“Welcoming the Stranger is a 20 year old nonprofit organization that provides free educational opportunities in English, computer skills, & citizenship preparation to adult immigrants & refugees, regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion, or national origin in several counties in the Philadelphia, PA region.

I have taught English with WTS for about 9 years.  The days I teach are always the best part of my week. I retired from the Philadelphia School District after teaching English for 40 years. I find volunteering with WTS to be at least as satisfying as my career, if not more so.

Welcoming the Stranger provides an extremely important service by providing ESL, Computer, and US citizenship preparation classes to immigrants and refugees FOR FREE. After taking our classes, our students go on to better paying jobs, certificate programs, and even college. They are better able to function in their neighborhoods, at work, on public transportation, and in stores. They can communicate with doctors, pharmacists, and their children's teachers. These people are able to become fully immersed in the American way of life. I believe we have helped thousands of students from over 100 countries.”