Erika knew how it felt to leave one's country and be an outsider in a new land. Eventually, she found work as a secretary in the university's chemistry department. Scientists come from all over the world to do research in Göttingen. Erika waited for other staff members to befriend these visitors, but none did. So she resolved to do it herself, to the mutual enrichment of their experience and hers. Not only did she befriend these visitors, but she also helped them forge connections in the community. If someone collected stamps, for example, she would locate a group of philatelists for him. She gathered people, German and international, in her apartment for coffee and homemade pastries, and friendships blossomed. I always tell her that she is the inspiration for my own work in the "International Friends" program of the International Hospitality Committee.
Erika did not have the support of an organizational structure. We are fortunate to have a wide network of organizations engaged in similar efforts. The "international coffee hours" in Göttingen had, in fact, been established by women who had spent time in North America. Many of our volunteers and professional staff have experienced the process of adjusting to life in a new country. Our organizations, Cosmopolitan Club, the Office of International Student Affairs, the University YMCA, the International Hospitality Committee, the International Student Coffee House at the Wesley Foundation, and many others, are interconnected. Many participate in more than one organization. We cooperate to mount orientation sessions, receptions, coffee hours, and international dinners; and we refer students to each other's activities. Our purpose is the same as Erika's was in Göttingen: to afford our international visitors the richest possible experience here.