CFP - Host Application

 

CFP - Host Application

Deadlines:
 

April 25, 2025 - Complete all elements of application

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                            

(Applications in 2025 are restricted to families in NH, OR, TX, NC and WA)
(More states will be included in future years.  If you are not in one of these states and wish to participate, please contact Tammy Haas, Executive Director, at tammyh@friendships4peace.org)

Thank you for your interest in the Creating Friendships for Peace (CFP) program.

This is an online application form containing the following sections.

• Overview of the CFP program and How to Apply (no information required from applicant)
• Ground Rules/Understanding between Hosts, Teens, Parents of the Teens, and CFP (no information required from applicant)
• Host Information (contact information and desired attributes for the CFP teens)
• Contact Information for References (New Hosts Only)
• Information for Background Check
• Host Declaration (Name(s) and Date indicating acceptance of the rules and desire to host a pair of CFP teens)
• Submission

 

Creating Friendships for Peace (CFP) is a unique grassroots, person-to-person program that promotes peace through understanding. CFP is an all-volunteer organization. By participating in CFP, United States families can contribute to peace in areas of conflict in a very personal way and can allow future leaders to reach across the gulf of mistrust and misunderstanding toward reconciliation.
Please review this application with your family before making the commitment. More detailed information is available in the Host Handbook. Please contact the CFP coordinator in your area with any questions. (See below for contact information.) We want you to be fully informed. It is important that this experience be as gratifying to you and your family as it is rewarding to the young people involved in the program.

Concept

Teens become friends with someone from "the other side" of a conflict in a safe, neutral environment and hopefully accept the challenge to do the same within their homeland. While in the US, they also gain valuable leadership and peace building skills. The program is simple in concept:

• Two teenagers (15-18 yrs old and one from each side of a conflict) are paired in their homeland. They start exploring a friendship and participate in pre-summer program activities there. Pairs self select and are matched by gender, interests, and demeanor.
• Compatible and committed pairs are invited to share experiences together for up to four weeks in a United States home, where they will share a bedroom, in a neutral setting, under adult supervision, interacting with one another and developing their friendship with one another. During the time in the United States they also participate in several group activities.
• Host families are to provide a neutral setting that does not favor the cultural, religious or political position of one teen over the other, with daylong adult supervision.
• Upon returning home, teens continue their friendship and participate in CFP follow-up activities including an alumni program.

Who are These Young People?

While somewhat different, their lifestyles have many similarities to ours. However, you should recognize that they were born into and have lived their entire lives in physically separate communities. They are unlike exchange students. They are here to learn, but they learn through activities and  observations as they participate with us in the normal activities that we enjoy. Ideally, they become part of the family. While some may be slow to adjust, a caring and understanding approach will steer them in the right direction. Teens and their parents know the concept of the program. They understand that compliance with the program and individual household rules is mandatory.

Who are the Host Families?

Host families are unusually caring people, willing to share their hearts, homes, and summer with two teens who are developing increased tolerance and understanding and who are trying to build a lasting friendship. Host families must be able to provide three things:
1) A safe, neutral (i.e., non-judgmental) home for two or three weeks;
2) A single bedroom for the teens to share;
3) Day-long adult supervision; and
4) A willingness to ensure that the teens participate in the group activities in your area while in the United States
Having children in the host family home is not a requirement. Far more important is the atmosphere provided. However, access to young people their age in the neighborhood, through a church organization, or through friends is helpful.

Funding

CFP is an all-volunteer, grassroots program. We do not require hosts to cover the expense of the teens' airfare and programming.  We also do not require host families to fundraise to help defray our program costs.  However, we encourage those hosts who are comfortable,  to help us in raising the much-needed funds. Many churches, civic groups, and individuals are willing to financially support our person-to-person project. If, in addition, you can afford to make a tax-deductible gift to CFP, please do so at www.friendships4peace.org. The donate tab on our website shows various ways to donate including where checks can be mailed.  

All donations should be made payable to Creating Friendships for Peace and are tax-deductible.

Cypriot parents provide $850.00 per Cypriot teen selected for the U.S. program to help defray travel and medical insurance costs. 

How to Apply

Consider all aspects of the program. Participation should be in the best interests of all members of your family. If all agree that you wish to be a part of CFP, we seek your application and welcome you to this wonderful group of volunteers. Your choice of the gender of the teens should be based on what is most appropriate for your family situation.

In order for us to know how many teens can be selected, this application should be submitted by April1. Cypriot and Middle East Coordinators begin recruiting teens in January and February. Teens are selected in March, and begin meeting right away. They are paired in March and April. Approved hosts will be sent their teen pair information in May. Association with and communication between a host and the teens enhances their incentive to pursue the friendship before the summer. Early submission of host applications better enables CFP to match teens with similar interests to the host family.

If you have any questions, please email at tammyh@friendships4peace.org or reach out to your CFP Area Coordinator.

To Apply you should:

1. Fill out the application form and submit electronically 

2. Write a letter describing your interest in the program, your family, your profession(s) and employment status, interest, hobbies, and any summer plans. (This letter helps the coordinators match a pair of teens to you. For example, if you live on or near the water, they will know to make sure that your teens will be swimmers.)  Email the letter to tammyh@friendships4peace.org no later than April 25.  This letter also serves to introduce you to the pair you will host.

