FFWNC inbound hosting journeys are managed by a club member serving as an Journey Coordinator (JC). Our JC thoughtfully matches you with a visiting ambassador after carefully reviewing advance information provided by you and them. You won’t get anyone who is allergic to your cats, will smoke in your home or can’t do stairs to your guest rooms. Concerned about having a ‘stranger’ in your home? You won’t be strangers for long, as your bond of mutual respect and friendship will begin as soon as you are introduced. Concerned about having someone in your home who doesn’t speak English? Don’t let that be an obstacle to experiencing true cultural exchange! We have found that most international visitors speak some English, certainly enough to make the home stay a great success.
HOME HOSTING: The Home Host provides home hospitality to the visiting ambassador(s) for up to one week. You should plan on offering what is natural for you and your household in the way of food and activities. The ambassadors are here to experience a way of life that is different from their own.
Each ambassador couple or single guest should be provided private sleeping quarters, but it is fine for guests to share bath and toilet facilities with members of the host family.
The time spent in the home is used to establish a close personal friendship between the host and guests. This can be done without host and guest sharing the same language. At all times, the host should be respectful of the culture of the ambassador. . Meals in the home are the responsibility of the host, but the ambassador should be expected to pay for his/her own meals and activities outside the home that were not part of the FFWNC journey fee. It is also customary for the ambassador to invite the host to dinner one night or to offer to prepare a meal in the home. The host should accept these offers, as they help ensure the establishment of a mutual and balanced relationship. A good host also recognizes the ambassador’s need for rest! After a long international trip or a busy day sightseeing, he/she may need some time to rest, before another busy day.
DINNER HOSTING: Not everyone can home host; another option is Dinner Hosting. This involves a FFWNC member(s) inviting home hosts and their ambassadors for an evening meal. This is not about being gourmet! Have a picnic, a BBQ, go to a park, invite family, friends and neighbors. This is about giving home hosts an evening off from preparing meals and showing ambassadors hospitality!
DAY HOSTING: Sometimes home hosts have a personal obligation that prevents them from participating in a day’s planned activities. DAY HOSTS step in for the home hosts and accompany the ambassadors through that day’s itinerary.
AMBASSADOR: Although the Friendship Force assigns the title ‘ambassador’ to the visitor, in many respects the hosts are also ambassadors, representing their communities and cultures. The host should see this as an important and enjoyable aspect of serving as a Friendship Force host. As hosts get to know the ambassadors, they should look for ways to share their culture — through ordinary experiences in the home and through activities in the community that can help the visiting ambassador better understand the host culture.