The following AFS-USA Volunteers have gone above and beyond the call of duty these last few weeks. Happy Volunteer Appreciation Week and thank you for all you do for AFS-USA students, families, staff, and other volunteers!
Jay and Donna Crumley, Massachusetts Bay Area Team
Photo: Jay Crumley, Sachina Tsuda (Japan 2018-19, visiting) , Peangrawee (Sam) Na Rungsee (Thailand 2019-20), Donna Crumley
Let’s start with a few basics; How did you first learn about AFS, and what prompted you to get involved?
Jay: My wife Donna worked in the local High School and she was approached by a Teacher/AFS Volunteer during lunch. This teacher had our biological daughter as a student in her class. Due to an emergency in the original host family, the student currently in this school needed a new home quickly. That was in 2001, and we have hosted and volunteered ever since.
Donna: While working as a nurse at our local high school, I was asked if I was interested in hosting the current student. This student needed a change of family right away. The family all agreed, and Julie became our first host student in 2001.
What keeps you coming back to volunteer each year?
Jay: Nothing has motivated me more in life then to work with the students from around the world while they are here. The personal growth from the day they arrive to the day they leave has never stopped amazing me. I have been very fortunate to continue strong relationships with each of my host children and now their kids, and many of the other students that were in our team during the years. Almost every one of these students have grown so much personally. They have gone on to top universities and have or are entering high level careers. Nothing in life could be more inspiring to watch. Finally, the friendships I have formed over the years with staff, fellow volunteers, and host families.
Donna: The students, their love for life keeps us young at heart. I have host children all over the world that call me Mom/Mama. What could be better?
What’s one thing that AFS volunteers and staff don’t know about you?
Donna: Hmmmmm, I used to be painfully shy as a teen, and it amazes me to see the bravery of the students that take in this exchange student adventure!
Recently you have done something extra special to help AFS students, host families, fellow volunteers and staff. Can you give us some of the details behind these actions?
Jay: During the recent student returns, I offered to spearhead the communication in our area team, as we are without a chair at this current time. Having had experience with arrivals and departures for many years, it was something I knew would be overbearing for someone new.
Also, due to many last minute changes and the lack of flights out of Maine for students in the their two Area Teams, I made three trips to central Maine for groups of students needing to get to Boston’s Logan Airport.
Donna: I have been making cloth masks for all of the local students, and all of the students my husband has transported from Maine. Flying home with a mask in hand, was the least that I could do. We also bought latex gloves for the students. I was also able to provide “Fit to Fly” letters for many Thai students, because of my background as a nurse.
Rebecca (Becky) Heywood, MissTennKy Area Team
Photos: Becky Heywood with Thai daughter Manee from Thailand, November 2016 and care packages Becky gave to students in her Area Team.
Let’s start with a few basics; How did you first learn about AFS, and what prompted you to get involved?
My first involvement was in my AFS club in high school in the late 1970’s. I thought the AFS students were cool.
What keeps you coming back to volunteer each year?
Witnessing the grace upon grace that is given and received throughout an AFS experience fills my heart.
What’s one thing that AFS volunteers and staff don’t know about you?
My husband and I like to dance the Lindy Hop, Balboa and Shag!
Recently you have done something extra special to help AFS students, host families, fellow volunteers and staff. Can you give us some of the details behind these actions?
I met each departing student at our airport to say goodbye (without hugging of course), gave them 3 face masks, a pin of the state of TN and a local postcard with a note on it. It hardly makes up for an end of stay but I wanted to do something!
Robbin Lang, Greater Illinois Area Team
Photos: Zoom call with students in the Greater Illinois AT making masks; Northern Illinois Food Bank on Youth Service Day.
Let’s start with a few basics; How did you first learn about AFS, and what prompted you to get involved?
I was first introduced to AFS when I was in 6th grade and was greeted at the cafeteria door by a boy from Norway who was holding the door open for the 6th grade to go to lunch. He had an intriguing accent that caught my attention. Then when I was a junior I applied to be an AFS student and was selected to go Finland.
What keeps you coming back to volunteer each year?
There are oh so many things that have kept me volunteering for over 39 years. The people would be first on my list. I’ve met so many amazing students from every corner of the world and learned so much from them. It’s wonderful, now with social media, to be in contact and follow their lives. I love watching them grow, get jobs and raise families. Traveling and visiting them is always a special treat. AFS has given me the opportunity to fill many different roles in the organization and meet many amazing volunteers and staff. There is always something new to learn and adventures to be undertaken.
What’s one thing that AFS volunteers and staff don’t know about you?
I traveled overland around the world for 9 months on $800.
Recently you have done something extra special to help AFS students, host families, fellow volunteers and staff. Can you give us some of the details behind these actions?
I’m sure many others have done as much or more as I have. During these uncertain times that started in March, our team has had many wonderful volunteers communicating with families and students supporting them through the emotion and travel maze. As our cluster activities had to be canceled, I saw some information, shared by Caren Marre, about a team in California who had put together a virtual zoom meeting about the Marine Mammal Center where they were going to volunteer but now couldn’t. I decided that we could do the same.
I used their plans for our first zoom on March 26. It was during our spring break so I dubbed it our Spring Break Trip, since we were going to California!! The students had so much fun seeing each other and talking that we decided to do it again the next week. We have been continuing weekly with topics on Food Around the World from the Farm Bureau e-learning, (we all reported on what we cooked that week) Lincoln’s life from my husband, Rolland, who organizes our Springfield trip, Leadership from Leslie Surta, our other cluster leader, and we have a student leader who organized a Ramadan lesson. At one of our zooms we had a birthday party for a German girl who had returned home. Everyone made a card and I had cake and candle. We plan to keep doing this as long as students join.
On April 9th I learned of an opportunity to help make no-sew masks for a homeless shelter that 4 of our students had volunteered in monthly during the year. We had 7 of our 35 students still in country and they all offered to help. It made everyone feel good to be able to volunteer. We did a zoom meeting to get a screen shot to use in news media. As hosting coordinator, I’m always thinking publicity. I gave the students blank AFS cards to write words of hope and encouragement to the people who would use the masks and one student offered to write an article about his experience that got published in 2 local papers. This has turned out to be a great service project for our cluster students who are trying to reach the 80 hour mark.
I am thankful for the opportunity to volunteer with so many wonderful people and help promote the mission of AFS.
Do you know any volunteers, host families, or returnees who have gone above the call of duty lately?
Let us know by emailing their name and story to marketing@afsusa.org!