PRESS RELEASE
HUTCHINSON, Minn.— Internationally, Welcoming Week takes place September 8-17 this year. Communities in southwest Minnesota are hosting activities throughout the month of September to lift up and celebrate welcoming, inclusive communities.
Welcoming Week is an annual celebration that brings together neighbors of all backgrounds to build strong connections and affirm the importance of welcoming and inclusive places in achieving collective prosperity.
Southwest Initiative Foundation (SWIF) provides funding and support for Welcoming Week celebrations in the region as part of its membership in Welcoming America, the national organization behind Welcoming Week. SWIF is an independent community foundation with a vision of a southwest Minnesota where all people thrive.
“We at Southwest Initiative Foundation believe that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and feel like they belong. That’s why we’re so excited about Welcoming Week because it’s a chance to celebrate our diverse community and help build a more vibrant region for everyone,” said Than Than Kyaw, SWIF Community Engagement Specialist.
This is the fourth year SWIF has supported Welcoming Week in the region. Communities with celebrations planned during the month include Glencoe, Granite Falls, Marshall, Montevideo, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg, Luverne, Willmar and Worthington.
Some of the local activities that will take place are free community coffee, cultural cooking demonstrations, music, dancing, kids’ activities and community resource fairs.
“Each community creates its own unique celebration reflecting the local community spirit. It doesn’t have to be a big event. It can be something small and grow from there,” Kyaw said.
To find the latest details about Welcoming Week events in southwest Minnesota, visit the foundation’s online events calendar.
About Welcoming Week
Welcoming Week is an annual campaign and celebration to showcase the movement of communities striving to be more welcoming places for all, including immigrants. Launched in 2012 by Welcoming America and its members, Welcoming Week provides individuals and communities the opportunity to proclaim welcoming values through events and local initiatives that foster mutual understanding between immigrants and non-immigrants, as well as deeper belonging for all.
About Southwest Initiative Foundation
Southwest Initiative Foundation (SWIF) is a nonprofit community foundation connecting people, investing in ideas and building communities to create a southwest Minnesota where all people thrive. Since its founding in 1986, SWIF has distributed more than $107 million through its grantmaking and business finance programs. Learn more at swifoundation.org.
