Upcoming Sessions:

Note: these one-hour webinar sessions are free to attend.

410 Miles Toward Belonging: A Walk for Welcome, Community, and Human Connection
Tuesday, November 10, 2026 | 8:30–9:30am

What does it truly mean to belong? What does it take to make another human being feel welcomed, valued, and seen? And what happens when we begin to understand that belonging is not something we earn, but something we create together?

From September 3 through September 25, 2026, Ryan Hudnall walked an extraordinary 410 miles from Kansas City to St. Louis along Missouri’s Katy Trail. His journey, called the Walk for Welcome, was more than a test of physical endurance. It was a deeply personal expression of his belief in the transformative power of welcome, human connection, and community.

Along the way, Ryan endured grueling miles, oppressive heat, and multiple heat warnings. Yet when reflecting on the experience, he offered a remarkable observation: “My cup is overflowing.”

Why? Because he discovered that even a journey undertaken on foot by one person is never truly accomplished alone. Countless individuals offered encouragement, companionship, kindness, and support. His walk became a living illustration of the very message he hoped to share: We need one another. We belong to one another.

For decades, Della Lamb Community Services has helped refugees and newcomers build lives and find community in Kansas City. At a time when refugee resettlement has been halted amid a changing political landscape, Ryan’s journey offers a powerful reminder that the human need for belonging does not disappear when policies change.

As Ryan reminds us, “Belonging is NOT transactional.” It cannot be reduced to services delivered, needs met, or assistance provided. True belonging begins with something far more fundamental: the experience of being welcomed, recognized, and embraced as a fellow human being.

Join the Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership for a special, interactive Nonprofit Navigation conversation with one of Kansas City’s most passionate nonprofit leaders. Ryan will share stories and reflections from his remarkable journey, explore what the experience taught him about himself and others, and challenge us to consider what it means to cultivate genuine belonging within our organizations and communities.

This conversation is about more than one man’s 410-mile walk. It is about the kind of communities we are building, the people we welcome or leave behind, and the responsibility we share to ensure that everyone has a place.

Come ready to be inspired, challenged, and reminded of something profoundly human: We all need to belong.

Presented by:
Ryan Hudnall, Executive Director of Della Lamb Community Services

Note: Program content is solely the responsibility of the presenters

Visit the Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership’s YouTube Channel to view the records of previous Nonprofit Navigation Series sessions.

Photo and Video Release:
By attending the event, you are giving MCNL permission to use photos and videos from the workshop in future promotional materials.