What is Friendship Force?
Friendship Force is a non-profit international organization that promotes cultural understanding through personal contact. The Friendship Force of Knoxville utilizes travel as a means to meet people from different cultures and places rather than emphasizing the place itself. By being a guest in other people's homes and by inviting them to be a guest in our homes, we believe we can break barriers that divide us.
Change the way you see the world!
- Make friends around the world
- Stay in homes of people around the world
- Host in your home people from around the world
- Foster International good will
- Enhance cross-cultural understanding
For More Information About Friendship Force International, please visit their website at https://www.thefriendshipforce.org/
Note from the President
No Meeting in July
The Friendship Force Knoxville Board of Directors has postponed the July 26 meeting. The wine and cheese evening at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church was intended to introduce potential new members to Friendship Force. We had planned to show a Rick Steves’ video, “Why We Travel” that embodies the mission of Friendship Force, as well as welcome Friendship Force International Southeast Field Representative, Rob Kilpatrick. The CDC recently raised the Knox County Covid risk level from low to medium. As a result of the increased risk, TVUUC requires masks to be worn indoors, and prohibits food and drink inside the building. We hope to reschedule at a later date.
Outbound Journey to Lower Columbia—a wonderful experience
Five FFK members just returned from a journey to the Pacific Northwest where the Lower Columbia Friendship Force club hosted us. Thanks to Barbara Elder who did an excellent job coordinating the July 6-11 journey. The other FFK ambassadors were Jean and Ron Mayer, Jayne Raparelli and Mike McDonough. We were joined by four members from clubs in Des Moines, Iowa, Huntsville, Alabama, and Lake Hartwell, Georgia. We cruised the Columbia River, visited Longview and Castle Rock, Washington, Crown Point State Park, Fort Clatsop, the Oregon coast, and the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. We enjoyed getting to know the Lower Columbia folks and our fellow ambassadors. We will share much more about this journey at the August FFK meeting.
A world of friends is a world of peace.
Jayne Raparelli, President