The Park City hospitality community once again rolled out the welcome mat for seasonal workers Thursday evening, hosting the annual Seasonal Workforce Welcome Night at the Sheraton Park City. The event, held from 5 to 8 p.m., brought together several hundred seasonal employees to engage with loc al organizations, employers and service providers who offered food, giveaways and information designed to connect workers with essential resources beyond their jobs as they settle into the winter season. Among those in attendance was Tomás De la Valle, a returning seasonal worker from Argentina who came back to Park City for a second winter after working the mountain coaster at Park City Mountain last season. De la Valle said the people, along with the town itself, were what brought him back this season. “I really like the people I worked with” he said. “They’re very nice, and it feels like we’re working toward something together. Knowing those people were going to be here made me want to come back.” De la Valle said he also grew attached to Park City itself, describing it as relaxed without feeling isolated, with nearby cities and events that make the winter season feel full. This season, he said, he’s especially excited to experience the Sundance Film Festival, and hopes to secure a ticket to a film.  He added that his first season in Park City helped him gain confidence speaking English — something he hadn’t expected when he arrived. “I used to be very shy about speaking English,” De la Valle said. “But my job really helped me break out of that shell. I had to speak English every day with coworkers and guests, and now I really like it.” The large turnout reflected the global makeup of Park City’s seasonal workforce — many on a J-1 visa — with workers arriving from countries including Argentina, Peru and Chile among the most represented. Attendees also included seasonal employees from Costa Rica, Spain, Guatemala, the Philippines, Malaysia, El Salvador and Jamaica.  The crowd was a mix of first-year arrivals and returning employees, many of whom came back to Park City after growing fond of the town, their coworkers and the sense of community they found during previous seasons. Despite their different backgrounds and experiences, many shared the same hope as the season gets underway — Please let it snow. Deer Valley lift operators Mariana and Maria, both in Park City for their first season, said that with most lifts currently closed due to lack of snow, there has been limited work. With the holiday period approaching, they said they are hoping for more snowfall to allow additional lifts to open and give guests more areas to enjoy. In the meantime, seasonal workers are adjusting to the area and making new friends, one of the main goals of the event. Groups sat at tables lining the walls of the large ballroom, each offering information about local resources available to them throughout the season.  The Park City Library — which gave away free books — along with the Park City Police Department, Peace House, Jack’s Recovery Support Services, America First Credit Union and KeyBank were among the organizations present.  This year, the event’s organizer Meg Wandishin, who is also Deer Valley’s recruiting manager, said having banks on site was especially impactful. “That’s a big need for a lot of our international staff,” she said. “They usually don’t have a U.S. bank account set up yet, so being able to make those connections helps them get paid faster and get settled.” Mental health and bilingual resources were also emphasized, with many organizations offering support in both English and Spanish, said Wandishin, noting the importance of making sure workers know what resources are available to them. Like Peace House, which provides support and advocacy for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Summit and Wasatch counties. Bilingual community relations specialist Jenifer Heredia said the event creates a low-pressure opportunity to introduce workers to services they may not realize are available. “It’s important to let people know there’s somebody in their corner,” Heredia said. “Whether it’s a need right now or something that might come up in the future, we want them to know what their resources are and how to access them.” Peace House staff shared information about their 24/7 hotline — available in English and Spanish at (800) 647-9161 — which Heredia said is often the easiest entry point for support. “Even if someone just has a question — like, ‘Is this domestic violence?’ or ‘I don’t feel safe going to my employer, what do I do?’ — the hotline is there to listen and help,” she said. The night balanced access to support with opportunities to relax and socialize. Music from a DJ kept the energy high throughout the evening, with a dance floor at one end of the room and a steady supply of Domino’s pizza and snacks at the center, as guests connected with one another and with community organizations. A crowded room of seasonal workers reflected strong turnout at an opening-day workforce event in Park City. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record “It’s been such a good turnout tonight,” said Wandishin. “I’d say we have a couple hundred more people than last year, which is very exciting.” Now in its third year with Wandishin leading the effort, the Seasonal Workforce Welcome Night returned to its original home after being hosted at various locations in recent years and pausing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Wandishin said bringing the event back into a single, larger space helped streamline the experience for both attendees and participating organizations. “Having everything all in one space has been really nice,” she said. While Deer Valley continues to manage and coordinate the event, Wandishin emphasized that it is a community-wide effort. J-1 sponsor companies, other resorts, hotels and local partners contribute financially and through staffing, food donations and outreach. “We may help get the word out and organize it, but it really takes everyone. From the people serving pizza to the organizations showing up with resources, it’s a full community effort,” she said. “You start planning in September or October, and then to finally see everybody roll in — all excited — it reminds you what all that work was for.” The Seasonal Workforce Welcome Night will return next year, and community members and organizations interested in sponsoring or participating are encouraged to reach out to Wandishin at [email protected]. The post Park City welcomes seasonal workforce amid slow start to winter appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less