Yearly Archives: 2013

Au Pair picnic and canoe in historic Concord, Massachusetts

The big group

The big group

Bettinas au pair group

Bettina's au pair group

For our June meeting, we met two other au pair groups at the North Bridge in Concord for a picnic.   The weather was beautiful and we enjoyed cookies, fruit, lemonade and a good-bye cake.   We said good-bye to Carmen, Linda, Victoria, Julia, Natalie and Sophie who will be returning to their home country over the summer.   It was nice to acknowledge their accomplishments and for them to share their experience with other au pairs.

After the picnic, we headed to the South Bridge to rent canoes.   Au Pairs went in groups of 3 or 4 and enjoyed their trip on the Concord River.

For more photos, please visit June 2013.

Host Family Day at Gillette Stadium

Boston area community counselors held their annual host family day last weekend at Gillette stadium in Foxboro.  Host families and their au pairs were invited to a tailgating party before the soccer game.  We had a beautiful sunny day for it.

The annual host family day satisfies the State Department requirement for host families to attend an annual host family workshop.   It provides an opportunity for host families to connect to other families in the program and to discuss aspects of it.     For more photos please go to Host Family Day.

Boston area counselors with marketing director Blair Weinberg

Boston area counselors with marketing director Blair Weinberg

Free Friday movies at the Boston Hatch Shell


Free Friday Flicks at the Hatch Shell 2013Now a beloved, summertime tradition for New England families, Free Friday Flicks are classic & popular, family-oriented movies shown each Friday night throughout the summer at the DCR Hatch Shell on the Esplanade for FREE!

People of all ages flock to the banks of the Charles River with their own chairs, blankets and picnics to enjoy these Free movies under the stars.

All movies are shown rain or shine at sundown (approximately 8:30pm). But come early to grab your spot on the lawn…and visit the WBZ Tent for lots of free giveaways, food samples and fun interactive games!

2013 Schedule – What’s Playing This Week?

Friday July 12, Sunset (8:21 pm) – Despicable Me
Friday July 19, Sunset (8:16 pm) – Wreck It Ralph
Friday July 26, Sunset (8:10 pm) – Here Comes The Boom

Friday August 2, Sunset (8:02 pm) – Madagascar 3
Friday August 9, Sunset (7:53 pm) – Rise Of The Guardians
Friday August 16, Sunset (7:43 pm) – Jack The Giant Slayer
Friday August 23, Sunset (7:33 pm) – Oz The Great & Powerful

For more information or cancellation due to weather, call the Free Friday Flicks Hotline: 617-787-7200 or visit wbz.com

Au Pairs learn about self-defense

This month we joined another cluster for a self-defense class with “Not Me” (www.not-me.org) .   We gathered at Panera Bread in Lexington.   Au pairs learned that healthy boundary setting is the first step toward defending yourself.   Presenters Erik, Lisa and Melissa talked about their own experiences with boundary setting and talked au pairs through situations they might encounter.   It was helpful to hear the signals we give to others unknowingly that indicate if we are an easy target or not.

We also discussed summer safety with children of different ages.  This is an important component of the au pair program that aims at providing safe, quality childcare to our host families.

After the class, we said good-bye to Natalia who finishes her year next month and will go back to Costa Rica.  We also said good-bye to Dennis who is moving to another Boston cluster.  Good luck with your future endeavors!

For more photos, please go to Self-Defense

Many of our au pairs from the greater Boston area participated in our annual May regional event, The Walk for Hunger. Many of them walked the whole course of 20 miles: from Boston through Brookline, Newton, Cambridge and back to Boston.  CONGRATULATIONS!  And thanks to Boston counselor Heike Kriszun for organizing!

The weather was perfect despite some early morning chill.

To walk for a good cause and to have family and friends sponsoring them is an American tradition and new to many au pairs who come from so many different countries to experience the American way of life.  With this walk, our au pairs raised more then we expected to help the hungry in Massachusetts.

Many more pix can be seen at : Walk for Hunger 2013

Coffee Meeting at my house

Early this month I decided to spontaneously add an extra meeting to connect more with my au pairs.   The summer is coming and I have to do a lot of year end business with au pairs that are leaving.   It was nice to have the extra time to do this.  It was also nice for those of au pairs whose schedule prevents them to come to some of the evening meetings.   Some au pairs came with their children and it was nice to watch them interact.

