Russians find new friends

Russians are proving to be popular Kiwanis guests in the United States.

After Albany, Oregon, Kiwanian Don Rea visited a school in Moscow as part of “Teachers to Russia,” he wanted to share his Russian experience with his club. Kiwanians hosted a Russian teacher and her students for a two-week visit to Albany to experience “the real America.”

“We wanted to improve our English and see what America is really like, and we believe the heart of America is in the small towns,” says teacher Elena Alexeeva.

In Tennessee, the Kiwanis Club of Tellico Village, Loudon cooked up a special treat for its Russian guests: A souvenir cookbook compiling Russian and American dishes, information about the Russians’ hometowns, and photos of their stay in America. Club members hosted 11 Russian restaurant owners and managers during a 25-day exploration of Tennessee’s educational, cultural, and social scene. In addition to giving their guests copies of the book, the Kiwanians plan to sell Recipes to Remember in CD format as a fund-raiser.

And, when 12 Russian agricultural experts sought accommodations in Indiana for a “Productivity Enhancement Program,” the Valparaiso and LaPorte Kiwanis clubs eagerly showed their “Hoosier hospitality.”

Besides escorting their new friends to agricultural entities, the Kiwanians hosted welcome and bon voyage parties and arranged a trip to a Notre Dame University hockey game.

“Our clubs expanded our knowledge of the Russian culture and found that Russians share our same values of family first, followed by community, career, and country,” says Valparaiso Kiwanian Jon Groth.

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