Finding “Aunt Joanne and Uncle Tom”

One advantage of our large, extended family and the network of friends that we have collected over the years is that wherever we go, it's likely that we will know someone within a few hours’ drive... someone to visit, someone to meet for a meal or someone to touch base with if we had car trouble (ask me about the Ford Escort timing belt/Garden State Expressway story).

When our daughter, Ronnie, headed off to PhilaU in 2007, I felt good knowing that the PhilaU employees at student Health Services and Safety and Security were available to help Ronnie during emergencies, but I also wanted to give her a list of contact people.. You know... the "in case of emergency" list.

Having grown up in the Philly area, it was easy. My Aunt Joanne and Uncle Tom lived in Roxboro- almost right down the street. Thankfully, Ronnie has never needed them in an emergency but Aunt Joanne and Uncle Tom love a great gathering, so she and her friends have been there several times for lasagna, marshmallow roasts and even a few birthday parties.

If you student will be living more than an hour or so from home, you might consider establishing a few emergency contacts in the area for your student, too. It’s certainly not necessary, but it could come in handy some time.

Although it's easier to create a contact list when you know people personally, you probably have other networks from which to draw. If you are a member of a civic or religious organization you may be able to establish a connection to members at a branch near the college. Or, perhaps you can count on the friend of a friend or a former co-worker. You’ll be surprised at the connections that can be made...

Several years ago, our older daughter, Sara, was considering going to a college in Saint Louis, Missouri. We have friends and relatives in many places, but Saint Louis isn’t one of them. When I was telling our dentist about the school, he told me that he had a cousin in Saint Louis. If Sara was going to Saint Louis he would call his cousin and ask him to be our contact person. Our dentist offered all of this without my suggestion. He has had children in college and he knew the importance of emergency contacts.

We had found our Saint Louis “Aunt Joanne and Uncle Tom”!