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Show Volume XIII Issue I THE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Page 3 October 15, 2005 Foreign-Exchange Students in U.S. Aid Hurricane Katrina Victims By Lauren Monsen Washington File Staff Writer Since Hurricane Katrina struck the United States’ Gulf Coast region at the end of August, volunteers throughout the nation have been working tirelessly to assist son a’ one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. h any of those volunicers are teenage foreignexchange students who are studying at American high schools and living with American host fami- youngsicts States fi about the Department tions ‘ograms are intended to encourage from abroad to experi ience the United and. country and its people. The US. of State and several private organiza- sponsor an partici- pants report that the programs often lead to the formation of lasting friendships that bridge national and cultural boundaries. When Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast region of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, foreign-exchange students immediately volunteered their services to aid stricken victims in a variety of ways. Dawna Bailey—tegional coordinator of the Pacific Intercultural Exchange (PIE) program in Texas, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine and Vermont—cited PIE students’ involvement with ongoing relief efforts in Louisiana, where the hurricane a the historic city of New Orleans with particular According to Bailey, students from Russia, Norway and Thailand assisted with a Red Cross donation drive, while another Russian student sorted clothes, blankets and canned goods for the Red Cross and also worked with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to help care for rescued pets of hurricane victims. A 16-year-old student from Uzbekistan sorted clothes and donated food items, said Bailey, and a 15-year-old student from Armenia helped Red Cross staffers establish a kitchen to feed Gulf Coast evacuees and also spent considerable time comforting the distressed. Other PIE student volunteers from Jordan, Lebanon, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Ukraine also helped. Some students helped care for the infants of exhausted evacuees and assisted elderly hurricane victims who needed to find items of donated clothing. Bailey, who combines her duties as PIE‘Tegional as with those of a “host mom” to forange students, is based in Texas and is cae an her 26th student at her home in Fort Worth area. “My husband and I t his for 17 years now,” she told the os File in an interview. She pointed with pride to the dedicated relief efforts of PIE students at a time of terrible trauma for the Gulf Coast region. “Our [PIE] kids have completed almost 2,600 hours of community service” since the arrival of Hurricane Katrina, said Bailey. “Most of that service—about 1,800 hours—has been devoted to helping [Hurricane] Katrina victims.” In addition, humanitarian relief efforts are being carried out by students enrolled i in Future ee Exchange (FLEX), a full by the US. federal government, and Youth Bahinee and Study Program (YES), a foreign-exchange program for youngsters aged 15-17 from countries with significant Muslim populations. (FLEX and YES are both affiliated with the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs; more information on the bureau’s programs is available on tate Department Web site.) Students Participate Nationwide On September 10, a group of students— including two FLEX and one YES student in Fort n: host your own private shopping party at umé! ard: sneak peak at falliwinter fashions portion of profits donated to charity tons of special di fits for hostess and. guests 4 women's fine clothing & unique accessories 186 historic 25th st. + ogden, ut * 801.39.dream * www.umedesigns.com a FREE Admission Oct. 22 & 23 g~ VWOS¢ Mountain 745-3511 | |, 7 fj } d th: 1). erosity of those who live in our community,” said Fallon. “It [affected] them a great deal, and they said they felt good that they could help out with such an important cause.” Students who took part in the Fort Wayne collection drive include teenagers from Russia, Taiwan, Ecuador, South Korea, Indonesia and Poland. From San Francisco, Jillian Joss—grant programs coordinator for AYUSA Global Youth Exchange — told Washington File that a group of YES students in Springfield, Missouri, hosted a car wash and a bake sale during the weekend of September 10 - 11 to raise money for Hurricane Katrina relief. ““The students also put together about 100 hygiene kits” to be transported to victims in hard-hit areas, she said. Said a teenager from Pakistan who participated: “T was having fun doing it .... We were sotired at the end of the day,” but “our tiredness vanished when we heard that we have raised over $600, and joining Wal-Mart’s [matching] donation, we got above $1,200 [for hurricane victims]. This was a great success for us. We are all happy that we have contributed ... towards donations for Katrina-affected people.” In Salt Lake City, realtor Jolene Weinstein recently contacted a diplomatic foreign-exchange student pro} pen known as Nacel Open Door, asking for Hurricat 1 Katrina victims. Huntsville resident Terri Boyce, who chairs the Utah Exchange Student Association Leadership, estimates that of the approximately 30,000 f ore ign students who | enroll in U: :: “oe about 30 of Utah’s foreign-exchenge ae their host families—affiliated with Nacel Open Door answered the call to help Gulf Coast evacuees, providing “the muscle power to help sort, box, and move hundreds of [supply] boxes” intended for hurricane victims, said Boyce. Boyce said the Utah-based exchange students who contributed to relief efforts come from South Korea, Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, — Jordan, Bangladesh, France and Germ: Several of the young alone have provided vivid and poignant descriptions of their humanitarian activities in support of Hurricane Katrina vicae A teenageai from Jordan, who age eetd in the YES exchange progr a high school i in Texas, probably eared. the feelings of many foreign-exchange students when she reflected on her own experience. “I felt really happy [to contribute] because those people needed help,” she said. “They really appreciated what we were doing, and I really believe that the words ‘thank you’ came from the bottom of their hearts.” Note: The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site <http://usinfo.state. gov Consider it SOLD. ae one DICK PAYNE YN} 940-4040 WAL ORE saved oi mM Wayne, Indiana—helped a local radio station and the Wal-Mart Corporation to collect much-needed emergency items for victims of Hurricane Katrina. “The students worked from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m., collecting bottled water, nonperishable food items, toi=e paper products, over-the-counter medicines, Aids [bandages], and baby-care items,” said Christine Fallon, regional director of Academic Year in America’s grants programs. The Indiana-based students succeeded ini filling two semitrucks that left that same day to deliver the supplies, Fallon explained. ‘One truck went to other to New Orleans,” she said. “They also took the initiative of collecting money from people who happened to be driving by the [donation] site. This netted approximately $350.” Moreover, the exchange students helped to box supplies for Gulf Coast evacuees who currently are staying in Fort Wayne. “This experience allowed SMU M SECC Howl Fest Special Season Pass Pricing Job Fair Climbing Wall Bobbing for Apples Howling Contest Bounce House Name The Mascot Contest Thomas McCormick demonstrates giant pumpkin carving Carved Pumpkin Contest (bring your entry) Face Painting Great Food GREAT PRIZES!!! Music by The Solutions and Flew The Coop For more info visit www.wolfmountaineden.com |