KU seeks families to host international students during Thanksgiving break

LAWRENCE -- The Office of International Student and Scholar Services at the University of Kansas seeks families to participate in the Betty Grimwood Thanksgiving Homestay Program.

Area families are needed to host one or more international students from the evening of Tuesday, Nov. 25, through Sunday, Nov. 30. Families also are needed Nov. 27 only to provide Thanksgiving dinner to one or more international students. The program gives the students an opportunity to experience Thanksgiving with an American family.

"The Thanksgiving homestay program provides a wonderful opportunity for American families to get to know international students, and it allows students who are far from their own home a chance to experience Midwestern hospitality," said Joe Potts, ISSS director.

This marks the 49th year Kansas and Kansas City area families will celebrate Thanksgiving with international student guests from KU. The homestay program was named in honor of Betty Grimwood, a Burns resident who helped to organize homestay visits in Burns, about 60 miles northeast of Wichita, from 1954 through 1998. Following her death in May 1999, Grimwood's friends and relatives continued the Burns Thanksgiving community tradition of inviting international students from KU for a weekend visit.

"It's hard to be away from home at any time, but it's especially so during the holidays, and students sincerely appreciate invitations to join families here as the families celebrate Thanksgiving," Potts said. "Both sides get a lot out of this program."

Last year Sharon and Jerry Foree of Lawrence hosted Mike Chan and his wife, from Hong Kong, for a Thanksgiving dinner with about 15 other family members.

"Beyond the sharing of food we shared ourselves, and not just with our guests but with each other," Sharon Foree said. "We had as many definitions of America as we had family members around the table, and the Chans got to hear it all. They brought to the table what they were seeing and hearing, and they added viewpoints coming from a world away. The Chans were a Thanksgiving gift that reminded us of what Thanksgiving was all about."

Last year 27 families and 29 students participated in the program. This fall 1,644 international students from 112 countries are enrolled at KU. The 10 countries with the greatest number of students are:

 • India, 256
 • China (including Hong Kong and Macau), 217
 • Korea, 168
 • Japan, 107
 • Saudi Arabia, 76
 • Taiwan, 60
 • Malaysia, 54
 • Canada, 46
 • Germany, 34
 • Brazil, 33

To apply for the program, families and students can contact Carol Dias da Silva, (785) 864-3617, or via e-mail at carol@ku.edu.