Belonging Begins With Us
Welcoming America is proud to support the national campaign, Belonging Begins With Us, with the Center for Inclusion and Belonging at the American Immigration Council in partnership with the Ad Council. Read the full press release
What is Belonging Begins With Us?
We’ve all had moments where we felt like we didn’t belong. But for people who moved to this country, this experience can last more than a moment. We all want to feel safe and welcome in the community we call home, but today, too many of our neighbors experience exclusion, isolation, harassment, and even violence on the basis of their identity.
Welcoming America is proud to support Belonging Begins With Us, a new campaign dedicated to fostering a more welcoming nation where everyone–regardless of their background–can feel they belong. The campaign was developed by the Ad Council and supported by a broad coalition of organizations, including Welcoming America and the Center for Inclusion and Belonging at the American Immigration Council, all working to foster a spirit of belonging across the U.S.
Because we all know how it feels to be excluded, we also know how to make others feel they belong. Each of us has the power to welcome others in our communities. Join us to learn more.
Watch the PSA
Check out the public service announcement about Belonging Begins With Us, with music by Lake Street Dive covering "Walk a Mile in My Shoes" by Joe South.
How Can I Get Involved?
In addition to the actions you can take on the official Belonging Begins With Us website, we invite you to get involved in the following ways:
- Connect and volunteer with a Welcoming Network member in your community
- Access our resource library to learn about all the ways you can foster belonging
- Become a member of the Welcoming Network
- Support our work financially
- For Welcoming Network Members: Request access to the toolkit for promoting Belonging Begins With Us as a Welcoming Network member.
Get trained on belonging
The Fostering Belonging Individually and Structurally series featured three videos and accompanying webinars on belonging: what it means, what it looks like, and how we can create belonging as individuals with structural impact. Learn more & watch
The Role of the Welcoming Network
Since 2009, Welcoming America and its network of 300+ nonprofits and local governments have led national and international efforts to build more inclusive communities from the ground up. This Welcoming Network captures the spirit of Belonging Begins With Us: local leaders and organizations building communities where everyone feels they belong, serving as examples of what truly welcoming communities really look like.
Read stories of deepening belonging and inclusion in local communities:
- Southern Missourians of all backgrounds find common purpose during pandemic
- Emerson YMCA, Our Lady of Guadalupe School help kids through pandemic, shared effort
- A safe space: New and established Louisville residents talk preconceptions, build connections (and houses)
- Masks on, arms open: Milwaukee nonprofits foster new connections in the heart of the pandemic
- Boise’s Treasure Valley cooks up deeper ties, belonging for new and long-time residents
- Creating a new home, deeper belonging together in Maine
Community of Practice: Inclusive and Collaborative Committees
As part of the campaign, Welcoming America established a Community of Practice (CoP) focused on fostering inclusion and belonging within formal and less formal committees, boards, advisory councils, and commissions. Learn more about the CoP its participants