Connecting, sharing, and welcoming together
You can change a life for the better simply by saying, “yes,” shared Eileen Wilson.
Eileen recently said “yes” to joining her Ohio Welcomer Community group. “I am gaining a network of like-minded individuals, who may have diverse backgrounds, but have a common heart for welcoming the stranger,” she said.
Ohio is one of the latest states to launch a Welcomer Community, a space that enables sponsors and Welcomers to connect with experts, partners, local media, and community leaders to share their experiences and exchange ideas in support of private sponsorship.
“Welcomers share a common goal, but each state faces unique challenges and opportunities,” said Austin Donahoo, Community Outreach Manager at Welcome.US. “We’re making connections and strengthening an existing support system to learn from each other.”
These state-based groups are designed with flexibility to meet the unique working style and needs of members in each area. Led by Welcomers, the groups host virtual meetings with the support of Welcome.US staff and participate in a WhatsApp Group to facilitate communication in between meetings. Regular communication ensures that members get the latest policy updates, access to legal assistance, expert guidance on requested topics, and opportunities to connect with local leaders and media.
“When we kick off these communities, we share the phrase, ‘many hands make light work,’” said Austin. “These groups are for anyone who wants to connect over their shared experience and work together to support newcomers in their community.”
Ashley Glimasinski, a member in North Carolina, has been involved with her local refugee community for the last five years.
“I feel like I have learned so much, and yet still don’t know everything. It made sense to join a larger network where I can continue to learn how to help newcomers by making new connections, learning about new resources, and building a more welcoming community together with others,” she said.
Ashley previously managed a temporary housing ministry and partnered with a local resettlement agency to house new refugees. Today, she works with We Choose Welcome, a grassroots community organization mobilizing women of faith to join the welcoming movement.
Eileen volunteered as an ESL teacher, worked for a refugee ministry, then founded Yamanna, a nonprofit that equips refugee and immigrant families with the tools to move from “surviving to thriving.”
Through these experiences, both women have witnessed the power of sponsorship.
“The sponsorship program allows an individual or group of individuals to directly help another human being in a desperate situation. They choose to take on the joy and sorrow that comes with welcoming another person into their lives,” Eileen said.
“There is nothing more intrinsic to the American Dream than neighbor helping neighbor to succeed.”
Ashley agreed. She sees welcoming as both a moral responsibility and an opportunity for growth.
“It expands our sense of empathy by getting to know someone else’s story, and we get to share our communities and see them in a new way, through the eyes of our new friends,” she said. “Sometimes we even learn about systems we didn’t even know existed and how frustrating they can be, and we begin to use our privilege and voices to advocate for changes to these systems so that all can flourish.”
Ashley and Eileen have watched newcomers make meaningful contributions to their neighborhoods—starting businesses, buying homes, and giving back to the community.
“Newcomers bring so much joy to our communities,” she said. “I’ve met so many newcomers who, within the first week of their arrival, are already asking how they can help others. They want to be part of the community and contribute to it, not just receive.”
That spirit of mutual support is at the heart of Welcomer Communities. Working together makes us stronger, Eileen said. “Knowing that you can get answers and process problems with people who are facing the same issues that you have is priceless.”
As more communities across the country join this movement, the impact continues to grow. Protecting these pathways to safety for newcomers depends on all of us, Ashley added.
“I believe change first takes place right here, in our communities, our relationships, and conversations with our neighbors.”
To help Welcomer Communities make that change, Welcome.US will launch a microgrant program later this year. These microgrants will help members of Welcomer Communities fund efforts that elevate sponsor stories, educate others on sponsorship pathways, and share the journeys and contributions of newcomers that emphasize their resilience and positive impact in their neighborhoods.
