Posts Tagged ‘Belonging’
Louisville, KY: How Community Advocates Made the Case for Inclusive Communications
In 2021, Amos Izerimana, director of the Office for Immigrant Affairs in Louisville, KY, rallied community members to deliver a message to city council. In a community where the newcomer population had grown rapidly and 150 languages were spoken in public schools, leadership couldn’t afford not to invest in language access and inclusive communications. “I…
Read MoreLancaster, PA: How City Officials Prioritized Inclusion in COVID-19 Communications
Lancaster, a community of 60,000 residents, welcomed 500 people displaced from Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria in 2017. Their arrival underscored the importance of inclusive communication, prompting the city to develop a linguistically and culturally responsive infrastructure that served it well in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic just three years later. “We are a very…
Read MoreHow Detroit Neighbors Turned a Vacant Lot Into Common Ground
We talk a lot about bringing people together. But what does that actually look like? There’s a science behind it: contact theory. Developed by social psychologist Dr. Gordon Allport, contact theory describes the conditions that support people in building connections across differences. Here’s the basic idea: if you know, work alongside, and do something meaningful…
Read MoreStories We Share: Looking Back at #WelcomingWeek2025
2,014+ events. 50 U.S. states & DC. 8 countries. 63,000+ people reached on social media. Countless stories, conversations, and connections. This is the power of Welcoming Week. With more than 2,000 events and initiatives in 8 countries, Welcoming Week brought together neighbors to build connections and affirm the importance of welcoming places. Now in its…
Read MoreStories We Share: The Power of Small Acts
When we step into our communities with intention and courage, the small acts of welcoming we practice every day become the foundation for the belonging we all seek. This is a call to embrace those everyday moments of connection that, when shared across neighborhoods, create communities where everyone can thrive. When chalk becomes connection I’ve…
Read MoreWelcome to Gunnison: A community modeling rural belonging
Surrounded by mountains and sage brush landscapes, Gunnison, Colorado may look like other rural mountain towns: quiet, remote, perfect for connecting with nature, and a hub for seasonal workers. Look closer, though. Among local organizations and leaders, growing efforts for connection and belonging are in bloom. Despite its small population of 16,000 residents, Gunnison County…
Read MoreStronger together: Three ways to engage during Welcoming Week 2025
It’s easy to spot the differences within our communities and to think of them as something that divides us. But what if our differences are exactly what we need to unite? Welcoming Week is an annual opportunity for neighbors to explore different cultures, experiences, and perspectives and, in doing so, find and celebrate what connects…
Read MoreFinding home and strengthening community: Siham’s story
Siham Amedy, a Kurdish refugee from northern Iraq, has transformed her experience growing up in a refugee family into a mission to support other refugees and immigrants and strengthen her community. As a 2025 Sparking Change grantee, Siham is organizing a project in Moorhead, Minnesota that uses food to bridge gaps and bring people closer…
Read MoreWelcoming America Announces “Stories We Share” as 2025 Welcoming Week Theme
Stories are more than just connection points. They’re also catalysts. Welcoming America is excited to announce its campaign theme for Welcoming Week 2025, an annual campaign celebrated in communities across the world, taking place from September 12-21, 2025. The campaign theme, “Stories We Share” focuses on celebrating differences and spotting what we have in common.…
Read More“Building welcoming communities is not a luxury”: Opening remarks at the Welcoming Interactive 2025
“Building welcoming communities is not a luxury. It is essential.” Editor’s note: Following are remarks by Rachel Perić, executive director of Welcoming America, delivered on May 21, 2025 at the opening plenary of the Welcoming Interactive in Detroit, Michigan. They have been lightly edited for web publication. In 1950s Brooklyn, a stunned boy looked up…
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