[Charlotte, NC – September 12, 2018]—This Welcoming Week, taking place September 14-23, YMCA of Greater Charlotte will join Welcoming America and hundreds of YMCAs and other organizations nationwide in hosting events to celebrate immigrants’ contributions to communities and bring together all residents in a spirit of unity. Welcoming Week activities are open to the public and include interactive displays at YMCA branches, community celebrations and a US Naturalization Ceremony hosted at the Simmons YMCA.

“At the YMCA of Greater Charlotte, we believe the Charlotte region is stronger when everyone in the community feels welcome and we can all work together for the common good,” said Candace Murray, YMCA of Greater Charlotte’s Director of Diversity, Inclusion & Global. “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 can come 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.”

During Welcoming Week, events will be happening all across the four-county footprint of the YMCA of Greater Charlotte.  “These events are part of a powerful and growing movement in our country and around the world, demonstrating that communities want to be welcoming,” said Rachel Peric, Executive Director of Welcoming America. “Welcoming Week is a reminder of the resilient and inclusive spirit of American communities. Thousands of local leaders nationwide are bringing their communities together to bridge divides and build stronger local economies where everyone belongs.”

About the YMCA of Greater Charlotte
The Y is one of the nation’s leading nonprofits strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. The YMCA of Greater Charlotte, comprised of 19 membership locations and two resident camps, engages approximately 300,000 men, women and children – regardless of age, income or background – to nurture the potential of children and teens, improve the nation’s health and well-being, and provide opportunities to give back and support neighbors. Deeply rooted in the community for 140 years, the YMCA of Greater Charlotte has the long-standing relationships and physical presence not just to promise, but to deliver, lasting personal and social change. www.ymcacharlotte.org

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 to foster greater welcome. Welcoming Week is Sept. 14-23 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. www.welcomingamerica.org.