The program "Host a Family" is encouraging the inhabitants of Philadelphia to welcome in their homes, from 22 to 25 September 2015, thousands of visitors who will come there for the VIII World Meeting of Families. This meeting will immediately be followed, on 26 and 27 September, by the visit of Pope Francis in Philadelphia, and over two million people are expected.
Registration for those willing to provide accommodation in their own homes (within a radius of 120 miles around the city) is still open, and their number is growing daily. The service–offered by the largest urban center of Pennsylvania to families, groups and individuals– open officially in January.
"Host a family" was developed in collaboration with the travel agency Homestay.com (
www.homestay.com), a highly secure platform that makes it possible provide lodging for the participants of the World Meeting in homes offered in recent weeks by the residents of this American city. From young professionals to retired persons, from individuals to families, respecting (on the basis of the difference of sex) the needs and characteristics of those who are accommodated, Homestay.com makes it possible to choose a personalized way to participate in this initiative as a host family. In fact, the visitors will be able to reserve rooms, furnished apartments and even entire houses.
Those interested in being host families in Philadelphia in 2015 can join for free through a simple step-by-step online registration process, at
bit.ly/hostafamily. For detailed information on the program of the Meeting, the requirements that the host families must fulfill and their responsibilities, as well as answers to any other questions, are presented in the FAQ and in videos on the site
www.worldmeeting2015.org .
