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Big Apple Greeter and Greeter Programs Worldwide
by Cheryl Pendry, PassPorter Feature Columnist
Have you ever wanted to explore a city with someone who lives there, loves the
place, and can tell you all about the little things that only a local person
would know?
That's the idea behind the
Big Apple Greeter
program in New York, an organization that has now been implemented in seven
other cities, including
Toronto,
Houston,
Chicago, and
Fairbanks, Alaska.
There are similar operations running in Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Adelaide
and Melbourne in Australia. The next addition will see the first European
program coming to Thanet, an area of Kent in the southeast of England.
The idea for Big Apple Greeter came from Lynn Brooks, who started it back in
1992. She wanted to dispel the myth that New York City was a dangerous and
unfriendly place to visit by pairing up visitors with volunteers, who
could show them around the area and explain about how the city works -- even
down to demonstrating how to ride the subway. Today, there are 300 volunteer
greeters who, collectively, speak about 25 languages and have welcomed thousands
of visitors from 112 countries.
As Lynn explains, the whole thing started from a simple idea. "Every
single town or city that I've visited has had the same reaction from the people
that live there -- they love where they live, and they love to share where they
live with visitors to the area. Of course they can share information about the
place, but more importantly than that, they can share their personal experiences
that a visitor would never have known about otherwise and they can share their
friendship. For the visitor, it's like spending time with a friend or a family
member, as people talk about the things that make you feel at home.
One thing Lynn is careful to clarify is that greeters aren't tour guides.
"They're friendly and enthusiastic volunteers and they're not expected to be
experts about their home town or city. They don't have a script to stick to, but
instead talk about places from a personal point of view and what the
neighborhood or individual buildings mean to them.
So how does the Greeter program work? The first port of call for visitors
who want to learn more about a greeter in a city they're planning to visit is to
check out the relevant web site. There you'll find a visitor request form to
fill in. Some programs need the form submitted a month or more before your visit
so that you can be matched up with a greeter, so don't leave this until the last
minute. Some programs ask you to specify which neighborhood you'd like to visit,
but if you're not sure, fill in the words "Greeters Choice" and the greeter will
select the neighborhood they most enjoy.
Every greeter program differs slightly, as they're adapted to each location, but
you can expect your visit to last for between two and four hours during
the daytime. Greeters don't meet visitors in the evening or at night. They take
out groups of up to six people and included in that group must be at least one
adult over the age of eighteen. Because the program is voluntary, it's important
to remember that it's not always possible to match visitors up with greeters, as
it depends on how many volunteers are available on any one day and how many
requests they get for visits.
If they are able to match you with a greeter, then you'll be given your
greeter's name and contact information. Your greeter will then meet you in a
public place and you'll spend the next couple of hours getting to know the area
through their eyes.
Is there any cost? No. Some greeter programs are charities and welcome
donations (although none is required), and others are public services, organized
by local government or tourism organizations. In case you're wondering, the
organizations work on the theory that everyone pays for themselves. So if you
end up on public transportation or grabbing a coffee, you pay for your own and
so does your greeter. Tips are not accepted either, although many people go on
to become firm friends, with promises that if the greeter ever comes to their
home town, the visitor will take them on a tour and share what they love about
their area.
So what sort of people become greeters? In Lynn's experience, it's
something that interests a wide range of people. "You might think that greeters
would only be retired people with time to spare on something like this, but
that's not been our experience at all. Greeters can be retired, but many also
work and give time at the weekends. They all share one thing in common. They all
want to make a difference and want to share their love of their home town or
city and show visitors why it's such a special place."Related Links:
Making The Most
of City Pass Cards
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Updated 04/12/07
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