User:RahalMccall69
Retired Olympia businesswoman Hillary Joseph fits the description of a people-loving, extroverted world traveler. So it s no surprise that she voices unabashed enthusiasm for Friendship Force International.Friendship Force was launched in the <a href=http://www.avanttravel.com/page.php?sale=Cheap-Louboutin>Cheap Louboutin</a> White House in 1977 by Presbyterian minister Wayne Smith with the full support of President Jimmy Carter as a nonprofit, cultural exchange group promoting peace through friendships. The Olympia chapter formed in 1984 and Hillary Joseph and her husband, Rocklin Perrott, joined the local chapter in 2007.Two or three times a year, a contingent of 20 or so visitors from Friendship Force chapters in the United States or foreign countries come to the Olympia area for weeklong home visits with Olympia chapter members, some 60 people. The guests pay their own travel expenses and an exchange fee charged by Friendship Force to cover the costs of mapping out the logistics of the visit.In addition, members of the Olympia chapter travel in groups to other chapter sites here and abroad. Olympia chapter members were among the first to visit a chapter in South Korea. That was in 1986.Joseph and Perrott have hosted families and individuals from Egypt, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Canada, the Netherlands, Azerbaijan and Texas. Some of their guests speak English. Some don t, including a fellow from Indonesia who sat down at the host family s piano and belted out a medley of Elvis Presley songs.The Olympia couple has yet to travel overseas to a Friendship Force family s home, but it probably won t be long before they do. They ve always been the kind of world travelers that immerse themselves in the local culture, staying at hostels or the home of someone they meet in the countries they visit. It s a great way to connect with human spirit in a way that isn t going to happen on a tour bus, Rocklin, 65, said.The global community that is Friendship Force included in 2011 more than 370 clubs with roughly 18,000 members in 54 countries. That year, about 4,500 people participated in exchanges as traveling ambassadors, and many more served as hosts. Joseph said citizen ambassadors visiting Olympia from all over the world typically shower their host families with gifts, and love to bring pictures of their places back home. A common mistake among her guests: They think the Washington state capital city is Seattle.Joseph and other Olympia hosts quickly set the record straight by showing them the state Capitol in Olympia. The Temple of Justice on the Capitol Campus is another popular destination for visitors who want to see democracy in action, he said.Other favorite sites to visit in the region include Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens, the Olympic mountains, the Olympia Farmers Market, the South Sound waterfront, Nisqually Wildlife Refuge and area <a href=http://www.alportico.net/page.php?sale=True-Religion-White-Skinny-Jeans>True Religion White Skinny Jeans</a> historic homes and museums.Organizers attempt to match visitors with their hosts in ways that avoid obvious conflicts. For instance, they try not to pair smokers with non-smokers or people allergic to pets with pet owners. But a diversity of world views, religions and political persuasions is more common than not. I m Jewish and I ve had Muslims staying in my home, Joseph said. That s one reflection of the theme, the mission, the mantra of Friendship Force: Create a world of friends that expands into a world of peace.On Sept. 20, Friendship Force Olympia is sponsoring an evening with travel writer and Public Broadcasting Service travel show host Rick Steves at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts. The theme for the 7 p.m. talk is: Changing the Way You See the World. Joseph said the event s goal is to recruit new members to Friendship Force, not necessarily raise money.As with many nonprofit groups and private clubs, the membership is aging and in need of some younger members. Joseph knows that younger people are often too busy with their careers and families to find the time to travel overseas. But that s no reason for younger adults not to join Friendship Force, she offered. The beauty of Friendship Force is you can see the world without traveling by being a host, she said.For more information on the Olympia chapter <a href=http://www.alportico.net/page.php?sale=Gucci-Socks>Gucci Socks</a> and upcoming events, visit www.olympiafriendshipforce.org.
John Dodge: 360-754-5444
