Community Support Groups (CSGs) are a collaboration between BridgeUSA Summer Work and Travel stakeholders - Chambers of Commerce, visa sponsors, host employers, tourism offices, and community members - to create a support system for exchange visitors in their host city. CSGs provide vital resources such as orientations, housing assistance, airport pick-up, free meals, and disaster aid.

Annually, the Community Support Group community comes together at the Community Support Group Summit to discuss best practices, see the inter-workings of a successful CSG firsthand, and inspire the growth of CSGs.

Twenty Twenty-Four’s CSG Summit was held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, a popular seaside destination with thousands of exchange visitors becoming part of their community each spring and summer. Myrtle Beach has a thriving CSG, with the community recognizing the important economic and cultural impact they have on the city and collaborating to create a welcoming environment for the exchange visitors. A few key features of the Myrtle Beach CSG include:

• Orientations featuring presentations from visa sponsors, the Myrtle Beach Police Department, Coast RTA, the Chamber of Commerce Exchange Visitor Outreach, and water safety educators. The orientation also welcomes representatives from Social Security, banks, and cell phone carriers to assist exchange visitors with questions and application processes.

• The All Nations Cafe, a volunteer initiative by Midtown Vineyard Church, where exchange visitors gather to share a free meal, practice their English, and spend time with fellow exchange visitors.

• Airport pick-up and emergency housing supported by local volunteers who greet exchange visitors upon their arrival to Myrtle Beach International Airport and open their homes to exchange visitors who arrive in the evening or on the weekends, unable to check into their arranged housing.

A well-rounded two-day summit spanning a diverse set of topics, the presenters included:

• Scott Weinhold, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, providing opening remarks.

• K.Leigh Furzer, LifeTRAVELED’s Director of Seasonal Programs, discussing the importance of host employers actively designing their program to create the best exchange visitor experience.

• Anna Fitzpatrick, Sprintax Account Manager, reviewing exchange visitor tax obligations.

• Allen Amick, Myrtle Police Department Lieutenant, addressing the importance of exchange visitor safety.

A highlight of the summit was the International Residence Hall (IRH) groundbreaking. International Residence Halls are a collection of dormitory housings built in communities that rely on the exchange visitor program but struggle to offer safe, affordable housing. IRH operates in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, Foley, Alabama, Branson, Missouri, and Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. In 2025, IRH will open their newest property in Myrtle Beach, providing vital accommodation to 600 exchange visitors. The CSG Summit group travelled, courtesy of Coast RTA, to the construction site to celebrate this win for Myrtle Beach’s exchange visitor community.