The days are still bright and warm here in Maine. However, reaching for a sweater in the morning means summer is over. Kids are back to school, and our Work and Travel participants are heading home by the hundreds each week.
At Greenheart, we remain warmed by meeting hundreds of participants this summer during what we call Going Greenheart Tours (GGHTs). These are visits to important Work and Travel communities. On these visits, we support local events and meet with host employers. We also better familiarize our staff with the benefits and opportunities in these areas. Long days but also a lot of fun!
This summer Greenheart conducted 27 such visits to 24 states. Sure, some were just across the city in Chicago, but others involved long travel days to and around Alaska, a tour of Wyoming and Idaho, and a thousand-mile (!) road trip to Medora, North Dakota (from Chicago). Let us share some of these stories with you today.
Story One: SeaWorld Orlando, Florida, visited by Rebecca Grossman, Host Relations Account Manage and Kacey Nichols, Outreach Manager
Before joining Greenheart, I was a former SeaWorld Ambassador who ran the international program. Visiting our Work and Travel participants there felt like coming full circle. Kacey and I had the opportunity to interact with many participants. One of the highlights was meeting a Department of State Scholar in a lifeguard role. When we connected with him, he had just finished his very first rescue and was buzzing with excitement! He gushed not only about his accomplishment, but about the confidence he gained from his overall experience. He shared feeling he’d gone through a complete mental shift about the opportunities available to him moving forward. As he stated to us – “you can do anything here!”
Story Two: Harris Teeter, South Carolina, visited by Joe Burns, Placement Director, Work and Travel Program
I recently had the opportunity to visit our Summer Work Travel participants working at Harris Teeter in South Carolina. One highlight was touring the USS Yorktown – a historic aircraft carrier nicknamed “The Fighting Lady” that saw action in World War II and the Vietnam War. Participants enjoyed learning about U.S. history on board, and the gift shop was a big hit, with many buying souvenirs to take home.
We also visited the Angel Oak Tree, a Southern live oak estimated to be more than 400 years old and one of the oldest living things in the country. Standing beneath its massive branches was an awe-inspiring experience for participants and staff alike.
Following my time in Charleston, I traveled to Hilton Head where participants enjoyed a dolphin cruise. We were surprised to see so many dolphins and learned how locals can identify them by their fins and habits.
I was especially delighted to get to know the participants, who came largely from the Dominican Republic and Thailand. It was inspiring to hear how their lives have been positively impacted by their experience working in South Carolina and being hosted by Harris Teeter. Many spoke about the relationships they’ve built with staff and people throughout their community, making this more than just a summer job. It’s been a wonderful season, with many already planning to return again next summer.
Special thanks to the team at Harris Teeter for coordinating such great activities for their participants this season!
Story Four: Canobie Lake Amusement Park, Salem, New Hampshire visited by Taylor Kay, Senior Director, Work and Travel Program
Canobie Lake Amusement Park is located about 45 minutes from Boston, just over the state line in New Hampshire. It is a popular destination for families and school and camp groups – and Work and Travel participants, who staff the food outlets and rides and live in houses adjacent to the park.
I visited the park on a cool, overcast day in July – the perfect summer day for walking around an amusement park. The dozens of Greenheart participants told me about how much they loved their jobs, their coworkers, their housing, and the chance to visit Boston and local shopping areas on their days off.
Yet the proximity to a big city also means proximity to the problems of homelessness and hunger. These Boston exurbs are leafy and green but also host Americans are living in their cars at the New Hampshire Exit 1 Welcome Center and staying in local hotels and campgrounds. We wanted to make a difference.
In coordination with the Human Resources Team at Canobie Lake and a local food pantry, 14 Work and Travel participants helped us package up food items into meals. That included items that were either ready-to-eat or required no more than a microwave, such as macaroni & cheese cups. With a positive spirit, participants added colorful messages and drawings to the food bags. In just over an hour prior to work, we prepared 50 bags which we delivered to the food pantry. At the end we talked about the global phenomenon of hunger and homelessness and what they looked like in China, Thailand, Romania and Spain. And we also talked about the concept of volunteering. It was inspiring to hear how these Greenheart participants were involved back home and on campus – and willing to make a difference here in the USA.
Story Five: DoubleTree Hilton, Billings, MT visited by Host Relations Account Manager Kathy Coleman
During my visit to the DoubleTree Hilton in Billings, MT, I had the pleasure of meeting some of our Mongolian students. I couldn’t resist showing off my “fluent” Mongolian skills, though in truth, my vocabulary consists of only one phrase from my time as a host employer years ago: “I don’t know.” The students assured me that while my language range is limited, my pronunciation is excellent, which I’ll take as a win!
What mattered more, however, was hearing their stories. Each student shared how happy they are in their jobs. They shared they were grateful for the warm welcome they’ve received from their host, coworkers, and the Billings community. It was wonderful to see them thriving and building these cultural and professional connections. This is the very heart of what exchange programs are meant to create.
Thanks, everyone, for sharing your GGHT stories with us! So inspiring!
Are you a U.S. business and want to host international seasonal staff for a cultural exchange? Please visit HirewithGreenheart.org to learn more.
To learn more about Greenheart’s Work and Travel program visit GreenheartExchange.org.