On Saturday Evening, July 13, au pairs from throughout New England are invited to join us at WaterFire, Providence’s spectacular, award-winning event which centers on a series of 100 bonfires that blaze just above the surface of the three rivers that pass through the middle of downtown Providence. The fires illuminate nearly two-thirds of a mile of urban spaces and parks. Visitors stroll along the river enjoying the sound of crackling flames, the fragrant scent of blazing cedar and pine, the flickering firelight, the performers traveling along the river in torch-lit vessels and the extraordinary music from all over the world. WaterFire is a must for Rhode Island visitors and residents alike! This will be a fun way for New England au pairs to get together and enjoy the spectacular event, and will also be an opportunity for interested families to stop by our “campsite” to gather information about Au Pair in America. Look for red, white and blue balloons on the lawn at Waterplace Park — adjacent to to Waterplace Restaurant.
Tag Archives: Au Pairs
Au Pair In America Regional Host Family Event
On Sunday, June 2, Au Pair in America hosted a Tailgate Party/Soccer Game Event at Gillette Stadium* in Foxboro, MA. Many host families and au pairs throughout New England attended the event, which involved games, raffles, prizes and refreshents at the tailgate party, followed by the New England Revs/Los Angeles Galaxy soccer game. New England won the game with a final score of 5 – 0!
*Gillette Stadium is the home stadium for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution soccer team. Located in Foxboro, Massachusetts, the facility opened in 2002, replacing Foxboro Stadium. The seating capacity is 68,756, including 6,000 club seats and 87 luxury suites. The stadium is owned and operated by American businessman Robert Kraft, who also owns the Patriots and Revolution.
Au Pairs Celebrate Spring
Spring is definitely in the air…and Rhode Island au pairs welcomed the nice weather by organizing a picnic at India Point Park in Providence on a recent Sunday afternoon. Everyone brought food to share, and the mood was upbeat and enthusiastic. It’s been a long, cold winter for all of us, and especially those au pairs who have come to us from warmer climates. The arrival of warmer weather and longer days brings us all a sense of rejuvenation. Rhode Island au pairs are planning another picnic which will be scheduled on a week-day when they can bring along their children for a play date. With summer just around the corner, there are a lot of plans in the works for au pairs who want to make the most of their time here in the beautiful “Ocean State”!
Au Pair in America Earth Day Volunteer Activity
On April 20th, some of our Rhode Island Au Pairs celebrated Earth Day by volunteering to participate in the clean-up of WaterPlace Park in preparation for the upcoming WaterFire Season. They really enjoyed the activity, and later had the opportunity to attend an after-party at the Temple of Music at Roger Williams Park with Mayor Angel Tavares and other Earth Day Volunteers, for music, food and fun!
WaterFire events generally occur on select Saturday evenings starting at the end of May and ending in early October. The 2013 schedule should be announced soon, and can be found at www.Waterfire.org. WaterFire is always in need of volunteers to help during the season, and some au pairs have expressed interest in getting involved in additional volunteer activities. Those who are interested in volunteering for an upcoming Waterfire production must attend one of the following Orientations for new volunteers:
Upcoming WaterFire Orientations:
(click to sign up)
Thursday, May 2 6PM-7:30PM
Mock Dock Day: WaterFire’s Onsite Pre-Season Training Day. A very important training for new volunteers!
Saturday, May 18th 12PM-6PM
If you are interested in volunteering but cannot be at either of these orientations, you should contact Alex Brinckerhoff, volunteer coordinator, at Alex@WaterFire.org
All of these volunteer activities will give our Rhode Island au pairs a sense of pride and “ownership” when we host our regional event in July; we will be inviting au pairs in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont to join us at a for a summer evening at WaterFire.
Earth Day 2013
Earth Day is observed on April 22 and was started in the United States in 1970 by Senator Gaylord Nelson to create awareness for the Earth’s environment and to encourage conservation efforts. In 1990, Earth Day was taken international, and today, more than 500 million people in 175 countries observe Earth Day.
Since the first Earth Day in 1970, it has been an annual event for people around the world to celebrate the earth and renew their commitment to building a safer, healthier and cleaner world for all of us. This year, au pairs in Rhode Island will have the opportunity to volunteer as a group to do something nice for the earth, have fun, meet new people, and make a difference! Details of Au Pair in America’s Earth Day activities will follow.
Easter Egg Hunt – Saturday, March 23, 2013 at 1:00 p.m.
Au Pairs and Host Families who will be on the East Side of Providence on Saturday may want to bring the kids to the Easter Egg Hunt being hosted by the Epoch Assisted Living Center on Blackstone Boulevard. The Easter Egg Hunt begins at 1:00 p.m. and is free and open to the public. The Easter Bunny will be there and will be looking forward to posing for photos! Epoch is located at 353 Blackstone Boulevard, Providence RI (401) 273-6565
November Cluster Meeting -Thanksgiving Dinner
Our November cluster meeting, held on Friday, November 16, gave Rhode Island au pairs the opportunity to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal together — the menu consisted of roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, vegetables, cranberry sauce, apple pie, and hot mulled apple cider. It was a fun evening, and gave au pairs a preview of a traditional American Thanksgiving dinner prior to the November 22 Thanksgiving Holiday, which most au pairs plan to celebrate with their host families.
Annual Birthday Celebration for Rhode Island Au Pairs
Rhode Island au pairs celebrated all of their birthdays on September 29, at an annual birthday party/gift exchange. After the celebration, many au pairs spent the rest of the evening exploring the festivities at Waterfire Providence.
Wishing all of our Jewish host families, au pairs and friends a peaceful Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur also known as the Day of Atonement is the most solemn and important of the Jewish holidays. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jewish people traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue services.
Yom Kippur is considered one of the holiest of Jewish holidays and it is observed by many secular Jews who may not observe other holidays. Many secular Jews fast and attend synagogue on Yom Kippur, where the number of worshippers attending is often double or triple the normal attendance.
This year Yom Kippur begins at sundown on Tuesday evening, September 25, and ends on Wednesday evening.
Here are a couple of links with more information:
http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/yom-kippur
http://judaism.about.com/od/holidays/a/yomkippur.htm
and for children http://www.akhlah.com/holidays/yomkippur/yomkippur.php
Rhode Island Au Pairs Give Back to Their Communities Once Again
Rhode Island au pairs have volunteered for a "Classroom Makeover Project" which will involve cleaning, repairing and repainting a classroom in an older urban public school in the Providence area. On Saturday, June 30, au pairs will dedicate about 5 hours to the project; and when they are through, they will have been responsible for a complete classroom makeover which will benefit many children. The entire classroom makeover project is made possible by volunteers – those who are physically involved in the makeover (our group of au pairs), and others who donate the necessary equipment (paint, supplies, etc). These classroom makeovers are coordinated through "Serve Rhode Island”.
This is the second volunteer activity that Au Pair in America’s Rhode Island au pairs have participated in during the month of June. On June 2, au pairs spent much of their day volunteering as house guides for Providence Preservation Society’s 33rd annual Festival of Historic Houses. It is encouraging to see au pairs so willing to give back to the communities in which they are living while they are here, and hopefully will inspire other young Rhode Islanders to become more inolved in such community activites!