To be ready for International students

Church groups that served a total of 8,000 meals to hungry international students last summer are getting organized to assist the wave of students expected this summer.

The Lewes-Rehoboth Association of Churches (LRAC) has anchored the International Student Outreach Program since its inception in 2005, providing breakfasts and dinners and helping students find temporary housing. “Churches become the social service agency of choice for young people,” said program director Hugh Leahy, who also serves as senior vice president of Delaware Community Foundation.

But some volunteers say the program is burdening local churches.

About 25 people, including nurses, church officials and real estate agents, met Monday, Jan. 14, at the Lutheran Church of Our Savior to map out a strategy for this year. They first discussed becoming a nonprofit agency, but that decision was tabled as it could make grants harder to come by in the short term. A bricks-and-mortar center was also considered, but volunteers decided building and staffing such a clearinghouse would be cost-prohibitive. The group then focused on what worked well last year and what may need to be changed.

In 2007, 8,000 meals were served, with roughly 2,100 at Epworth United Methodist Church in Rehoboth Beach and nearly the same number at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Lewes. More than 1,000 meals were served at other LRAC churches.
Still, funding remains a critical issue, as costs fall mainly on LRAC congregations, according to a recent program report.

Last year, said Leahy, LRAC churches and members donated about $25,000 to the student program from cash and in-kind donations.

But, he said, employers who benefit from student workers should consider shouldering some of the program’s cost.

“We really need to get out there in the community and let especially the employers know what a great help LRAC has been and encourage the employers to help with housing and costs,” Leahy said.

The Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce provides job listings and rental information for students in an on-line welcome center.

The students are a huge impact on the local economy, said Sharon Palmer, a rental agent with Coldwell Banker Resort Realty. “It’s a benefit to homeowners,” she said.

The problem, she said, is many students arrive without down payments for summer housing and some don’t have jobs either.

The minimum security deposit is $1,500 for the season for a furnished apartment, she said.

But other problems have also arisen. When the program first started, most students were grateful to receive donated bikes. But as the years continue, some students have come to expect free transportation. This year, volunteers are considering requiring a $25 deposit for the bikes or offering a lottery. Some students abandon bikes at the end of the season and volunteers then have to spend time collecting them. This year 150 bikes have been lined up, and 35 more bikes are in storage. The bike program began two years ago with just 50 bikes.

Roger Roy, executive director of the Transportation Management Association of Delaware, secured $23,000 in grants for the students, funded through Delaware Department of Transportation, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, and Delaware River and Bay Authority.

Chris Berg, Council on International Educational Exchange, said the demographics of students are changing, as the Cape Region is becoming a more year-round working destination.

Berg estimated at least 1,500 students came to the Rehoboth Beach-Lewes area last year. He said last year, fewer students came from Poland and Lithuania, but more were from Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey. In the spring, he said, students arrive from Thailand and other Asian countries. The association, he said, may consider reducing the number of Polish and Lithuanian welcome packets while adding information in other languages.

Most volunteers agreed that meeting students as they arrive on buses has been the most useful technique in orienting students, improving safety and reducing accidents. Several said since the program began, great strides have been made, despite challenges.
“I think we have to remember they’re getting the best care and services than anywhere else,” said Palmer.

The student outreach group will meet at 8:30 a.m., Monday, March 10, at the Lutheran Church of Our Savior in Rehoboth behind the Big Fish Grill.

source: capegazette.com