We believe our community is stronger when everyone feels welcome and we work together for the common good. Celebrated annually at the YMCA, Welcoming Week is a chance for neighbors—both immigrants and U.S.-born residents—to get to know one another and celebrate what unites us as a community.

From Friday, September 13 - Sunday, September 22, 2024, all branches of the YMCA of Greater Brandywine will celebrate Welcoming Week. 

Ongoing activities are planned such as:

• Music from a variety of countries will be played during some group exercise classes, as well as, activities at the Welcome Desk for everyone to participate in
• In many of our Childcare and Early Learning Centers, Before and After School care programs and Child Watch children will enjoy special crafts, activities and foods from around the world. Make sure to keep an eye out for their displayed works in the lobby.
• Or join in during our community events to share your unique stories!

Here's what you can expect at some of our different locations around Chester County. 

Coatesville YMCA

• Fun interactive projects in our cafe and membership area all week.
• Share your heritage! Mark a country you are from on our international map in the lobby. 
• Learn fun facts, recipes and geography each day of welcoming week on our whiteboard. 

Our team is also working to include a partnership with our friends at Coatesville Community Coalition, more details to come! 

Jennersville YMCA

Happening All Week Long

• Find the word "welcome" posted around the branch in 10 different languages - learn more about each country by scanning the correlating QR code!
• Our staff is ready to share some of their favorite cultural dishes with our members! Check-in at the front desk for more. 
• Take a tour around the world with flags throughout the lobby/hallways. 
• Share your heritage! Mark a country you are from on our international map in the lobby. 

Thursday, September 19 

• Jennersville YMCA Chili Cookoff: Our YMCA staff will come prepared, so bring your taste buds. Members will be able to sample and vote for their favorite chili recipes! 

Friday, September 20

• Community Cultural Cuisine and Discussion Event: Join us in the Jennersville YMCA Theater from 4:00 - 6:00 PM as we showcase the various cuisines that unite families and cultures from around the globe and within our local community. These meals will also have recipes for members to take and share with friends. This is open to everyone in our community. 
• Feel free to bring stories to share about your culture, heritage, beliefs and understanding as we want to foster a greater sense of community and fellowship. 
  • Recipe/Cuisine Selection 
    • Latin American 
    • Caribbean 
    • Indian 
    • Pakistani 
    • And more! 

Kennett Area YMCA     

• Play the “Welcome” Scavenger Hunt game: Find the word "Welcome" posted around the branch in 25 different languages - learn more about each country by scanning the correlating QR code!

• Take a tour around the world with flags throughout the lobby/hallways and highlights from each of our 7 continents. 

• Find your country of origin on our international map and mark it with a pin. See how far and wide our membership base spans! 

• Kids in Child Watch and our Child Care programs will enjoy interactive activities related to the “Continent of the Day!”

Lionville Community YMCA

• Storytime: Non-English Language Storytime from Y Childcare Staff 
• Chalk the Walk: Chalk art on Y sidewalk in different languages 
• Indian Folk Dance: Pop-up demo of traditional Garba folk dance 
• Voter Registration; Chester County Voter Services: Get registered to vote for the 2024 election 
• Live Music in Yoga, Pilates & Meditation: Enjoy relaxing live music while exercising 
• Welcome Rocks: Paint rocks with words of welcoming 
• Zimbabwean Dance: Traditional music & dance from Zimbabwe 
• World Map Display: Pin a global location you identify with or admire 
• Think Global, Act Local with Exton Regional Chamber of Commerce: Immigrant-Owned Business Spotlight at the Y  

Monday, September 16 at 12:30 PM

• Community Welcome Week Potluck: Assortment of Multi-Cultural Dishes for all in our community with information and resources on voter registration in partnership with Chester County Voter Services. 

Octorara YMCA and Program Center

• Take a trip around the world with flags with WELCOME in all languages in our lobby.
• All week long, our BASE program will be listening to music from around the world and learning about their instruments. 

