Rachel Andresen (April 8, 1907 – November 3, 1988) was an American social worker and founder of Youth For Understanding (YFU), a non-profit organization dedicated to international exchanges of high-school students.
[2] After Andresen and Rose were married, she helped to support their income by giving piano lessons while he attended the University of Michigan.
Andresen was left with three children to raise alone and not many people opted to spend money on piano lessons at that time.
[3][1] By the end of World War II, the Council was responsible for helping to re-build Europe by providing Michigan cattle and humanitarian assistance.
Andresen was approached by the Ann Arbor Rotarians and the State Department to supervise an exchange student program in 1952 in order to help bridge the rift of post-war hatred.
[4] Andresen was apprehensive of how well the concept of American families taking in students of a former enemy would be received.
At the end of their academic year they stayed at Pinebrook again, speaking English and having been enveloped by American culture.
[6] The YFU program began at a very grassroots level, and evolved and snowballed into a giant organization in the 25 years Andresen was at the helm.
What began with a small group of students from one country ended up as a vast and global network of peace and understanding.
She championed volunteerism, local politics and empowerment programs but she also relished having more time with her family and with her piano and her gardening.