Welcoming America

Welcoming America's executive director, Rachel Perić, was in Paris on #WorldRefugeeDay last week. The #welcoming movement is truly global! Cities and communities across the world are, in Rachel's words, "ensuring that new and longtime residents alike can thrive and belong together, in abundance rather than scarcity." Read Rachel's full thoughts below.

On World Refugee Day, held every year on June 20, we honor the strength, courage, and perseverance of refugees around the globe. This year, #WorldRefugeeDay focuses on solidarity with refugees, for a world where refugees are welcomed. Solidarity means keeping our doors open, celebrating refugees’ strengths and achievements, and reflecting on the challenges they face. Today, we are spotlighting refugee leaders who are designing creative ways to build community in the United States through the Sparking Change program. Their innovative projects are building bridges between refugees and their new communities. Read the full Sparking Change blog post now: https://lnkd.in/g6PYJtEx #WithRefugees #RefugeeDay USA for UNHCR

Today we are celebrating Juneteenth, a holiday that honors the freedom and resilience of Black Americans. This day calls on all of us to remember the past, honor progress, and continue the fight for equity, justice, and belonging as we build a more welcoming society. The work of racial justice must continue: for Black communities that have been here for generations and Black newcomers who have just arrived in this country. Join us in honoring the history of Juneteenth and working together for a more just, welcoming future. 📚 Read about the history of this day: https://lnkd.in/gqvPZFF  📝 Explore resources on Black immigration: https://lnkd.in/dJ54iaRC  🤝 Join us in building a welcoming future: https://lnkd.in/eVVexPY8

Communities thrive when families stay together and neighbors of all backgrounds have a stable future to build toward. The administration’s announcement today of two major policy changes to help keep families together and provide Dreamers new avenues to access employment-based visas is a welcome development. To protect American families, the administration will use existing authorities to help many long-term undocumented individuals who are married to U.S. citizens secure protections from deportation, gain work authorization, and help them access a pathway to citizenship. The administration is also streamlining processes that would allow individuals including DACA recipients and other Dreamers to access work visas, securing them a legal status in the United States after years of living in limbo. We celebrate the actions taken today by the Biden administration to create pathways to stability, inclusion, and belonging for immigrant families and communities nationwide. While these policies do not remedy the failures of the current immigration system, they are a step toward making it safer and more orderly. While we await more details, we know that implementation will require community leadership and we, alongside our Welcoming Network members, stand ready to support and tap into the abundant interest of the American public in supporting inclusive immigration policy. Read more about the policy changes in this fact sheet published by the White House: https://lnkd.in/eb8TVmQm

Welcoming America and The Dinner Party Labs have selected 17 civic leaders for the Connected Communities Cohort, a yearlong learning program to deepen trust and relationship between immigrants and non-immigrants in communities experiencing significant demographic shifts. Lennon Flowers, co-founder and executive director of The Dinner Party Labs: "The pressures on our communities to resort to othering and fragmentation — especially in the intensity of an election year — are alarmingly high. This moment calls for us to bolster our capacity to turn towards each other, rather than away. The cohort seeks to resource the community stewards already doing this work at a time when we need it most." Meg Shoemaker Little, chief program officer of Welcoming America: "We’re excited to connect leaders in welcoming communities with a program that can transform their values into action. The Connected Communities Cohort will help local communities fulfill the need for trust and relationship-building among immigrant and non-immigrant residents." https://lnkd.in/gzra9ThX

From June 20 to July 4, we are raising money in honor of 15 years of welcoming. We will kick off our celebration on World Refugee Day and finish on the 4th of July - giving us 15 days to raise $15,000. Help us kickstart the campaign and give today! https://lnkd.in/gyMJfdJC #15yearsofwelcoming

Proud of the Welcoming International and Sin Fronteras IAP work in Mexico. #WelcomingWeek #WelcomingWeek2024

Love that community foundations are already planning for Welcoming America's Welcoming Week activities. It's been great to have ACT for Alexandria in our CFLeads/Welcoming America Community of Practice. https://lnkd.in/dZ_bFxGx

Welcoming America released a statement today following the Biden administration's new asylum restrictions. We call on the Biden administration and the American public to support an abundant approach to supporting asylum, opening legal pathways, and ensuring that immigrant and non-immigrant Americans can together belong and thrive in a welcoming America. 🔗 Read the full statement on our website: https://lnkd.in/eGeVNgHA

Exciting opportunities: We are hiring for a Senior Regional Manager and a Director of Strategic Communications. If you're passionate about fostering welcoming communities, we want to hear from you! Please visit wamerica.us/jobs to apply! ✨