In addition, NEW HOST FAMILIES must complete a background check form and provide three personal references as detailed below:

1.     All new host families are required to undergo a criminal background check.  As part of the application, the background check form should be filled out for the applicants and all persons 18 years or older who will be living in the same residence as the CFP teen pair and include information of where they have lived over the past ten years.

2.     All new host familes must identify three people, who are not relatives, to write a reference on their behalf.  Please send the Host Family Reference Letter Request Form available at  http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/460441/CFP-Host-Family-Reference-Letter-Request-Form to the people listed as references.

After all of the above has been received, reviewed, and approved, your application will be sent for assignment of a teen pair.  As soon as you receive information about the teens assigned to you, please send your introduction, pictures of your family and descriptions of your area of the country. Once the matches have been made, host families and teens can communicate via phone, Skype, email and/or Facebook.

Ground Rules/Understanding between Hosts, Teens, Parents of the Teens, and CFP

• We will be hosting two teens from two different communities and different cultures for a summer visit under the guidelines of the CFP program.
• The teens will not be introduced to any political or religious situations that favor one side over the other during their stay with us.
• We will not impose our political and/or religious beliefs on the teens while they stay with us.
• We are responsible for providing an atmosphere of love and compassion. The two teens will be brought into our home as if they were members of our family.
• The teens will assist in performing necessary household chores (for example, helping to wash dishes, setting the table, making their beds, etc.), but under no circumstance will they be placed in a position that is contrary to the objectives of the program (for example, serving as nannies, etc).
• We will correspond with both teens immediately upon being notified of their names and addresses, telling them about ourselves and about what they can expect during the summer. We will include photos of our family and home. We ask that you set up WhatsApp application on your phone. This will is meant to create a chat group with your teens and their respective natural parents.  We ask that you correspond regularly before and during their experience with messages and pictures so their parents know how its going.  These pictures you share will also be wonderful for the teens to have upon their return.  
• We understand each teen has been instructed to bring no more than $500 with them.  Said money is to be used exclusively for them to purchase presents for their family and or friends but also for an extra activities they wish to do that you are not a hosts responsibility to pay for.  
• We are to make sure they have their airline tickets, insurance information and passport, immediately upon their arrival. We are authorized to hold their tickets, insurance information, and passports in a safe place during their stay and return them upon departure.
• We will have each teen make a 3 minute call (within 12 hours of arrival) to their parents to inform them of their safe arrival. We ask Hosts to use their cell phone and call via WhatsApp.   Each teen can also Zoom/WhatsApp video call with their family once a week up to an hour. CFP highly encourages all video calls to be bi-communal, i.e., both teens will talk to both families at the same time. Teens are allowed to make one daily call of 30 minutes max from the host family cell phone to parents/siblings. Further communication between the teens and their parents shall be discouraged to prevent homesickness and to allow them to separate themselves from the day-to-day situation in their home country during their stay. Host families may email the teens’ parents periodically to let them know how things are going. 
• We will call our local United States Coordinator, or CFP’s designated contacts (see Host Handbook), immediately if we are not enjoying the teens’ visit, or if we are having any type of problem. Early recognition of challenges is key to communicate so that you as a host and the teens have the best experience possible.  
• We understand that we will be authorized to act as each teen's guardian and will do so during the time they are visiting with us.
• We understand that the teens cannot leave our home to reside elsewhere without the knowledge of the CFP Coordinator or CFP. Executive Director. 
• We will notify our United States Coordinator if we plan to be away from home for more than 24 hours with the teens, providing her/him with the length of time we will be gone and where we can be reached, in the event of an emergency.
• We understand that each teen's parents will be instructed to provide us with a medical consent form stating that we are to be authorized to secure any necessary medical attention as may be dictated.
• We will know the whereabouts of the teens at all times, and an adult will be available to them at all times.
• We will make sure that each teen can take care of himself/herself before any activity takes place in/or around water.
• We will exercise caution and not allow the teens to be exposed to intense sunlight without proper sunscreen, hats, and shirts. We will provide the necessary sunscreen.
• We will not allow either of the teens, regardless of experience, to operate any motorized vehicle including, but not limited to:  automobile, ATV/UTV, motorcycle, golf cart, riding lawnmower, or watercraft.  When in doubt, contact your United States Coordinator.
• We will not allow the teens to engage in any hazardous activity not covered by their health insurance (see Host Handbook).
• Unless otherwise authorized by CFP in writing, my/our family has or will have homeowners’, renters’, or other liability insurance covering the teens during their four weeks in residence with us.
• We will keep any firearms that may be in our home out of the teens’ reach and view.
• We agree that under no circumstance (except religious ceremonies) will the teens have access to alcoholic beverages of any kind or access to marijuana, even if it is legal in our state.
• Teens are not allowed to drink, smoke or use vaping products.
• We will make sure that the teens make their scheduled departure and that they will be under supervision until they board the vehicle to leave.
• We will advise the teens not to buy any kind of knife or even toy guns as a souvenir and that any baseball bats will be packed in the checked luggage. Only one piece of hand baggage will be allowed.
• We will have the teens wear their CFP T-shirts to public events.
• We understand each teen is coming from different backgrounds and experiences. Some may require a little more patience when adjusting to United States culture and our family. We will contact our Coordinator for assistance if this is the case and continue to stay in communication with the Coordinator until any difficulties have resolved.

Part I : Host Family Information