All in the (host) family

Volunteers usually find us because they’re interested in, well, volunteering. They want to offer help to people and communities who need them. It may be as simple as hugging an orphan, or as complex as providing healthcare services at a cancer hospital. But it’s usually the work that calls them.

And the work is usually great. Volunteers find themselves in the midst of vital community projects that provide vital services, with few resources, and they are able to give back in profound ways.

But what’s surprising to us, here in the United Planet office, is how much we hear not about the work — but about the HOME STAY. The host families.

Sure, a lot of this is about the wonderful array of host families that we’ve located over the years. They’re warm, curious, protective;  they welcome volunteers into their homes, take them on tours, invite them to family parties; and more.

But a lot of it is simply the sheer simplicity and profound connection in living with a plain old family. And finding that, for all it’s crazy different, it’s just the same as your one back home. Kids giggle, a steaming bowl is placed on the table, parents scold, prayers are said, gossip is shared, sweets are special… kids grow tired, parents wash up…

It’s so little and so much. It’s sorta everything…

A few quotes…

• From Chile: “My host mom is probably the most special woman I have been lucky enough to meet. I was only with her for two weeks, but still I felt as though I learned as much from her as I learned in a semester at college. She will always have a big place in my heart, and she made every single day a dream for me.”
• From Tanzania: “I met some amazing people and made some great friends. My host family was so friendly and accommodating, and by the end of my quest, I felt like I was a member of their family.
  I learned very quickly “ninapenda embe,” which means “I like mango.” My host family tried very hard to ensure I had fruit every day. I was so thankful for this.
  I loved my neighborhood. Every day the neighborhood kids and I would play card games that I taught them. I made friends with the boy who lived across  rom my host family. He speaks very good English. We spent the afternoons talking together and hanging out. I will miss these people so much.
• From Peru: “I lived with a host family for the entire 3 months that I was in Peru. They were so welcoming. They had a daughter the same age as me and we became fast friends. They showed me around the city and were very friendly and were always around to talk to and hang out with. They made the trip what it was for me. My “mom” also cooked 3 meals a day for us of traditional Peruvian food which was delicious. I am still in contact with them and am already trying to figure out when I can go back to visit.”