A Proud Wisconsin Host Mom
50 volunteer hours in two months
Since the moment that Emha, who goes by his nickname Fudhol, arrived at our home, he has been motivated to go above and beyond in his commitment to community service. On his second day in Wisconsin, he told me that his personal goal for community service is 120 hours—20 above what is required for a certificate. He has such a big heart for others, and he always jumps at the chance to lend a hand. In fact, he started volunteering the day after he arrived by lending a hand at a barn painting at a member of our extended family’s house. He jokes that his job was “official taffy tester,” to make sure the salt water taffy was safe for the rest of us. This was his first experience with taffy, and he has developed a deep love for the sticky stuff.
I am utterly amazed and proud that he has not even been here two months, and he has already logged 50 volunteer service hours! He has worked with Habitat for Humanity, the library, a community thrift store, our local church, the Fox Cities Marathon, and helped some neighbors with various jobs, just to name a few. And he does all of this with a smile on his face. Oh, and he also finds time to be on the cross country team and has achieved a personal record at each race.
I’m very proud of my Indonesian son. He is truly an inspiration!
—Sharon Oestreich (WI), host mom to Fudhol (YES, Indonesia)
