Emerson YMCA, Our Lady of Guadalupe School help kids through pandemic, shared effort
In 2020, Welcoming America and its members worked in eight cities to bridge diverse communities and foster a deeper sense of belonging for local residents, including immigrants. This story is part of the Belonging Begins With Us campaign, which was funded in part by the Walmart Foundation. Where do we find healing during troubled times?…
Read MoreA safe space: New and established Louisville residents talk preconceptions, build connections (and houses)
In 2020, Welcoming America and its members worked in eight cities to bridge diverse communities and foster a deeper sense of belonging for local residents, including immigrants. This story is part of the Belonging Begins With Us campaign, which was funded in part by the Walmart Foundation. With a good job as a hotel manager,…
Read More#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…
Read More“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…
Read MoreReflecting 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…
Read MoreCreating a new home, deeper belonging together in Maine
In 2020, Welcoming America and its members worked in eight cities to bridge diverse communities and foster a deeper sense of belonging for local residents, including immigrants. This story is part of the Belonging Begins With Us campaign, which was funded in part by the Walmart Foundation. Zoe Sahloul was seven years old when war…
Read MoreBoise’s Treasure Valley cooks up deeper ties, belonging for new and long-time residents
In 2020, Welcoming America and its members worked in eight cities to bridge diverse communities and foster a deeper sense of belonging for local residents, including immigrants. This story is part of the Belonging Begins With Us campaign, which was funded in part by the Walmart Foundation. Tecle Gebremichael earned the right to vote as…
Read MoreInclusive economic recovery: How Atlanta built trust with immigrant leaders, community navigators through a pandemic
As the U.S. continues to recover from some of the worst parts of the pandemic, Welcoming Network members worked in communities to make the recovery process as inclusive as possible. This is the first of three blogs written by Global Detroit on behalf of Welcoming America that share the challenges, solutions, and possibilities of inclusive…
Read MoreCreating the table: Using food to foster belonging during Welcoming Week
The Nashville Food Project, a Welcoming Network member, works to bring people together to grow, cook, and share nourishing food. Check out how they plan on celebrating #WelcomingWeek2021 using the recently published Taste of Belonging cookbook. As we continue to emerge from the pandemic, we must consider how to heal and connect with one another…
Read MoreMasks on, arms open: Milwaukee nonprofits foster new connections in the heart of the pandemic
In 2020, Welcoming America and its members worked in eight cities to bridge diverse communities and foster a deeper sense of belonging for local residents, including immigrants. This story is part of the Belonging Begins With Us campaign, which was funded in part by the Walmart Foundation. At a time when a pandemic isolated Americans,…
Read More