Welcoming KC

10/12/2026

Welcoming means remembering that you can't discover a place that was already home.

Long before Kansas City had its name, this land was home to the Kanza (Kaw), Osage and Missouria peoples. Our city, our state and our river carry the name of the Kansa people to this day. Later, the Wyandot, Shawnee, Lenape and other nations were forced to relocate here, and their legacy lives on in places like Wyandotte County and Shawnee.

This Indigenous Peoples' Day, we honor the first people to call this land home, and the Native neighbors, families and leaders who make Kansas City stronger today.

Being a welcoming community starts with knowing whose land we stand on, and making sure Indigenous voices are seen, heard and valued, not just today but every day.

09/25/2026

Welcoming means.....local leaders standing up for language access, and making room for every voice in whatever language it comes.

This week, Edgar Palacios of Revolución Educativa walked up to the mic at a Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools board meeting and gave his public comment entirely in Spanish. He even planned to share an English transcript afterward so nobody would miss a word. Instead, his remarks were called disrespectful.

I keep thinking about the kids in that district. 57% of KCKPS students are Latino. So many of them spend their days moving between two languages without even thinking about it. They translate at the doctor's office for their parents. They help a new classmate find the cafeteria. They carry their family's stories in one language and their homework in another.

That's not a distraction. That's a Superpower.

This summer, Kansas City welcomed the world for the World Cup, and we heard firsthand what it sounds like when a city opens its arms in more than one language. Neighbors helped visitors in Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, French, and so many more. It made us better hosts and a better city. That same gift is sitting in our classrooms and our community meetings every single day.

Speaking Spanish in a public space isn't disrespect. It's belonging. It's a parent, a neighbor, or an advocate saying, "This is my community too." And language access is how we make sure every family actually gets a seat at the table.

We're grateful to Edgar and to the Latino leaders who spoke up this week. And since we're right in the middle of Hispanic Heritage Month, here's my ask: if you speak more than one language, tell us in the comments. And if there's a bilingual young person in your life, let them know today that their gift matters. 💛

09/21/2026

Welcoming means walking the distance — literally.

Right now, Ryan Hundall, Executive Director of Della Lamb Community Services, is walking the Katy Trail from Kansas City all the way to the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. Over 200 miles, through small towns and college campuses, church halls and trailheads, all to bring attention to something we care deeply about here at Welcoming KC: what it actually looks like to welcome our refugee and immigrant neighbors.

This isn't just a walk. Along the route, Della Lamb has been hosting community conversations, prayer gatherings, and panels — bringing neighbors, faith leaders, and immigrant community members into the same room to talk honestly about displacement, dignity, and what it means to be a good neighbor right now. Because global displacement is at historic levels, and at the same time, the path to safety for so many families has gotten harder. That's exactly the moment when showing up matters most.

The walk wraps up September 25th at the Gateway Arch, but the work Della Lamb does continues every single day, right here in Kansas City, helping people rebuild their lives with dignity and support.

If this moves you the way it moved us: you can sponsor a mile, join a leg of the walk, or simply follow along and share their story. Every bit of attention helps more people know this work, and this community, exists.

09/17/2026

Welcoming means.....celebrating the people who contribute to our great city, the ones who've been here for generations and the ones who just landed last month. It's in the lights, sure, but it's really in the neighbors who wave, the small business owners who keep their doors open a little later, the folks who show up to volunteer even when nobody's watching.

Kansas City doesn't just look beautiful at night. It feels like a place where people belong and that's something we get to build together, every single day.

07/21/2026

Welcoming means......putting a gold medal around your mother's neck in front of the entire world.

That's what Nico Williams did after Spain beat Argentina in extra time to win the 2026 World Cup. In the middle of the biggest moment of his career, he found his mom, María, and gave her his medal. Decades earlier, María and her husband Félix had fled Ghana with almost nothing, crossing the Sahara Desert on foot while she was seven months pregnant. They walked for days. People didn't make it. When they finally reached Spain, they rebuilt their entire lives from scratch so their sons could have a shot at something better. Nico put it simply: "I run very fast, but I can't run as fast as my mother. I am who I am today because of her."

That's welcoming. Not a policy or a slogan but a family finding a place to land, and a community that let them stay long enough to become part of it.

And it turns out Nico's story isn't the exception at this World Cup. It's closer to the rule. Nearly 1 in 4 players in the tournament, 289 out of 1,248, were born in a country different from the one they represented on the field. Curaçao's squad was 96% foreign-born. Morocco's was 73%. Even the U.S. men's team had six players born outside the country, with about a third of the roster being children of immigrants. Only 8 of the 48 teams could say every single player was born in the country they played for.

