In late March, four Ukrainian delegates arrived in Pensacola through the Open World Program of the U.S. Library of Congress to learn more about our country and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the United States.
A requirement of the Open World Program is that participants stay in the community for a week in local homes, quite unlike the short programs prepared for U.S. Department of State visitors who stay in hotels. For that reason, our council is indebted to the hosts who took in our visitors. Thank you, Buddy Gissendanner, Kathleen Kerr, Bradley Proctor, Lydia Scherk, and Pat Windham, for without you this program could not have taken place. Thank you also to intern Bruno Barros for accompanying the group to their appointments and evening meals and to Mike Jurkowich of Dreamcatcher Shuttle for the extra hours he donated in driving time.
We were naturally a bit nervous as the program approached, but all the preparation paid off and we enjoyed our time with the Ukrainians immensely. It began with a meal in the home of a Gulf Coast Citizen Diplomacy Council member and segued into an historic orientation of the area. Next, the group toured downtown Pensacola and visited Historic Pensacola Village for an organized tour. They were next introduced to their host families and given time to relax and take in the city.
Since the delegation arrived on a weekend, their first few days were filled with cultural activities that highlight some of the area’s best attributes, such as canoeing at Blackwater River State Park, visiting the National Naval Air Museum, going to the beach on the way to Fort Pickens, enjoying the waterfront atmospheres of the Fish House and Flounder’s, and stopping at Joe Patti’s Seafood. An impromptu visit to Wal-Mart was thrown in to accommodate one guests’ desire to purchase the largest jar possible of what he viewed as a tasty novelty, peanut butter.
The first day of appointments focused on local government and the judicial system. In order to equip the visitors with a better understanding of U.S. society and the role of local government, City of Pensacola Councilwoman Maren DeWeese and her husband began the day by discussing how various organizations and political entities operate. They also discussed current events in Pensacola and gave an overview of the proposed Pensacola’s Promise program. Pensacola City Mayor Mike Wiggins then met with the delegation to welcome them and to provide more information about the local government, while David Stafford, the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections, discussed the basics of the U.S. election process.
While eating lunch with Buddy Gissendanner, Felony Chief with the Office of the Public Defender, the group learned how legal services are provided to those unable to afford a private attorney. Assistant Public Defender Tony Henderson asked his own questions to the group about the Ukrainian judicial system which instigated an in-depth discussion among the visitors as to the similarities and differences between the two judicial systems. That, in turn prompted further examination of legal precedence in America. A meeting with Inger Barnes of Teen Court, a program that allows young offenders to absolve their sentences through community service and specialized classes, highlighted an alternative way to help troubled youth.
The following day brought an appointment and site visit with Marsha Travis and Fred Sulzbach of FAVOR House (Family Anti-Violence through an Organized Response). This was followed by a site visit with Valerie Love at one of the FAVOR House battered women’s shelters. To show the diversity of NGOs operating in Pensacola, the group also met with Chief Bearheart of the Perdido Tribe Creek Indians who created a campaign to help keep his tribe’s heritage alive and accessible to the public. The delegates also had the opportunity to try geocaching, which involves uncovering “treasures” using GPS devices, while at Chief Bearheart’s Native Paths Cultural Center.
During a day focused entirely on youth, the delegates visited Pensacola High School (PHS) thanks to the coordination efforts of council board member Susan Smart. There, they learned about managing diversity amongst students, observed the wide variety of educational programs PHS offers, ate lunch in the cafeteria with the students, and were able to answer questions about Ukraine. A meeting with Kristine Karsten and George Moore of the Pensacola Young Professionals allowed the delegates to observe an NGO that has a close relationship with the business community. Thanks to the coordination efforts of Amy Moss of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the group then volunteered at Project GreenShores, planting salt marsh grass with teenagers from Chain Reaction, a local volunteer center.
As an introduction to community issues, the delegates served lunch to the homeless with Barbara Vititow and her Feeding the Homeless Plus Team at First United Methodist Church. A meeting and presentation by VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America), a domestic version of the Peace Corps, gave delegates the chance to interact with volunteers working in a variety of NGOs. Thank you, Carmella Miller, for making that visit possible. That evening, a closer look at community issues was taken at the Pensacola City Council meeting.
The theme of youth mentoring and civic responsibility was continued on the last day of meetings, when the delegates visited Tammy Burton at the Santa Rosa Kid’s House, an organization that works with traumatized children, and learned about the cooperation between government entities and this NGO. The rest of the day was spent with STRIDE (Students Taking Responsibility in Developing Excellence), a mentorship program that encourages youth to excel in all areas of life, from academics to community service. The group met with founder Major General Al Gilley, U.S. Army (Retired) and president Charles Howard to learn about the structure behind the organization. That evening, the children and mentors of STRIDE and the delegates’ host families joined the group at a bowling party at Cordova Lanes to celebrate a successful week.
