Tourists aren’t the only ones who descend upon the Boothbay region each summer. Dozens of international seasonal workers also travel to the Midcoast community each tourist season earning college tuition and experiencing American culture.

For nine years, the Boothbay Harbor Congregational Church has greeted international workers with a welcoming lunch. This year, a large contingent of Turkish, Bulgarian and Romanian seasonal workers attended.

The luncheon assists workers with learning about available resources within the region. Whether the workers need inexpensive transportation, such as a bike rental sponsored by the local Rotary club, or a friend in local law enforcement, the luncheon provides them with a list of phone contacts in their summer home.

“We want them to know they have a friend in the region,” said Marty Helman, Boothbay Harbor Congregational Church Mission Committee chairman. “Most are still learning English so this gives them a chance to learn about available resources. It also gives them a chance to meet other seasonal workers experiencing the same challenges.”

One of the international students working in Boothbay Harbor this summer is Yusmen Kadir. He is a college student from Velikotarnovo, Bulgaria. This is his third time working in the U.S. Last summer, he worked as a lifeguard on Long Island, New York.

This year, he decided to work in Boothbay Harbor based on a friend’s advice. Kadir is working two summer jobs. He is a housekeeper at the Topside Inn and a cashier at Hannaford. Kadir expects to work about 80 hours per week.

In college, he is studying accounting. He wants to work in the financial industry for an international company.

“My friend told me about Boothbay and I thought it would be a good place to improve my English and learn about American culture. The only thing I knew about Boothbay Harbor was it has beautiful sunsets,” he said.

Kadir has studied English for two years at a Bulgarian language school. He is more experienced speaking English than performing his summer work. “I’ve done neither (housekeeping or cashier) in the past, but I will learn,” he said.

Two Turkish students are also among the first-time international workers in Boothbay Harbor this summer. Melike Aygunes is a 21-year-old psychology student from Ankara. She is here with her boyfriend, Edip Iberisoy. He is also a college student living in Ankara. Aygunes is a server at Boothbay Lobster Wharf. This is her first time visiting the Boothbay region. Despite living 4,904 miles away, she knows two things about Boothbay Harbor.

“It has beautiful sunsets and lobsters,” she said.

As a seasonal worker, Aygunes wil also learn about the hospitality industry from a fellow countryman. “I have no experience working take-out. My mentor is another worker from Turkey who worked there last year,” she said.

During the luncheon, eight international students experienced first hand how the community assists its foreign guests during a crisis. The students arrived in Boothbay Harbor last  week thinking they had summer jobs and housing at the  former Rocktide Inn. When the eight workers arrived at the Oceanside Golf Resort, their names didn’t appear on the inn’s  list of J-1 Visa  summer workers, according to the resort’s Vice President of Operations Melissa Neel.

Neel said the resort is helping international workers find jobs and is providing them with lodging.

“We are overstaffed, but we haven’t turned anyone away,” Neel said. “We’ve hired about 25 J-1 Visa workers and have more international workers showing up every day looking for work. If we don’t have a job for them we assist them by looking for jobs at other local businesses and a place to stay.”

But the eight international workers didn’t stay unemployed for long. Helman along with Church Mission Committee volunteer Peggy Pinkham and Boothbay Harbor police officer Larry Brown contacted local businesses about hiring and housing international workers.

Brown announced before the luncheon ended that Spruce Point Inn in Boothbay Harbor hired all eight workers and would provide lodging for the season.