Local community leaders and volunteers reflect on Welcoming Week
Suree Sompamitwong was born in Thailand and moved to the U.S. when she was 7 years old. She’s the executive director of Creative Healing Space — a nonprofit that promotes mental health, healing and all things creative — as well as a youth employment specialist at the Southwest Minnesota Private Industry Council. Suree wants to strengthen and empower the people in her community to be more healed and vibrant. She’s a past Growing Local: Emerging Leaders participant and a current Initiators Fellow. Suree has helped plan Welcoming Week in Worthington for three years.
I would like to share my story of when my family immigrated to United States 23 years ago. My mom luckily won the lottery visa (Diversity Immigrant Visa Program), which sponsored our whole family with visas to the U.S. We first landed in Los Angeles, and we lived there for one year until my mom decided that LA was too expensive for us, and her friend recommended her checking out Worthington. My mom flew to go check it out. And she loved it there!
At first, I did not want to move away from LA. Even as a kid, I was always drawn to that city. But regardless, off we moved to Worthington. And I’m so grateful that we relocated here. We first stayed with a very kind Thai family who owns Top Asian Market, for about 6 months, until my mom could afford to rent our own place.
My mom is a single mother and worked night shifts, so we didn’t get to see her much during the week. I owe a lot of gratitude to my amazing childhood friends who adopted me into their family, showed me their traditions, took me on family trips and kept me out of trouble. And thanks to teachers who went above and beyond to support me throughout my youthful years, because we all know that our earlier years and experiences hugely shapes our lives into adulthood.
Welcoming Week is important because it can make a HUGE difference when newcomers have a strong support system and a community that is willing to support and guide them. When you get an opportunity to help newcomers feel welcomed and valued, please do. Invite them to your family dinner, take them out to your family trips and be curious. They all have a story.
