwe.

“We host a lot of diversity-related events throughout the year,” said Swarupa Bakre, graduate student in business administration.

Bakre, who serves as the coordinator for the International Friendship Fairs, said the program provides her and the other volunteers with the chance to educate children about their cultures through whatever medium they feel would be most profound. She said volunteers are normally international ISU students who choose to represent their home countries.

“Kids love the experience. They get a chance to listen to the stories, music and even learn small pieces of the language. It helps them to know more people in the community,” Bakre said.

Beyond Welfare, a nonprofit community-based organization, presented a booth that included numerous pictures of low-income women and children they have helped.

The stated purpose of the organization is to “seek to create a very relaxing and inclusive community.” “We create relationships across race lines and class lines, and we are teaching people in poverty to find their gift and express it,” said Greta Anderson, co-chairwoman of Beyond Welfare. “The greatest of our needs is to be respected.”

The organization was formed approximately 12 years ago as a result of the Welfare Reform Act, which placed duration restrictions on those receiving welfare. For example, a single mother working a minimum-wage job can only receive Social Security payments for a given period of time before she is forced to find other means to support herself and her children.

In addition, during their weekly meetings, Beyond Welfare teaches leadership and positive-thinking skills that they hope will help combat the feelings of helplessness and loneliness while helping promote how to “make our community a more welcoming place.”