Cultural Exchange Students Living and Volunteering in the U.S.
Au Pairs Make Time for International Relief Causes
RALEIGH, NC - November 1, 2006 - On Sunday, November 19th, 2006, a group of 12 international au pairs affiliated with the InterExchange Au Pair USA program will be joining the volunteer staff at Stop Hunger Now, a non-governmental relief organization that coordinates food and medical aid projects across the globe.
Their day will be spent stocking, sorting, and boxing food and medical supplies that will be shipped to those in need. Au Pair USA local coordinator Angela Eberts acknowledges the importance of keeping a global perspective. “These au pairs want to reach out and really be a part of the world. That’s why they joined the Au Pair USA program. They’re here to participate in the American lifestyle, and I’m so proud that now they can see first hand how Americans give back to international causes.”
The Au Pair USA program is a cultural exchange program that brings international exchange students between the ages of 18-26 to the United States for a period of one year. As au pairs, young travelers typically spend a year as a live-in childcare provider for a host family. When they’re not helping with the kids, they take classes, work on their English language skills, travel a bit and generally live life as an American.
Volunteering with Stop Hunger Now is a perfect extension of the cultural exchange program, since au pairs are here because of their desire to spread international “good will.” These young women want to travel and see what America is like first hand, but they also have a passion for teaching children, and they have a curiosity about living with a family that may be vastly different from their own.
Volunteering is just one of many activities on the schedule for these au pairs. Au Pair USA coordinators organize monthly events like these for the au pairs so that they can take a break from their busy childcare schedules, interact with their community, and have some fun with the other au pairs.
