Bridging Cultures, Building Belonging

When Papa Dia brought leaders from communities of the African diaspora and Black Americans together for a Belonging Colorado event, tensions ran high. One participant challenged him directly, questioning his experiences and perspective. Instead of reacting, Papa paused. “I asked, ‘What do you mean by that?’” he said. “I wanted to understand where they were coming from.” That simple step shifted the conversation. What could have reinforced division became an opening for connection, highlighting that while people may share an identity, their lived experiences can be very different. Papa, originally from Senegal, came to the U.S. in 1998 and spent 18 years in banking before founding the African Leadership Group (ALG) in 2006. ALG unites African immigrants and Black Americans in Colorado, fostering dialogue, collaboration, and shared opportunities through community-led programs. Their latest initiative and Belonging Colorado partner project, the ALG Community Passport, helps participants engage across neighborhoods and generations,

How Youth Participation Is Strengthening Communities Across Colorado Across Colorado, Belonging Colorado partners are demonstrating the powerful role young people play in strengthening communities. More than half of this year’s 15 grantees engage youth, either as the primary focus of their work or as active participants alongside adults. This work highlights how belonging can take root early and ripple outward across generations. Several organizations center youth directly in their programming, including Homies Unidos Denver and TEENS, Inc. in Nederland. Through mentorship, outdoor experiences, storytelling, and leadership development, youth participants build confidence, strengthen relationships, and deepen their connection to their communities. Along the way, they develop skills to reach across differences, listen and learn from others, and help foster stronger belonging in the places they live. Programs that empower youth to shape or lead the work consistently report stronger engagement and lasting impact. “Participants grew skills in connecting with people different

We are delighted to share this inaugural edition of the Belonging Colorado e-newsletter with you. We hope you’ll sign up for updates so you can stay in touch with us and we can work together to foster a state where everyone can show up as their true selves and know that they belong. Over the past year, Belonging Colorado demonstrated what is possible when people come together with intention, curiosity, and care. During the first year of this exciting new effort focused on increasing belonging by bridging differences, one theme stood out clearly: Belonging grows where trusted communities intentionally build relationships. From Lamar to Steamboat, from Durango to Denver, we’ve seen people coming together in new ways to share, learn, and connect. Whether it’s enjoying the great outdoors together or working to try and solve the housing problem, we’re seeing evidence that people can move beyond surface-level interaction and towards

Few issues are as important to fostering a sense of belonging as having a place to live. Stable, affordable housing provides the foundation people need to work, attend school, care for their families, and achieve financial security. In Colorado, communities across the state are working to address housing challenges, each with the same goal in mind: ensuring every person has both a place to live and a voice in shaping their future. Montrose: Supporting Young Adults and Seniors Through Intergenerational Housing In Montrose, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of the 7th Judicial District is taking innovative steps with its supportive housing community, The Village on San Juan. The Village provides stable housing for young adults ages 18–24 who have experienced childhood trauma, are emancipating from foster care, and lack a strong family support system. Alongside housing, these young people receive wraparound support as they work toward employment, education, and independence.