Seattle metro area has sponsored and welcomed some of the highest numbers of Ukrainians across the country
Seattle—Today, the Welcome Fund awarded $300,000 in grants to the Ukrainian Community Center of Washington, the Ukrainian Association of Washington State, and the Nashi Immigrants Health Board to strengthen Seattle’s local infrastructure for supporting the sponsorship of Ukrainian newcomers. The three organizations will form a "sponsor hub" by partnering together to support Americans as they sponsor Ukrainian newcomers. A sponsor hub is a coalition of community based organizations working together to recruit new sponsors, centralize access to social services, and build mutual support among sponsors. The Seattle metro area has received some of the highest numbers of Ukrainian newcomers in the country.
“We are so proud and excited to support these incredible organizations who are helping create a national movement of welcome,” said Welcome.US CEO Nazanin Ash. “Right now, sponsorship is the most impactful way Americans can help welcome newcomers, but it can be complex. That’s why it’s so important to make sure the frontline organizations supporting sponsorship have the resources they need to advance and expand their work.”
“We are thankful to Welcome.US for stepping up at such a critical time,” said Oleg Pynda, Executive Director of Ukrainian Community Center of Washington (UCCWA). “The UCCWA is excited at the opportunity to work with Welcome.US in helping to save and build up hundreds of lives.”
Additional grants were also awarded to sponsor hubs in four major metro areas including the Chicago metro area, New York City metro area, Philadelphia metro area, and the Sacramento metro area—bringing the total amount disbursed today to $1.5 million.
This is the third major set of grants announced by the Welcome Fund, a project of Welcome.US, to leverage philanthropic support so that people fleeing their homelands are connected to welcoming communities across the United States. The Welcome Fund has disbursed more than $17 million to 185 organizations directly welcoming newcomers since its launch in September 2021.
The Ukrainian Community Center of Washington (UCCWA) is a Ukrainian social services organization specializing in immigration, behavioral health, senior support, and benefits navigation. The Ukrainian Association of Washington State (UAWS) is a cultural organization that pivoted to providing humanitarian aid when the war in Ukraine broke out. Nashi Immigrants Health Board is a health education organization skilled in helping Ukrainian- and Russian-speaking communities navigate complex social service systems. The three organizations have formed a consortium to enlist community members as Uniting for Ukraine sponsors and guide sponsors as they navigate services ranging from mental health to employment.
The UCCWA, the UAWS, and the Nashi Immigrants Health Board are all nonprofits that provide frontline support for sponsoring Ukrainians and bring a wide range of assets to the welcoming infrastructure, including new networks of volunteers, language and cultural competencies, and knowledge of and support to navigate U.S. systems.
About Welcome.US
At Welcome.US, our mission is to unleash the desire and capacity of Americans to welcome newcomers and help them thrive. We operate on the evidence that direct participation with newcomers transforms both the welcomer and those being welcomed. By making it easier for Americans from all walks of life to participate in the work of welcoming—and telling their stories—we are building a movement that celebrates America’s welcoming spirit by providing an opportunity to serve for all who seek to welcome. Our diverse community of Welcomers reaches across real and perceived divides to meet the needs of newcomers more effectively. In partnership with local and national resettlement agencies, diaspora organizations and leaders, refugees, community sponsorship groups, nonprofits, businesses, faith-based institutions, veterans, universities, four former Presidents and four former First Ladies, Welcome.US is a single point of entry for Americans who want to get involved and support those who are starting new lives in the United States.
To learn more about Welcome.US, please visit welcome.us.
A project of Welcome.US, the Welcome Fund provides philanthropy, major donors, and the private sector an effective and coordinated national mechanism that will enable communities to not only support those seeking refuge, but also to build a movement of welcome that extends beyond this immediate crisis. The Welcome Fund is governed by an independent Advisory Committee that ensures that funds are disbursed with integrity and directed to address the most pressing needs and emerging issues. The Advisory Committee is comprised of leaders who bring lived experience, refugee resettlement expertise, grantmaking knowledge, and other resources that are essential to executing the Welcome Fund’s mission.
About GoFundMe.org GoFundMe.org, a public charity, manages and receives donations for the Welcome Fund from individual and philanthropic donors. Recommendations for potential grantees are made by the Welcome Fund Advisory Committee to GoFundMe.org, which provides rigorous fiduciary and compliance oversight; supports rapid deployment of grants; and ensures timely and transparent reporting.