Friday, September 13

• Students will learn about the Jarabe Tapatío: The Mexican Hat Dance & then have a celebration and do the Jarabe Tapatío: The Mexican Hat Dance. 

Oscar Lasko YMCA and Childcare Center

• For the After School Enrichment (ASE) program, we will be exploring three distinct cultures that reflect the diversity of our community. Beginning on Friday, September 13, we will dedicate two days to each culture. During this time, the children will learn about traditional foods, dances, special holidays and even a few basic words in a different language. Additionally, we hope to invite guest speakers to share their experiences and knowledge with the children. Below are the cultures we have selected to focus on.We'll be focused on the following cultures: Mexican, Indian and Puerto Rican. We are excited to provide this enriching experience and look forward to the children’s engagement.

Upper Main Line YMCA

• Step into Ellis Island: Check in at the front desk, sign your name, list your country of origin and take a selfie with our welcomer signs!

• Kids Scavenger Hunt: Pick up a passport at the Welcome Desk and "travel" to different countries in different parts of the YMCA. Countries will be represented with a large, printed poster with information about the country and a range of how many folks have immigrated from there to the United States. Stamp your passport and when it's filled, return to the Welcome Desk for a prize. 

West Chester Area YMCA

At West Chester YMCA, we will be offering fun activities for members throughout the week. Be on the lookout for our cycle classes as they tour through various countries, find QR codes of new music from different cultures scattered around the building and discover historical landmarks. As you enter our lobby, please stop at the Welcome Desk to leave your mark on our community map. We will also have leis to give out to swim lesson participants to welcome them with friendship as well as to honor them for all their hard work. Members can also experience intro to strength courses for teens and adults throughout the week.  

Friday, September 13

• Community Around the World Map: We will proudly display a world map that members can place with a sticker to show where they are from.  
• Paint a Welcome Rock: Members can paint rocks with welcoming words or pictures that we will decorate our front beds. We will also ask members if they feel comfortable sharing their ancestral history. This is a chance for others to show we are not so different after all.  

Saturday, September 14

• Movie at Camp from 1:00 - 3:00 PM: Coco - Embrace the history of Mexico’s Day of the Dead by watching Coco with your family and friends. 

Sunday, September 15 

• Movie at Camp from 1:00 - 3:00 PM: Moana - Learn the joy of exploring the world through the amazing journey of “Moana”.

Monday, September 16

• Stop by our Welcome Desk to “Learn a New Greeting” in another language.  
• Kids in our child watch will have the opportunity to make a Chinese lantern and learn the history of the Chinese New Year. 
• Learn how to play mahjong and mancala in our lobby from 3:00 - 6:00 PM.

Tuesday, September 17

• Stop at our Welcome Desk to learn a new recipe! We will also be collecting family recipes from members throughout the week.  
• Join our Intro to Strength class for teens from 3:00 - 4:00 PM.

Wednesday, September 18

• Kids in our child watch can make a tile and at the end of the week we will combine all their creations to create a large Moroccan mosaic.  
• Join our Intro to Strength class for adults from 12:00 - 1:00 PM.

Thursday, September 19

• Stop by our Welcome Desk to receive a mini flag and learn about a different country. 
• Join our Intro to Strength class for teens from 5:00 - 6:00 PM.

Friday, September 20 

• Stop by our Welcome Desk to answer trivia questions about different countries.  
• Kids in our child watch can make a carp kite to celebrate Kodomo No Hi – National Children’s Day in Japan.  
• Join our Intro to Strength class for adults from 9:00 - 10:00 AM. 

Saturday, September 21

• Movie at Camp from 1:00 - 3:00 PM: Lilo and Stitch  - Come join us with your family and friends and learn what Ohana means to our community.

Sunday, September 22

• Community Collection of Stories from 4:30 - 6:30 PM:  We encourage members and our community to visit our YMCA to share their history and culture. This can be through poetry, short stories, art and more!