A means by which our club can make its presence felt. Our club currently has five active Projects to which members and friends can make tax-deductible contributions. They are: (1) Teachers and Students from Russia, (2) Teaching Resources to Russia, (3) Membership Expansion, (4) Travelships, and (5) Humanitarian Aid.

Teachers and Students from Russia
has brought seven teachers of English and the teen-age daughters of two of them to Oregon’s Mid-Willamette Valley to practice English in a total-immersion atmosphere. Generally one member of the club will promise to underwrite all of the expenses for a teacher to come, but other members may contribute to the cost of airfare,

Maria Volkova, Irina Agafanova with Dan Madson of Salem

health insurance, U.S. visa, and spending money. Once the teachers are here, the entire club provides day-hosting, sight-seeing and other activities to help the teachers with their command of the language, and to learn something about our customs, politics, holidays, and other things that have been abstract concepts covered in their textbooks.

Teaching Resources to Russia
helps provide needed classroom supplies and equipment to schools in Novgorod and Moscow. Tape recorders, textbooks, chalk boards, maps and other materials which we take for granted in the United States are hard come by in Russia. Your contributions allow teachers to purchase things for their schools that might otherwise be impossible to obtain. Many schools have computers, but can’t use the printers for lack of ink or toner cartridges.

Membership Expansion
prepares and distributes information to increase the visibility of and participation in our club. To date, we have established a web page; printed two issues of a two-color special edition of Friendship Connections, our monthly newsletter; printed and distributed a membership brochure, and business cards with the web-site address and information about contacting the club. Membership in the Friendship Force of Oregon's Mid-Willamette Valley almost has doubled in the past two years, so we can look at this project with a sense of accomplishment.

The Travelship Project
allows members who might otherwise not be able to afford it to receive financial assistance to participate in outbound exchanges. The amount of the Travelship will be determined at the time of each specific outbound exchange.

Friendship greeting cards

All the funds from the sale of our Friendship greeting cards has been dedicated to this project, and financial contributions are gladly accepted. The Friendship greetings pictured here may be ordered from CARDS

These 4.75 by 6.5 -inch cards are $10 per package of 10 with envelopes; 10 to 19 packages are $8 per package; 20 or more packages are $7 each, plus ahipping and handling.

The Humanitarian Aid Project
is designed to let us provide humanitarian aid to friends around the world. Names of potential recipients of this aid must be submitted to the Board of Directors by interested members.

To make contributions to the club's projects simply indicate your project of choice on your check. That check can be written to Friendship Force and given to the treasurer or mailed to Friendship Force, P.O. Box 1703, Albany, OR 97321.