By Lori Berkey, Contributing Writer
Grafton – In 2014, Kimberly Edgren was inspired to get involved with Operation Friendship (OF) of Grafton when her then freshman daughter wanted to join as a delegate. OF is a nonprofit, non-governmental affiliate of the United Nations. Edgren has served as co-chair of the Grafton branch with Tony Mansfield since 2015.
The mission of OF is to foster international friendships for students ages 14-21 while building their awareness of the industrial, social, educational, religious, and secular culture of each member country. Dubbed “delegates,” the students represent their nation in their interactions with students and families of other member nations.
Delegates are urged to maintain their involvement with OF for at least a two-year cycle. During participants’ first year, they host someone from a foreign country and in the second year, Grafton chapter members travel to a country in Europe. Exchanges are for a two-and-a-half-week period during which delegates partake in various events and engage with their host family.
Edgren has enjoyed watching the growth of the delegates involved. Through her volunteerism she has done much behind-the-scenes legwork to help avail the opportunities for members’ growth.
“During hosting year, Tony and I work with our current parents and delegates to raise the funds to provide a full calendar of events during hosting, match the visiting delegates with their host families, plan and implement the hosting itinerary and work closely with the travel advisors to help assure a fun and successful experience,” she said.
This summer, 12 families from Grafton and one family from Northbridge will be hosting 17 delegates and two travel advisors from France and Bavaria. The hosting itinerary includes visits to Boston, Hampton Beach, and Six Flags New England; an overnight trip to New York City; volunteering at the Community Barn in Grafton; and many other day trips and outings.
“During travel year,” Edgren added, “we raise all the funds needed to cover the travel expenses needed for our delegates and travel advisors to travel to their hosting families and work to prepare our delegates for their experience abroad.”
OF was founded in Scotland in 1964, and was brought to the United States the following year. The Grafton branch began in 1976, and is currently the largest chapter in the nation with a total of 18 delegates.
Edgren found it rewarding when the chapter received the Staples 2Million and Change grant, which boosted the pot raised by their other fundraisers such as monthly Operation Friendship dances for fifth- to eighth-graders, an annual ski swap, a middle school hypnotist show and car washes.
Edgren is enthusiastic about the organization’s accomplishments and feels the results of her volunteer labor pays off.
“Operation Friendship provides a wonderful opportunity to make lifelong connections with students and families from different countries, cultural education and builds bridges across cultures,” she said.
As for what has been the best part of her involvement, Edgren said, it is “seeing the connections our delegates make with the delegates they host and visit, experiencing different cultures and building relationships with both our local families along with our visiting delegates.”
For more information about OF, visit http://ofgrafton.org/ or send an email to Edgren at [email protected].
Photos/submitted
