Nothing says “welcome” like opening the doors to your home and offering your guests refreshments and a home-cooked meal. That’s exactly what 10 Cleveland families did on Friday, June 10, welcoming participants in the 2011 Teach For America Delta Institute to Cleveland and the Delta.
“Delta Hospitality Night” was the brainchild of Jo Parker and Ed Kossman, Jr., who came up with the idea after participating in Teach For America events last summer.
“Ed and I were so impressed with Teach For America, and we wanted to come up with a way to make the participants feel at home in Cleveland,” said Parker. “We thought it would be great to have 10 host families invite these young people into our homes for some great food and hospitality.”
“We had more than enough eager volunteer families,” continued Parker. “We asked each host family to invite three or more families to co-host with them. Each home had its own theme and served its own unique menu. Our guests were so gracious and fun and interesting to visit with.”
According to Parker, the welcome may become an annual event. “The Bolivar County Chamber of Commerce was so supportive and we were able to put this together with six weeks of planning,” she said. “We plan to get together and discuss this year’s event and plan for next year. Everything was so fun and well received. It was such a pleasure, and we look forward to doing it again.”
