MAINE, Maine — Opening their home and hearts to foreign exchange students from around the world, Nancy and Charlie Grant have volunteered for the American Field Service program (AFS) for more than 40 years.
They have fostered life-changing intercultural experiences for countless young people—not only for the students, but for the Maine families and schools that hosted them.
They started in the 1970s, meeting in an Orono church and building a team of volunteers that eventually stretched from Orono to Waterville to Caribou. Nancy spent hours on the phone locating prospective families, and then together, she and Charlie would drive to interview those families.
Charlie often counseled students, helping them acclimate to their new surroundings.
The “Grant Era” ended this past year with Nancy and Charlie officially retiring from their volunteering with AFS. Mia Oliveri from AFS in New York writes, “Hundreds of local families, thousands of people in the community, and hundreds of people world-wide have been touched by the work of Nancy and Charlie Grant.”