So here's the question worth sitting with: if none of these families had migrated, would Spain still have won the Cup? Maybe. Maybe not. We'll never really know.

But we do know this, the players who ran the fastest, scored the biggest goals, and lifted the trophy came from families who crossed deserts, borders, and oceans looking for a better life. Immigrants didn't just show up to this World Cup. They shaped it.

That's the story worth telling in our own community, too.

06/16/2026

Welcoming means every open door is an opportunity. Tonight, Argentina, the reigning World Cup champions play at Kansas City Stadium. With them come tens of thousands of fans. VisitKC estimates 650,000+ visitors will travel to Kansas City during the tournament. That's hotels, restaurants, shops, rideshares, and memories made righ here. When you smile at a visitor, recommend your favorite BBQ spot, or help someone find their way. You're not just being kind, you're building the economy of Kansas City. Welcome well my friends. Did you know: 250,000 Argentine-Americans call the US home. KC is home to , Piropos Restaurant and a growing expat community. Algerian-Americans total 70,500 nationally and KC's Muslim Community will feel a special connection to Algeria's vist.

06/11/2026

Welcoming means ensuring every newcomer and immigrant family in Kansas City has equal access to city services and a real voice in our community.

KANSAS CITY, WE DID IT!

Thank you to City Councilmember Wes Rogers for his support of this work and for sponsoring Ordinance No. 260506, the Welcoming KC Commission is now official!

We have established this new 12-member advisory body as our vehicle for long-term inclusion. Here is what it will do:
- Strengthen civic engagement and establish a framework for resident-led oversight of inclusive service delivery.
- Bring together district residents and community-based organizations to actively inform city policy.
- Be the primary resident-led body supporting our city’s continued work of Certified Welcoming Status.

Thank you to every advocate, partner and resident who spoke up and shared their story. We are building systems that last and a city where everyone belongs! Together!

Jewish Vocational Service (JVS), Kansas City Della Lamb Community Services Latinx Education Collaborative Revolucion Educativa - RevEd Global Ties KC Advocates for Immigrant Rights and Reconciliation (AIRR) Literacy KC REACH Healthcare Foundation Northeast Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce The Museum of Kansas City KCPS Language Services Welcoming America

06/11/2026

Welcoming means opening your door before someone knocks. Today, the 2026 FIFA World Cup begins and Kansas CIty is ready. Over the next month, our city becomes a stage for the world. Six matches at Kansas City Stadium. Hundreds of thousands of visitors. Dozens of nations. One community We're not just hosting a soccer tournament. We're telling the world who we are. And who we are is: WELCOMING. Stay with us all month as we share why welcoming is the greatest thing a city can do.

06/10/2026

Welcoming means more than a smile at the door, it means every visitor who walks into a Kansas City business feels seen, respected, and genuinely at home.

With the World Cup bringing fans from every corner of the world, to our city, including up to 100,000 Argentine fans alone, the economic opportunity is real. But so is something bigger, the chance to create an experience so warm, so authentic, so undeniably Kansas City that visitors carry it home with them long after the final whistle blows.

That's why the KC Chamber and our partners at Jewish Vocational Service (JVS), Kansas City are proud to share the free, on-demand Welcoming the World Training, designed to help businesses, frontline staff, volunteers, and community members feel confident and prepared to serve international guests with cultural awareness, clear communications, and genuine hospitality.

Whether you work in retail, hospitality, transportation, or customer service, this training is for you. A welcoming Kansas City isn't built in one place, It's built in every interaction, every storefront, every "hello."

Watch the free training today and help us show the world what Kansas CIty hospitality looks like.

As thousands of international visitors prepare to arrive in Kansas ...

06/09/2026

Welcoming means seeing your flag in a storefront window. Welcoming means a menu you can read. Welcoming means someone takes the time to say hello - in your language.

That's Kansas City. And we want to celebrate it.

We're launching , a community challenge to find and shine a light on the KC businesses making every visitor, from every corner of the world, feel like they belong here.

Kansas City earned its Certified Welcoming status. Now let's show the world what that means. One business, one photo, one story, one moment at a time.

See a welcoming moment in Kansas City? Snap a photo or vidoe, posit it using , and tag the Welcoming KC and KC Chamber so we can share your stories and spotlight the businesses helping Kansas CIty welcoming to the world. Here's an example: Martin City Tavern on Main is being welcoming.