Welcome the Stranger
Tour 2026
Stories of an American Tradition
Across the country, ordinary Americans are opening their doors to new neighbors. A family in rural Idaho sets an extra place at the dinner table. A church in Texas furnishes an apartment for a refugee family. A retiree in Massachusetts teaches a newcomer to drive. These moments rarely make the news, but they're part of one of America's oldest traditions: welcoming the stranger.
This year, WelcomeNST is traveling across the country to find these people and tell their stories. We're sitting down with neighbors, congregations, and communities who have welcomed refugees and immigrants and continue to support them, asking what moved them to act, what they've learned along the way, how it has changed their families and towns, and whether they'd do it again.
The people we meet come from many faith traditions, backgrounds, and political views. What they share is a belief that being a good neighbor matters, long after the first welcome. Through interviews, photos, and video, we'll bring their stories to you and show you how to support the newcomers already living in your community.
Join the Work of Welcome
Looking for ways to get involved? You don't need to live near a big city or invite a newcomer family to live in your home. Here's how you can join the Welcome the Stranger Tour right now right where you are:
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Get a group together and watch the screening of Jesus is a migrant with some friends.
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Reach out to an immigrant family in your neighborhood and invite them over for dinner.
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Read a book from with booklist with a neighborhood book group.
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Exchange a favorite recipe with a neighbor.
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Celebrate a holiday or tradition with a neighbor that teaches you about where they come from.
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Join us in welcoming and supporting newcomer families or individuals.
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Go on a walk with one of your neighbors and take the time to listen to their story.
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Learn about your own immigrant story. Share it with someone and ask them to share theirs.
“Our work lives far above the realm of politics. It lives at the core of every faith—to love our neighbors. It’s the great commandment and it applies everywhere in the world to everyone in the world. At the heart of it, this isn't about a program, it is about standing together in kinship with our neighbors who have arrived legally yet are at risk.”
~ Elizabeth Davis-Edwards, Founder and CEO