Families in Greater Bangor have two opportunities to make new friends and learn about another country by participating in programs under the Council on International Educational Exchange.

Former language teacher Dennis Michaud of Bangor, owner of Michaud International Academy, is the local representative of CIEE.

He is seeking families to welcome individuals for two separate educational exchange programs.

In the first program, five Japanese teachers will visit for one week, from Saturday, July 26, through Saturday, Aug. 2. These teachers, Michaud explained, are in the middle of a two-year, advanced-degree program at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

“They’ve been living and studying in Washington for a year, and they have to go back to complete their second year,” he added.

Reading through their resumes with their added personal comments was an absolute delight, I can assure you.

Some of the teachers are married with children, and others are single. Many enjoy fishing and outdoor activities.

The host family provides room and board, and everyone begins their week with a welcoming get-together at Michaud International Academy at 523 Union St. in Bangor.

“I’m really hoping to get a few teachers involved” in this program, Michaud said. “They have so much to share.

“But any interested family is welcome to host one of these teachers.”

The second program Michaud represents is the council’s student program, for which he is seeking host families for the 2003-04 school year.

Last year, several European exchange students studied in communities such as Dexter, Blue Hill and Bangor.

These host families provide room, board, a place to study and transportation to and from school. The exchange students have their own insurance and spending money.

The Council on International Educational Exchange is an international nonprofit organization representing 30 countries. The group formerly worked solely with university exchanges but recently added a high school exchange program.

The U.S. headquarters for the teacher exchange program is in New York City. The high school exchange program office is located in Boston.

If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity, or would like to invite a teacher for a week or a student for a school year, call Michaud at 990-0963.

Upon her family’s return from Portland to Bangor last year, Melanie Bronson Kollman of Bangor decided it was time to restart the La Leche League program, which had not been active in this area for nearly two decades.

La Leche League, she explained, “is a nonprofit, non-sectarian, all-volunteer organization founded to help women who want to breast feed their babies.”

It appears the new start was successful because Kollman called to report another La Leche League group is forming. This group will meet the fourth Tuesday of each month, which means its first meeting is 6:30 tonight at Grace United Methodist Church on Union Street in Bangor.

“It will be the same meeting as during the day, but this group is for people who work or those who find the other meeting doesn’t fit into their schedule,” Kollman said. “However, they can come to both meetings if they like.”

For more information about this organization or its local meetings, call Kollman at 942-2362.

Hospice of Eastern Maine has announced that its summer 2003 session of Pathfinders: Support for Grieving Children, will begin at 6-7:30 p.m. Monday, June 30, and continue through Monday, Aug. 4.

The six-week summer session provides grief support for children and families or caregivers experiencing the death of a loved one.

Pathfinders is geared for children and teens ages 3-18. Adults attending with children meet in their own group, and teens can attend on their own, with consent from their caregivers. New families are asked to attend an interview with the program coordinator.

Each session is facilitated by a trained Hospice of Eastern Maine volunteer.

For more information or an interiew, call Linda Boyle 973-8269.

Bill Rae of Manna Ministries asks for help only when it is needed, and he reports “now is the time, to ask again.”

Specifically, Manna needs Styrofoam plates for its soup kitchen, and canned items such as baked beans, soup, spaghetti, meat and fruit to distribute to the needy.

Manna will accept your contributions from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, at 180 Center St. in Bangor.

Joni Averill, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; 990-8288.