Supporting Hosts

Let’s support our host families to such a high degree that they can’t wait to host again! When you ask a host parent how you can help, they will often say, “We’re fine!” The key to supporting a host family is that you don’t give them a choice. See the text example:

Everyone knows you can take them a meal, but, if you need help thinking of a few creative ideas to help a host family, choose a few from the list below! PS-you don’t have to be an official volunteer for any of these ideas! But we’d really appreciate if you took the time to fill out this 3-minute Resource Friend Form so that we can better keep track of who’s supporting who.

The List

1. Act as a life guard. Go swimming with the host family to help manage all of the kids in the water.
2. Drop off a pack of diapers out of the blue–for the hosted kids or the other children in the family.
3. Call the host family from Target and pick stuff up for them.
4. Enable host families to enroll their kids in your day care, summer camp, or kid care at sport facilities.
5. Offer to watch the kids during their life group/ Bible study if it’s in their home.
6. Bring ice cream/ popsicles to the family.
7. Pick up McDonalds Kids Meals for all the kids.
8. Walk their dog.
9. Mow their lawn.
10. Offer to do summer camp drop off/ pick up of kids while the host parent stays home with hosted child.
11. Watch all the kids outside while the host parents get some quiet time inside.
12. Bring a basket of cheese sticks, goldfish, juice boxes, and popsicles.
13. Text them that you’ve set your phone to remind you to pray for them every hour.
14. Vacuum out their family vehicle (and the car seats).
15. Assist as the second adult for a trip to the park.
16. Bring fresh produce from your garden.
17. Fund a weekend vacation or family camp for the host family so they can have time together as a family after the hosted kids go home.
18. Bring iced coffee to that host mom. Just do it.
19. Get a group together at church on Sunday (10 mins after service) to pray for everyone involved.
20. Take their car through the car wash.