About this club
Friendship Force of the National Capital Area USA
(FFNCA)
Friendship Force of the National Capital Area USA (FFCNA,) founded in 1979 is a local chapter of Friendship Force International (FFI.) Consisting of about sixty members, FFNCA focuses on planning and conducting inbound and outbound journeys dedicated to promoting global understanding across the cultural and other barriers that separate people. In addition to the journeys, we also hold several other social activities throughout the year – picnics, outings to local attractions and general get-togethers.
Our club consists of around 60 to 70 members who live in a large geographic area including the:
-District of Columbia
- Virginia and Maryland suburbs
- Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.
We try to schedule events with the dispersed nature of our membership in mind.
We welcome new
members (friends!) Each new member is matched with a current club member to help welcome
them into the group.
Friendship Force International
(FFI)
Founded in 1977 by visionary Wayne Smith and supported by President Jimmy and Roselyn Carter, Friendship Force International (FFI) is a non-profit cultural organization focused on promoting understanding, cultural education, and citizen diplomacy through homestay Journeys and personal friendships. Through these exciting personal encounters, sharing of meals, conversation and the routines of daily life, strangers become friends. These friendships, formed across the barriers of nationality, language, race, religion and politics expand and improve the way we see the world and make it a better place.
​
Today FFI consists of over three hundred local clubs and a handful of special interest clubs. The organization is led by CEO and president, Jeremy Snook, an international board of directors, an international Advisory Council and various staff.
Outbound Journeys
On an outbound journey 8 to 20 members of our club travel to the host club's city where members of that club provide up to seven nights of hosting us in their homes. The host club arranges activities special to the area we are visiting and social events during which we can get to know their other members.
Often a journey to a second nearby host club is included and/or a pre- or post-trip extension is piggybacked onto the beginning or end of the trip.
Each of these journeys provides a unique opportunity to experience a different culture and to appreciate the various personalities of the individuals participating in it. Ambassadors are encouraged to be flexible, remain open to experiences with a different culture, and to behave so as to reflect well on themselves and our country.
Inbound Journeys
On an inbound journey, a club in another country or another city will have been assigned to visit our club in Washington, DC. For the most part these journey assignments are made by the international organization.
A host coordinator will volunteer for the task of planning and executing the visit along with various helpers. Members will volunteer to host the visiting ambassadors in their homes for up to seven days. Host families will include their ambassadors in the activities of their daily lives as well as activities designed to introduce the ambassadors to life in our greater Washington, DC area.
Often days hosts will help in escorting the ambassadors to various local attractions.
Additionally, a welcome party, various small group dinners and a Farewell party are usually planned so ambassadors can meet and interact with more of our members.
