Be someone who makes a difference

Two years ago, my family and I had the wonderful opportunity of hosting our first high school foreign exchange student from Germany - David. It was a memorable experience that the whole family will cherish. Through him it was wonderful to learn about Germany, as he shared with us their customs, culture and everyday way of life. Likewise, it was fun sharing our way of living, holiday traditions and our area with him. We all quickly bonded, and before long he was one of the family. To my wife and me, he soon felt like a son and a sibling to our children.

This past year we hosted a student from Vietnam named Thai. This time we learned about Vietnamese culture and life there now. His excitement of experiencing snow, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas made it fresh and new for us as well.

Both of these students truly enjoyed their time in America and want to come back here for college. Through them, our family grew a deeper appreciation for our country while being enriched with their countries' cultures as well.

Being a host family has truly been a rewarding experience, a win/win for both the host family and the student. For that and other reasons, my wife and I are committed to the program, becoming coordinators for the Aspect Foundation.

We're now inviting others to open up your hearts and home to a student for this coming school year, as well as temporary homes for a month or so. It is an opportunity to do something very positive with your life, as well as having a lasting impact on someone else's life.

You can even choose the country and the student who will stay with you. The students all speak English fluently and provide their own spending money and health insurance. If this sounds appealing to you, please call us for more information at 759-0942 or e-mail paulg705@yahoo.com.

Paul and Ruth Gangloff

Bank Street

Clarence