Welcoming Communities for More Than 150 Years
The YMCA has a long history of welcoming and supporting immigrants. From launching the nation’s first English as a Second Language class in 1856 to assisting thousands of new arrivals at Ellis and Angel Islands in the early 1900s, the Y has been a trusted space for connection and belonging. As King County continues to grow more diverse, the YMCA of Greater Seattle remains committed to evolving our programs and teams to reflect and serve our diverse communities.
Each year, we celebrate this commitment during Welcoming Week, a nationwide movement that brings people of all backgrounds together to strengthen community bonds and highlight the importance of inclusive spaces in advancing equity and justice for all.
“At the YMCA of Greater Seattle, we believe our community is stronger when everyone in the community feels welcome, and we can all work together for the common good. We are proud to be a part of Welcoming Week, which demonstrates that in places large and small, rural and urban, people of all backgrounds are coming together to create stronger communities. It is a time to celebrate the shared values that unite us as neighbors, parents, and colleagues and to make our towns more welcoming to newcomers and to everyone who calls our community home."
~ Meesh Talbott, our Director of Volunteerism and Community Engagement.
Welcoming Week is just one of the ways we live out that commitment across our region.
Branch Welcoming Week 2025 Events
This year’s theme, Stories We Share, invites us to reflect on the journeys that connect us and the common ground we discover in community. Across our branches, you will find opportunities to come together: cultural dance performances, community potlucks, bilingual story circles, art walls, service projects, and spaces to connect with neighbors.
Every person carries a story of where they come from, who they are, and the dreams they hold. These stories connect us, challenge us, and remind us of our shared humanity.
During Welcoming Week, from September 12-21, we invite you to celebrate the stories we share — stories of courage, resilience, and hope.
And to join us for a variety of cultural events and shared experiences as we honor the stories that shape our neighborhoods and enrich our collective future.
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Journeys of Identity and Belonging: Stories from Staff
Our staff are more than their roles at the Y — they are community members with unique stories shaped by immigration, heritage, and resilience. During Welcoming Week, they share personal reflections on identity, family, and belonging that reveal the many ways culture shapes who we are.
Building Belonging Through Dance
Raised in East Africa, Rahel Behailu found belonging through teaching dance at the Y, turning isolation and discrimination into connection, joy, and a renewed embrace of authentic community.
Changing Futures Through Opportunity
Greg Lewis shares how one donated football helmet and shoulder pads set him on a new path — from hardship to college and the NFL — and why he now works to give kids that same chance.
Finding Purpose Through the Y
After arriving in the U.S., Kirti Sharma found more than an HR role at the Y — they discovered community and purpose, supporting employees with fairness, compassion, and belonging far from home.
Reclaiming Culture Through Food
Meesh Talbott reflects on childhood shame tied to the scents of her Filipino kitchen and how, through her children’s pride, she found joy in honoring her heritage through cooking.
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Know Your Rights Resources
These resources provide practical information and tools to help immigrants and their families understand their rights, access support, and navigate challenges.
Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC)
A national nonprofit that provides legal training, technical support, and advocacy to advance immigrant rights through legal education and policy work.
Red Cards / Tarjetas Rojas
Free “know your rights” wallet cards available in many languages, helping people assert constitutional protections in everyday encounters—downloadable and printable.
About Welcoming Week
Welcoming Week, typically celebrated in September in the United States and other parts of the world, was founded by Welcoming America. It is an annual celebration bringing together thousands of people and hundreds of local events that celebrate the contributions of immigrants and refugees and the role communities play in fostering greater welcome.
Welcoming America is leading a movement of inclusive communities becoming more prosperous by making everyone who lives there feel like they belong. They believe that all people, including immigrants, are valued contributors and vital to the success of both our communities and our shared future. Learn more at welcomingamerica.org
This Welcoming Week, let's remember that each and every one of us has the power to help others, regardless of their background, feel like they are seen, embraced, welcomed, and included in our communities. Join us for a variety of community events and activities, free of charge and open to the public.
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Equity & Justice for All
Center of Excellence
The Y is committed to become an anti-racist organization.
Will you join us on our journey?
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MORE WAYS TO ENGAGE WITH THE Y
Diversity & Inclusion
The Y is a place where people of all backgrounds, faiths and other dimensions of diversity can come together, strengthen community together, and gain a greater appreciation for one another.
Unleashing Potential for All
Catch up on our series of equity and justice for all in athletics from non-traditional sports, to the Olympics, to young athlete leaders in our community.
Equity and Justice for All
This community fund is the engine that drives innovation, learning, and action in creating equitable and just communities that thrive.
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