Kalamazoo YMCA welcomes newcomer immigrants and community members with multi-ethnic events

KALAMAZOO, MI — Welcoming Week, happening now through September 22 at the YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo, is a nationwide Y initiative celebrating the growing movement of communities that fully embrace newcomer immigrants and their contributions to the social fabric of our country. 

During Welcoming Week, Ys across the country are holding in-person events to help immigrant and U.S.-born neighbors connect and celebrate what unites them as a community. 

At the Maple Y, located at 1001 W. Maple Street in Kalamazoo, staff there are holding a first-time duo opportunity to lift the immigration experience, and ultimately celebrate the ethnic diversity that is present in the Greater Kalamazoo area.
Two separate activities, that will be offered back-to-back on Sunday, September 22, are happening at the Maple Y:
 
Bollywood Dance Plus: 1:30 – 2:30p. This is an existing class on the Y schedule with Instructor Denise Sonier which features a variety of different music that represents East India, Egypt, Romania, and many more. Guest instructor Betty Peristeridis will be teaching  Greek circle dancing for a new twist on the participant experience. This is a free event open to the public. Registration is required, here. 

Dessert Reception: 2:30 -3:30p. The community is invited to mingle at this social event. Light refreshments will be offered. All are invited, particularly those who celebrate their ethnicity and heritage. Though not required, it is an opportunity for people to bring a dessert that represents their heritage or country of origin. This is a free event. Registration is required here. 
 
Organizer Vicky Kettner, Association Director of Marketing, Community Relations, and Member Engagement for the YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo, is spearheading these activities as a baby-step toward a greater vision that she says she feels is owed to Kalamazoo for its rich diversity.
 
“We know that is often those who have most recently immigrated to the U.S. — our newcomer and immigrant neighbors, friends, families and colleagues –– that face some of the starkest inequities, injustices and challenges, frequently grounded in xenophobia, islamophobia, racism, and anti-Blackness," says Kettner. "Today more than ever, there is a need to provide opportunities to unite people and to bring persons of different backgrounds together.”
 
Having immigrated herself 50 years ago with her parents from Greece, Welcoming Week is particularly meaningful to Kettner, she says.
 
“I’ve known all my adult life that landing in Kalamazoo was a blessing for my family, in terms of feeling like we belonged and had all the opportunities to thrive and grow and work toward our best potential," says Kettner. 

Vicky Kettner, Association Director of Marketing, Community Relations, and Member Engagement for the YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo"I’ve known from personal experience the impact of a smile from a stranger who didn’t speak my language. The impact of an invite to a birthday party when I was a newcomer, at age six, when I didn’t know a lick of English. Seeing my parents making loving, life-long friends with people outside their ethnicity, learning from each other. 

"Sharing music. Sharing recipes. Sharing life. Leaning on each other. I know this is not every immigrant’s experience. But it could be. If we all had that Welcoming Spirit.
 
“Recognizing and celebrating our own heritage history through music, foods, coming together to share these things, is important toward building healthy communities.”
 
Persons or organizations interested in collaborating with the Y on future Welcoming Week activities for 2025 can email Vicky Kettner here: vkettner@kzooymca.org