A message from Scott Messing, President & CEO of YFU USA

I am happy to report that all of YFU’s 24 students and their host families affected by and/or displaced during Hurricane Harvey are safe and accounted for.

Dear Host Families/YFU Volunteers,

I am happy to report that all of YFU’s 24 students and their host families affected by and/or displaced during Hurricane Harvey are safe and accounted for. We are keeping in close contact with YFU host families in the region to be of support and update our country partners and natural parents for their children. 

We appreciate and applaud our Texas volunteers and families who have stepped up to help and house our community members in South Texas.

YFU is assessing next steps to support our students and community affected by Harvey as the situation progresses and they alert us to their needs.  We will keep you informed of ways to be part of meaningful action as soon as we have recommendations to share.

Usually we can depend on the generosity of our Texas host families to take in a few more students in August, but this year that won’t be possible. So we’re looking to you to help our effort to find homes for our last 25 students in the next two days. 

Whether you share your home or spread the word about our need for more host families, we appreciate your outreach to help place our remaining students who are eager to start their program. Anyone interested can visit the YFU website at https://online.yfuusa.org/host-a-student/meet-the-students.php to view profile highlights and complete a hosting application. Alternatively, you can contact me directly via reply to this email. And please be sure to take a moment to share this with your friends and contacts. 

Please join me in sending positive thoughts and prayers to our many South Texas volunteers, host families and students whose lives and routines have been impacted by this terrible storm.