Question: What not-for-profit is the largest private sponsor of international volunteer programming in the entire nation, and where is this group based?
Answer: Cross-Cultural Solutions, right here in New Rochelle.
Today, I am adding a new periodic feature to my website called “Community Spotlight,” in which I briefly profile interesting and noteworthy organizations in our community, with a special focus on groups about which many residents may be unaware. In so doing, I hope to encourage greater appreciation for New Rochelle’s unique character and strengths.
Cross-Cultural Solutions is a perfect way to begin. Now in its fifteenth year and with a staff of more than 300 spanning twelve nations and four continents, Cross-Cultural Solutions has enabled more than 25,000 volunteers to serve abroad. Volunteers can serve for as little as one week or as much as three months, and can choose to focus on education, health care, community development, and more. Think of it as a shorter-term and more flexible version of the Peace Corps.
Cross-Cultural Solutions’ founder and executive director, Steve Rosenthal, a New Rochelle native and resident, was inspired by his own international volunteer experience in Kenya. He also serves as the Chair of the Building Bridges Coalition, a project of the Brookings Institution that includes hundreds of leading corporations, universities and non-governmental organizations, all working collaboratively to advance the field of international volunteerism and achieve a positive impact on communities around the world.
Cross-Cultural Solutions is headquartered within a beautiful “green” building at 2 Clinton Place, just one block south of Main Street. New Rochelle’s diversity makes us a natural home for an organization with a global vision and scope.
To learn more about Cross-Cultural Solutions or to explore volunteer opportunities, visit Cross-Cultural Solutions’ website at www.crossculturalsolutions.org.