<p>So we're willing to trust our children's welfare to a total stranger we've met on the Internet?</p>
<p>OK, I just wanted to be sure I understood what we were doing.</p>
<p>PM for more info.</p>
<p>That's UCIrvine</p>
<p>
A stranger?? MOI??? I've never met a stranger--they're pretty much all friends within a short time! <em>LOL</em> :D</p>
<p>I doubt anyone would call on someone that they didn't have a pretty good feel for, and yes, I've definitely come close to asking some of these great folks for help on an occasion or two. Kat has been wonderful in offering help, especially when my son was needing to put his stuff in storage, but we were able to get it worked out w/o bothering her. Still, I so appreciated her offer! :) And I'd help out, no questions asked, for my CC buddies, ANYTIME!</p>
<p>~berurah</p>
<p>all within Allentown area...glad to help where I can!</p>
<p>PM for cell if needed</p>
<p>Lehigh, Muhlenberg, Moravian, Cedar Crest, DeSales, Lafayette</p>
<p>All within 45 minutes. All except Lafayette withing 15 minutes.</p>
<p>Hey Mikksmom, you beat me to it!</p>
<p>I'm in San Diego - very close to UCSD, and in the vicinity of U San Diego and San Diego State. Would be very glad to help!</p>
<p>D will be in Madrid (no family or foriends), then Goettingen, where we have a lot of family, so I am not worried about that part.</p>
<p>
Actually, I think it's more like the parent having a contact in the area in case of emergency -- it might be a matter or providing information more than actual physical involvement. Example: Your kid at college gets a really bad toothache. Does anyone know a good dentist nearby? </p>
<p>When my d. went traveling alone to the east coast to visit colleges, another CC parent was a great help in giving me advice about local transportation options (how to get from the train station to the college campus).</p>
<p>"So we're willing to trust our children's welfare to a total stranger we've met on the Internet?"</p>
<p>we aren't talking about leaving our two year old at a stranger's house -- the children are college aged, so I think that the "danger" factor is minimized.</p>
<p>reminds me of something my mother keeps worrying about -- she is terrified that my son will become the victim of pedophiles (she watches way too much TV) and she can't understand why I am not concerned. of course my son is 6'2" and is usually mistaken for someone in their mid-20's so I can't see what a pedophile would do with him.</p>
<p>A former CC poster was of great help to my family when my son needed to find a medical specialist near his college several years ago. She is a professional in this field and had contacts in the area near the college who recommended an excellent specialist. I am very grateful for her help with this!</p>
<p>Exactly, It is nice to have a contact in town. It may be someone who can find out what is going on with regards to a certain situation. Refer a dr., dentist, lawyer, transportation method, comment on an event in the town. If we were talking middle schoolers things would be different. My d ended up in the emergency room w/ an abcessed tonsil. I had to drive 6 hours. It would have been nice to have someone who could either call and check on her or go to the hospital. When she was discharged, before I could arrive, the hospital just discharged her with no way to get her meds or back to her dorm. I personally feel the hospital should have made arrangements with a school rep but....they didn't. She ended up walking to get meds and then to her dorm....as sick as she was. THat experience and the fact I will have two children out of state, made me realize it would be very nice to have SOMEONE I could call....of course everyone should exercise caution and obviously the more info you have on someone the less likely they are up to no good.....so share info responsibly but privately. Maybe when you move your child in, have a cup of coffee with that person and get to know them.</p>
<p>I can take jmmom off the hook for 2 of the Central Maine schools: I live near Colby and wife works at Bates. PM is probably the easiest contact.</p>
<p>Like Atlmom, I am in the Atlanta area - east of. During rush hours, nothing's close! But, along with the colleges Atlmom lists, we can also be contacted if your kid is stuck on a layover or stranded at the Atlanta airport! </p>
<p>In the past we've hosted International students for Thanksgiving, and would be happy to include anyone who can't get home. We're used to this "stranger" stuff! Sometimes I feel like I know some CC folks better than I know people I see regularly.</p>
<p>However, I do check postcounts! And I'm unlikely to contact someone who's post counts are pretty low. Sorry.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Maybe when you move your child in, have a cup of coffee with that person and get to know them.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Now, that I can go for.</p>
<p>And I live 20 minutes from Fairfield University in CT.</p>
<p>VeryHappy, I think it's o.k. - there are a few people here (can count them on one hand) who have my real name, office information, cell phone number and even Skype contact details - but basically they're people I've come to "know" by reading their posts over time, and subsequently trusting them. I even once paid a poster's son to do some math stuff and his help allowed me to save a contract that I was about to lose (or loose???? - hate it when I'm too sleepy to get that right!!!). I would "hire" him again in a heartbeat. In my experience a person cannot really "fake" who they "are" in hundreds of posts over time. </p>
<p>I wouldn't engage with just anyone though - I have to "like" them, have a comfort level, etc. I don't look at post counts but I do assess over time if a community members tries to help others, or do they just use CC to play. Weenie once posted that there is a responsibility to respond to posts that are requests for help, and I think that's very true. Even I can find ways to help - I am not much use trying to help people find schools because I don't know anything about any of the schools or programs, majors, etc., but, there are always posts on the financial board that can be answered, etc. So if I don't "see" someone helping, if they're just playing around on the cafe on non-college related threads but not trying to answer posts to help people with college matters, then, I'm not going to be very interested in escalating the "relationship" into PM, email, and beyond.</p>
<p>Sooooooooooooooo,</p>
<p>me and the gang are relatively close (30-45 minutes either way) to Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State and Meredith and Peace. Elon, Wake Forest, UNC Greensboro and ECU are about an 1.5 to 2 hours in either direction.</p>
<p>PM me and I will get back to you. Have had kiddos at 3 campuses Duke, UNC-CH and NC State for various reasons so am very familiar with them.</p>
<p>Kat</p>
<p>just thought of something: also travel back and forth from the kiddos' current locales pretty regularly.......so for example will be in Princeton this weekend and again in August/September, was in Abq,NM 2 weeks ago and will be in Annapolis, MD end of June and beginning of August, so if anybody needs anything delivered or checked on let me know</p>
<p>Lewis Clark State College (Lewiston ID), U Idaho (Moscow ID), Washington State U (Pullman WA)</p>
<p>PM me and I will gladly give you my contact numbers. I am also familiar with the Spokane area for those with kiddos at Gonzaga, Whitworth, and Eastern Washington.</p>
<p>DITTO,
I will be traveling from ATL to CHAPEL HILL, NC in Mid June, so anyone need to send anything let me know!</p>
<p>PM if you need me!</p>
<p>I'm in Chapel Hill. PM me for contact info.</p>