BOSTON STRONG

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How Americans Help

The most important thing now  is to understand that as horrific as this event was we are still safe to move about our normal days.

So many people have reached out to help the survivors.  As individual Americans we tend to donate to certain charities that help those who have been injured.  As Au Pairs it helps for you to be aware of the enormous efforts that are taken to help in time of crisis.

Since April 15th, both traditional and new organizations have offered help and support to those hurt physically and emotionally by the deadly blasts at the Boston Marathon.

The American Red Cross of Eastern Massachusetts says it’s served 5,000 meals and snacks. A new group, The One Fund, announced by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Tom Menino, has been set up to get money to the families of those killed and most severely wounded.

Three people died in the explosions: 8-year-old Martin Richard, and Krystle Marie Campbell, 29, both of Massachusetts; and Lingzi Lu, a Boston University graduate student from China, and 176 were injured.

Here’s how we can help:

The American Red Cross, Eastern Massachusetts
Since Monday, the Red Cross has “provided about 500 units of blood and blood products to hospitals in the Boston area,” the organization says on its. “Blood supplies are currently sufficient to meet patient needs and people who want to give blood are strongly encouraged to schedule a donation appointment in the days and weeks ahead.”

The One Fund Boston
The will act as a central repository to “receive much needed financial support,” Gov. Patrick said Tuesday in a statement. “At moments like this, we are one state, one city and one people.”

Within an hour of the explosions, Mayor Menino said in a statement he had calls from business leaders and philanthropists “who  were heartbroken by the impact this hideous tragedy” had on individuals and families, and wanted to do something about it.

As of Wednesday, officials said, more than $7 million has been pledged to The One Fund by corporate partners and individuals. Individuals have contributed more than $500,000 so far.

The John Hancock company has pledged $1 million, and there are other commitments for contributions from the Boston Celtics, Boston Red Sox and Bain Capital.

On April 20, AT&T said customers who want to support One Fund can text the word BOSTON to 80108 to donate $10. The donation will be reflected on customers’ monthly AT&T bill.

The Amputee Coalition
Members from this are working with Boston hospitals that are treating patients. The coalition works regularly to raise awareness about amputees, create peer mentorship programs and has a summer program for children with limb differences. To learn more, visit the coalition’s main website .

Challenged Athletes Foundation

This is also working with those injured Monday. The group says  is to help those with physical disabilities pursue “active lifestyles,” and provide funding for adaptive equipment, hold clinics to build confidence and sponsor mentorship programs.

APIA Community Service Award

We are thrilled to announce the 2013 winners of our first Community Service Award competition.  We asked au pairs to tell us about their volunteer experience in the United States.  We identified state winners and 3 national winners, 15 in total.  All au pairs who submitted entries will receive a certificate to acknowledge their contribution to the community.  Winners will receive an Amazon gift card and an engraved award.

This is has been a great project and we hope to do it on an annual basis going forward. It’s such a good feeling to recognize the au pairs who really embrace the experience and give back to their communities, they are true ambassadors of their countries.  Read the winning entries on the website:

http://www.aupairinamerica.com/communityservice/2013_winners.asp

Maple Sugaring Tour

Maple Sugaring Group

Maple Sugaring Group

It’s maple sugaring time again!   As our March regional event, we offered a tour at the Belmont Habitat to our Boston area au pairs.  In addition to our regular monthly meetings, these regional events offer all au pairs in the area a second opportunity to meet other au pairs and engage in cultural experiences.

Introduction

Introduction

On a cold, sunny day, 35 of us gathered inside the visitor’s center.  Before talking about maple sugaring, our tour guides talked with au pairs about their favorite sweet from their country.

We then split up in three groups and through our very knowledgeable tour guides, learned about the history and the process of maple sugaring.  We also learned how to identify a sugar maple and how to tap a tree.

We took a walk through the Habitat, looking at different maple trees, including tapped ones.   We tasted maple sap directly from the tree and compared it with samples of maple syrup.

Our tour included a taste test to see if we could differentiate real maple syrup from chemically produced syrup that consists mostly of corn syrup.  In the end, we were treated to Vanilla ice cream with maple syrup.

For more photos of our tour, please go to Maple Sugaring