[Charlotte, NC – September 15, 2017] This Welcoming Week, taking place September 15–24, 2017, 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 a community health fair, citizenship workshop, community potluck and international festival.

“At the YMCA of Greater Charlotte, we believe Charlotte is at its strongest when everyone in the community feels welcome and we can all work together for the common good,” said Todd Tibbits, YMCA of Greater Charlotte CEO. “Welcoming Week is an opportunity for neighbors – both immigrants and U.S.-born residents – to connect, find common ground and celebrate our shared values.”

During Welcoming Week, the YMCA of Greater Charlotte will host several events at YMCA branches throughout the community, contributing to the more than 30 Welcoming Week events taking place in Charlotte. Contact YMCA branches for more information about specific Welcoming Week events.

September 16, 2017
Citizenship Workshop hosted by the Latin American Coalition (9:00 AM)

- Johnston YMCA – 3025 N Davidson St., Charlotte, NC 28205

September 21, 2017
CommUNITY Potluck (12:00 – 2:00 PM), International Festival (6:00 – 8:00 PM)

- Keith Family YMCA – 8100 Old Mallard Creek Rd., Charlotte, NC 28262

Celebration of CommUNITY through dialogue and distribution of pins (all day)

- Lincoln County Family YMCA – 1402 Gaston St., Lincolnton, NC 28092

- Sally’s YMCA – 1601 Forney Creek Parkway, Denver, NC 28037

- Siskey YMCA – 3127 Weddington Rd., Matthews, NC 28105

Interactive world map and highlighting international Y members (all day)

- Dowd YMCA – 400 E. Morehead St., Charlotte, NC 28202

September 23, 2017
Free Community Health Fair (10:00 AM – 2:00 PM) with information about healthcare services, navigating US immigration legal processes, and other community organizations

- Simmons YMCA – 6824 Democracy Dr., Charlotte, NC 28212

At the YMCA of Greater Charlotte’s community-based Welcoming Week events and the hundreds of similar events taking place nationwide, people from different backgrounds and ideologies come together to find common ground. Welcoming Week was founded by the Y’s national partner Welcoming America, a non-profit, non-partisan organization that helps communities become more inclusive and prosperous for all.

“Communities recognize the benefits of being welcoming and ensuring that everyone can fully contribute to a community’s prosperity,” said David Lubell, founder and executive director of Welcoming America. “Welcoming Week events are a powerful way to promote cross-cultural understanding and build bridges between new and long-time residents, which results in stronger communities for all.”

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 274,000 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.

About Welcoming Week
Welcoming Week 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. 15-24 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