News & Resources
Fourteen communities awarded funds to expand vaccine access to immigrant, refugee communities
Welcoming America is thrilled to announce the 14 communities and organizations that will receive grants to expand access to the COVID-19 vaccines for immigrant and refugee communities across the United States: Amani Family Services (Fort Wayne, IN) Centreville Immigration Forum (Centreville, VA) City of Tulsa Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Equity (Tulsa, OK) Coalition for…
Request for Proposals: Fund to Foster Belonging
Welcoming America is pleased to announce the launch of the Fund to Foster Belonging to support and expand the work of local leaders building bridges and belonging in their communities. Proposals are due October 18 through an online application. Background We’ve all had moments where we felt like we didn’t belong. But for some, this…
Announcing the public comment period of the Welcoming Standard
We are thrilled to announce the opening of the public comment period for the Welcoming Standard, the guiding set of principles that outlines the core of what it means for a community to be truly welcoming, particularly in terms of immigrant and refugee residents. In addition to two review boards of experts, we are also…
#BelongingBeginsWithUs: A look back at Welcoming Week 2021
This year, as many of us continued to socially distance ourselves, Welcoming Week still served as a time of celebration and reflection. Under the theme of “Belonging Begins With Us”, Welcoming Week inspired communities to consider what belonging for all looks like, especially for those from other countries, but also for those experiencing a changing…
“Welcome to the U.S.A. – You’re Hired!”: A Foreword
Editor’s note: This foreword was republished with permission from Betsy Cohen, author of the book “Welcome to the U.S.A. You’re Hired: A Guide for Foreign-born People Seeking Jobs” which released in September 2021. Elizabeth “Betsy” Cohen is the Executive Director of the St. Louis Mosaic Project of the World Trade Center-St. Louis, a Welcoming Network…
Welcoming America designates City of Pittsburgh, PA as a Certified Welcoming city
Decatur, GA — Welcoming America, a national nonprofit organization, is thrilled to designate the City of Pittsburgh as Certified Welcoming. It is the 12th place to become Certified Welcoming since the program launched in 2017, and the third in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, joining the cities of Lancaster and Erie. The designation not only comes…
Reflecting on the 20th anniversary of 9/11
As Welcoming Week 2021 kicks off this week with joyous celebrations across the world — virtually and in-person — we also take a moment of silence today to reflect on the lives lost on September 11, 2001. I recall 9/11 vividly, when the world changed irrevocably. Sitting at my desk across the Potomac River, I…
Media advisory: Drag performer Jackie Cox, comedian Peter Banifaz, and more to virtually kick off Welcoming Week
Atlanta, GA — On Thursday, September 9, national nonprofit Welcoming America hosts the livestream event “#BelongingBeginsWithUs: A Welcoming Week Experience” on Facebook Live and YouTube to kick off Welcoming Week, which begins September 10. What: #BelongingBeginsWithUs: A Welcoming Week Experience When: Thursday, September 9, 2021 at 6 p.m. Eastern Time Where: Livestreamed on Facebook Live and…
Tips to Build & Sustain a Locally Welcoming Infrastructure
Following the U.S. government’s departure from Afghanistan in August 2021, Welcoming America and a cadre of partners created this toolkit for community leaders managing arrivals of Afghan refugees. It offers four key tips to creating an equitable and welcoming environment, including mobilizing a multi-sector response group; creating a We Welcome Fund; sharing messages of welcome; and changing policy at the federal, state, and local levels.
Entertainers, nonprofits and governments declare “Belonging Begins With Us” for Welcoming Week’s virtual kickoff
Atlanta, GA — As the world continues to grapple with the pandemic, climate change, and Afghan refugee crisis, national nonprofit Welcoming America will host a livestream event on Thursday, September 9, 2021 called “#BelongingBeginsWithUs: A Welcoming Week Experience” to celebrate and welcome newcomers in local communities everywhere aiming to foster a deeper sense of belonging…