Grandville Jenison Chamber Members Attend Networking Event and Change Life for Slovakia Student!

Posted: Mon, August 9, 2010

By Member - Dawn R. Martinson, Regional Manager
International Student Exchange, Central Midwest Region

For those people who don’t believe that networking events will help with their business, I’d suggest that they think twice! No matter what the event from Networking Lunches to After Hours, to even an informal breakfast among members – all of them will leave an impression upon the people you meet.

About a week or so ago, the Grandville-Jenison Chamber invited its members to an informal breakfast at the Big Boy in Grandville. I must say that I always look for ways to meet with people and wanted to attend this event. However, I was already committed to attend another meeting that same day and time. I agonized over what I should do – attend an informal breakfast or attend a meeting I had agreed to attend. After much thought, I chose to attend the breakfast for two reasons. The first is that I am new to the Grandville-Jenison Chamber and have not had an opportunity to attend many events, and second, I am with International Student Exchange, and I am seriously looking for families in the Grandville and Hudsonville area. I knew the other meeting would not meet any of the needs that I currently had, so I chose to attend the breakfast.

I had one young lady from Slovakia that had been accepted into Hudsonville Schools, however, the originally family had to back out due to challenges in the home. We needed to find another family in the area willing to host this student for the school year, as well as several other students that need homes. Anyway, I presented my dilemma and a couple of people took the information. One of the members who took the information was, Howie Boeve from Howie Boeve & Company Real Estate and indicated that he may know somebody who might be able to do this. I thanked him and left to get on with my day.

In the meantime, I had asked another family currently hosting a student if they knew of anybody that would take this student in. They talked to a few people without success and finally gave me the name of a friend and stated they might do it. On Saturday, I spoke with the friend and told them they were referred and what my need was. She indicated they were not in a position to do this, but her friend Jacki might be able to do it. She would talk with her friend later that day and get back with me. On Sunday evening I had not yet heard from them so I called back… she hadn’t had the opportunity to chat but immediately sent an email with information about the student.

I received an email back indicating that they would think about it and pray about because, oddly enough, her husband had been at a networking event on Thursday morning and had received the same information about this girl who needed a host family!! Hummmmm…..

I received a call on Monday afternoon from Howie Boeve indicating that he had not only received the information I gave him, but strangely enough, their best friends had sent over the same information about the young lady from Slovakia! The odd thing here is that Howie always attends a Bible Study on Thursday mornings and should not have been at the breakfast that morning. I was not supposed to be there either…. While I believe God does work in mysterious ways, I also think that every opportunity you are offered to meet people and make a difference in people’s life’s will only further who we are as a people and a community! I would like to thank the Boeve family for agreeing to open their home to this wonderful opportunity! I look forward to a great year!

Dawn R. Martinson, Regional Manager
International Student Exchange, Central Midwest Region
616-455-6338
drmartinson@sbcglobal.net
www.cmw-exchange.org