For International Participants
USA
Work & Travel USA
Students Eat, Play, and Give Back on J Day
Students Eat, Play, and Give Back on J Day

Students Eat, Play, and Give Back on J Day

August 22, 2017

5 -min read

“One, two, three…say cheese!” a voice yells as the camera clicks. A group clad in blue T-shirts poses in front of a bright blue the Star 99.1 radio van, holding up vibrant, multicolored backpacks proudly for the camera. Tired but happy, thirty participants from countries around the world gathered in Lewis Morris Park. They have assembled backpacks containing everything from toiletries to stuffed animals, destined for children in need. With the help of local station Star 99.1, the group donated and distributed the supplies to a local nonprofit, Foster and Adoptive Family Services, as part of a larger care pack drive.

InterExchange participants in Morristown, NJ hold up care packs for donation.
InterExchange participants in Morristown, NJ hold up care packs for donation.
Image courtesy of Jana Barcavage

This gathering in Morristown, New Jersey – one of seven InterExchange-organized J Day events across the United States – mobilized students on J-1 visas in the United States to “Eat, Play, Give.” Emphasizing the importance of cultural exchange, J Day was first organized in 2014 by visa sponsors in coordination with the Alliance for International Exchange. InterExchange celebrates J Day annually through food drives, swimming contests, beach cleanups, and more in order to provide visiting J-1 participants across the country the chance to give back to their host communities.

J Day participants helped make Manhattan a little greener!
J Day participants helped make Manhattan a little greener!
Image courtesy of Tanya Burovtseva

Alexandra Osep, an au pair in New Jersey, originally heard about the Morristown event at a cluster meeting from her local coordinator (LC), Dawn Middleton. Middleton prepared the au pairs with a list of items they could donate to kids in the foster care system. Naturally, Osep headed to Target to buy a few supplies to add to the care packs for the kids. “They were just small things, like a toothbrush and paste, some shower gel, and some paper and pencils, but I am sure the things will find their way to kids that need it,” she said.

Having done her part for the cause, Osep also worked with her fellow cluster members to coordinate a carpool, with Middleton’s encouragement. “I like that our LC always organizes car pools. The meeting took place at a really big park. As everyone arrived, it was a huge group! We all introduced ourselves and then the fun part started,” said Osep. They passed the sunny afternoon playing classic American games that tested their spelling and knowledge of American culture. “It was fun – no phones were allowed!” commented Osep. After the games, they were served a “typical American bagged lunch,” which, as Osep put it, they needed because “after all the activities, pretty much everyone was starving!”

New Jersey au pairs play “Simon Says” during J Day.
New Jersey au pairs play “Simon Says” during J Day.
Image courtesy of Jana Barcavage

Becky Davis, a Work and Travel USA local coordinator in the Wisconsin Dells, has organized InterExchange’s J Day events in the region for many years. Her local event focused on providing school supplies for underfunded classrooms, with an emphasis on aiding teachers and low income students.

J Day not only allows participants to gather together and celebrate their communities, but it also serves as a teaching moment. “I think these events help the students really connect with the community,” Davis commented. “It helps them realize that not everyone in the U.S. has a lot of money.” Connecting the participants to the needs of the community helps them get beyond stereotypes, and introduces many students to the concept of volunteering for the first time. At the end of the day, Davis was pleased to observe many of the students offering their help with cleanup after the fun and games were done.

In Lake Ridge, Virginia, InterExchange Work and Travel USA students celebrated the day at the PremierGuard Olympics. Testing the swimming skills they honed over the summer, the students and their fellow employees competed for raffle prizes at an event in partnership with their host organization. Michael Turek, the International Program Director at Premier Aquatics, has been hosting the PremierGuard Olympics for ten years, and began synchronizing it with InterExchange J Day celebrations in 2013.

Turek organizes many events for his J-1 students throughout the summer. “We bring our staff to a Nationals baseball game, organize Ocean City and Kings Dominion Day trips, weekly soccer games, and an end-of-the-season appreciation party,” he told us. “I believe that J Day is the most popular event where our lifeguards can compete between areas and cheer for competitors from their own countries.” Alongside the fun and games, Turek firmly believes in the mission of gathering together to give back. “Our employees do not always realize how important and meaningful food donations are,” he reflects, “unless they do it themselves and listen to the food bank representative’s speech.” Participants collected over 1,215 pounds of food at the PremierGuard Olympics event.

The InterExchange Au Pair USA cluster in Raleigh assembles food donations.
The InterExchange Au Pair USA cluster in Raleigh assembles food donations.
Image courtesy of Suzanne Miller

The impact clearly goes both ways, echoed across all InterExchange events, as participants saw the range and breadth of need that exists in the United States for volunteer programs. Pavla Sebikova attended an Au Pair USA event that partnered with InterFaith Food Shuttle’s Grocery Bags for Seniors in Raleigh, North Carolina, and realized that volunteering allowed her to “see the different side of America where people need help. It makes me appreciate more of what I have and be more grateful for ‘basic’ things like having food for tomorrow.”

InterExchange Work & Travel USA participants keep Virginia Beach “Beachy Clean.”
InterExchange Work & Travel USA participants keep Virginia Beach “Beachy Clean.”
Image courtesy of Nancy Perry

Alex Alexander, who participated in a Virginia Beach clean up with Keep It Beachy Clean, spent his day on the beach armed with signs to promote responsible waste disposal. Alexander expected the event to be fun, explaining that “it is very important that people help each other. First of all because it is in our nature to take care of one another… and taking care of our planet should be on everyone’s mind because it is our home.” He thought it would be a “good experience to attend” and he wasn’t let down. Reflecting on his day of volunteer work, Alexander concluded with satisfaction: “I did it for me, and it was worth every minute.”

Tags

For International Participants

share this article

Caroline is the Summer 2017 Communications Intern. Having studied Spanish Language and Communications at Fordham University, she found the perfect blend of her interests at InterExchange. She hopes to expand her travel experience and is gladly accepting recommendations.

Tags

For International Participants

share this article

Related Articles

For International Participants
3 -min read

February 22, 2024

Visiting the city zoo and museums, attending sporting events and concerts, enjoying roller coasters at Six Flags, and going to the top of the Arch – these are just a few examples of the cultural activities Mariana, Jordy, and Frank participated in this winter during their J-1 Internship program. 
Travel Experiences US Residents
3 -min read

February 9, 2024

Montreal is much more than Poutine and French colonial architecture. With Canada’s second-largest economy, it’s also a thriving center of industry and commerce. As such, it’s an attractive location for many Work & Travel Canada and Work & Travel Canada Young Professional program participants. 
For International Participants
2 -min read

February 5, 2024

Sunday, February 11th, 2024, is when the big game in the USA takes place! Two National Football League (NFL) teams—The Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers—will face off at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas at 4:30 pm MST (UTC -7), competing for the glory and the trophy! It’s a pretty big deal.