For her monthly cluster meeting with au pairs, Jennifer Stein, one of our Texas community counselors, invited her au pairs to attend the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo last week. The au pairs had a wonderful time and enjoyed an international-themed day courtesy of the rodeo’s International Committee. Read on for Jennifer’s account of this fun event!
“The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR) is the world’s largest livestock show and rodeo, powered by more than 33,000 volunteers. This Section 501(c)(3) charity promotes agriculture by hosting an annual, family-friendly experience that educates and entertains the public, supports Texas youth, showcases Western heritage and provides year-round educational support within the community. Since its beginning in 1932, the Rodeo has committed more than $450 million to the youth of Texas.
We learned yesterday that the rodeo’s International Committee exists to welcome and show hospitality to international guests and visitors. One of the IC volunteers told us they actually PAY to be a committee member/volunteer, and the hospitality they provide in the IC room comes from donations and their dues. They take nothing from the HLSR itself!
It is such a wonderful experience to be their guests and to be served by them. I hope the au pairs felt warm and welcomed! It is by far our biggest and best cluster meeting of the year!
Au pairs are given credentials to go in and out of the IC room all day. (You can see the lanyards around their necks.) These credentials have their name and their home country…such a point of pride! Everyone asks where they are from and they get to talk about their home!
Yesterday, there was a Polish delegation visiting. They presented a Polish flag that had flown above the capital to the IC committee and sang the Polish national anthem. It was such a great moment of pride for my Polish au pairs; several were in tears!”
Learn more about Au Pair in America’s Community Counselors and how they support host families and au pairs throughout their exchange.
