Belonging Begins With Us

The Y believes our communities are stronger when everyone feels welcome and we can all work together for the common good. For more than 160 years, the Y has provided immigrants with support and resources to integrate well and fully participate in American society.

The Y has a long history of welcoming and engaging immigrants – from launching the nation's first English as a Second Language class in 1856 to providing aid to thousands of new arrivals at Ellis and Angel Islands in the early 1900s. King County economic forecasts our region is increasingly racially and ethnically diverse, with more and more residents born in other countries. As King County's immigrant communities continue to grow and become more diverse, the YMCA of Greater Seattle has focused on making our staff and programming grow and evolve to reflect the needs of the communities we serve.

Welcoming All at the YMCA

by Erwin Vidallon
Chief Financial Officer
A Message from our Senior Leadership Team

This week is about celebrating shared values and common ground and overcoming differences. Erwin Vidallon, Chief Financial Officer, reminds us that building belonging starts with us. Read Erwin's message>

About Welcoming Week

Welcoming Week, founded by Welcoming America, 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 Week is September 8-17 across the country and now expanding to other parts of the world. Welcoming America is leading a movement of inclusive communities becoming more prosperous by making everyone who lives there feel like they belong. Welcoming America believes 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 declare that #BelongingBeginsWithUS - that each and every one of us has the power to help others, regardless of their background, to feel like they are seen, embraced, welcomed, and included in our communities. Join us for an exciting lineup of socially distanced outdoor family lineup of community events, virtual activities, newcomer information sessions, virtual cooking classes, and in-person group fitness classes. All the events are free of charge and open to the public.