Cohousing-L Mailing List: AFS

[JoycePlath (JoycePlath]

My son Tim is also going abroad to France this fall with AFS, just a couple
of months after we move into our cohousing community in Arcata, Ca.  I am
hoping that 
Marsh Commons will be able to host as a community in a year or two.  It would
be a terrific way to introduce another young person into our community,
giving everyone an opportunity to expand their understanding of the world. 
My family has hosted three times, twice when Tim, now l5, was in early junior
high and his older brother was in high school. This year we have a student
from Belgium.  Tim says that having foreign students as big brothers when he
was young went a long way toward encouraging him to develop an interest in
languages and travel.  
This year I have volunteered to locate local host families for next year.
 The process is similar to talking to folks about cohousing.  Some get is
right away and others aren't certain.  The issues of privacy vs larger
community , time , money, and risk (what if we don't like each other?) keep
coming up.  It seems to me that cohousing will make hosting a kid a lot
easier for a host family and richer for the student.  
If anyone out their is interested in hosting but cannot locate their local
AFS chapter,I can put you in touch.
Joyce Plath