WELCOMING WEEK 2022

The YMCA of Greater Nashua Celebrates Welcoming Week and Reminds the
Greater Nashua Community that Belonging Begins with Us

This Welcoming Week (September 9-18), the YMCA of Greater Nashua will join Welcoming America, other YMCAs and organizations nationwide to celebrate immigrants’ contributions to communities and bring together all residents in a spirit of unity. Each year, Welcoming Week elevates the growing movement of communities that fully embrace new Americans and their contributions to the social fabric of the country. The event is an opportunity for neighbors—both immigrants and U.S.-born residents—to get to know one another and celebrate what unites people as a community.

“At the YMCA of Greater Nashua, we believe Greater Nashua Community is stronger when everyone in the community feels welcome and we can all work together for the common good,” said Micheal LaChance, CEO. “We are proud to be a part of Welcoming Week, which is demonstrating that in places large and small, rural and urban, people of all backgrounds are coming together to create stronger communities. It is a time to celebrate the shared values that unite us as neighbors, parents and colleagues, and to make our towns more welcoming to newcomers and to everyone who calls our community home.”

WELCOMING WEEK ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES

During Welcoming Week, the YMCA of Greater Nashua asks that you engage with the posts on our web site, visit our branches to participate in events happening there, and utilize the below lists to further enrich your Welcoming Week experience:

• Welcoming Week Activity Card (Click Here)
Download and share these nine fun and easy ways to expand your perspective and make your community a more welcoming place for all. How many can you accomplish this week? Share them with us and with your friends and family on social media using hashtag #NMYMCAWelcomingWeek

• Welcoming Week World Map Activity
Visit one of our branches to have a chance to mark your country of origin or heritage on a large world map we have displayed to help showcase the diversity that your Y represents!

• Paper Doll Creation – September 13th, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Nashua YMCA Kids Stop invites you to visit our creativity table that will be set up on Tuesday to learn how to make a Multicultural Paper Doll!

• Cultural Recipe Swap – September 14th, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Nashua YMCA will be hosting a Cultural Recipe Swap with the Senior Lunch Bunch in the Poolside Room.

• Story Time – September 12th-16, See Schedule Below
Merrimack YMCA Kids Stop will host a morning storytelling time all this week. The storyteller will be sharing a story from one of 5 different countries, from Dominican Republic, Italy, Brazil, Ireland and Wales.
Monday, September 12th, 10:00 am – Wales
Tuesday, September 13th, 10:00 am & 4:00 pm – Dominican Republic
Wednesday, September 14th, 10:00 am – Brazil
Thursday, September 15th, 11:00 am & 4:00 pm – Ireland
Friday, September 16th, 10:00 am – Italy

• National Dance Day Zumba Master Class – September 17th, 9:00 am – 10:30 am
Nashua YMCA will be hosting a Zumba Master Class in Studio A.  It’s a higher energy, multi guest instructor that offers more than your average Zumba class! Zumba is an interval workout. The classes move between high- and low-intensity dance moves designed to get your heart rate up and boost cardio endurance. Zumba is NOT your average workout; join us and WELCOME to the party. In person attendance is by registration only and can be done from our SuperSaas reservation system on our Schedules Page. For those who may not be able to make it to the Nashua Y for the in person experience, we will be offering a livestream of it through our Virtual Y platform for members.

• Wellness Music
Merrimack YMCA will be playing multicultural themed music throughout the wellness floor and in some of our classes to celebrate the different cultures of our members.

• International Sports & Welcoming Wall
Westwood Park YMCA will be celebrating all week with exciting activities such as Badminton, Rugball (combination of Rugby and Football), World Cup Soccer, Family Ninja, and Turf Time! We will also be hosting a Welcoming Wall were we will share and celebrate the journey of immigrants, refugees and New Americans.

Make sure to visit our branches to participate in all the other interactive activities going on throughout the week! Share your experience with us on social media using hashtag  #NMYMCAWelcomingWeek

About the Y

Driven by its founding mission, the Y has served as a leading nonprofit committed to strengthening community for more than 175 years. The Y empowers everyone, no matter who they are or where they’re from, by ensuring access to resources, relationships and opportunities for all to learn, grow and thrive. By bringing together people from different backgrounds, perspectives and generations, the Y’s goal is to improve overall health and well-being, ignite youth empowerment and demonstrate the importance of connections in and across 10,000 communities nationwide. ymca.org

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 Welcoming America

Welcoming America is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that leads a movement of inclusive communities becoming more prosperous by ensuring everyone belongs. Through the Welcoming Network, we work to change systems and culture by providing communities the roadmap they need to create welcoming policies and share new approaches to inclusion to create an environment where everyone can truly thrive. Learn more at welcomingamerica.org