The Irish Children's Program of Rochester will hold seven informational meetings throughout Monroe County for anyone interested in hosting a child from Northern Ireland during the summer of 2002.

Each year since 1982, the non-profit, non-political organization sponsors visits for children from Belfast, Northern Ireland. These children live with host families from the Rochester area for five weeks in July. This visit gives these kids a rare opportunity to take a break from the "troubles" which still plague Northern Ireland. It also gives them a chance to experience an environment where people of different religious and political beliefs live in peace.

Host families are asked to provide love, room and board in exchange for a lifetime of memories and a chance to share their life in America with one of these children.

Meetings are scheduled for Henrietta on Tuesday, January 8 at Guardian Angels Church, 206 East Henrietta Road. In Greece on Monday, January 14 at Our Mother of Sorrows Church, 5000 Mt. Read Boulevard and in Spencerport on Wednesday, January 16, at the Ogden Farmers' Library, 269 Ogden Center Road. All meetings start at 7 p.m.

For more information, call the Irish Children's Program answer line at 716-225-8550. Leave a message and a representative of the program will return the call.