The Brock family is, in many ways, typical of their Burlington, Ky., neighborhood. They're white, college-educated, dual-income, American-born. It's their “extended family” of 75 or more children and young people that makes them seem more global and racially diverse.

        “It's always been important to my husband, Tom, and I to teach our children that all people were created by God equally, regardless of race, religion or appearance,” said Rita Brock, a labor-delivery nurse and mother of four.

        “Realizing it's easy to say that but more difficult to live every day, in all situations, we've set out to show it to our children (and others) by the way we live our lives.”

        About 12 years ago, Mrs.

        Brock began volunteering at a home for abused and neglected children.

        “My whole family became involved when we brought children into our home, of all races and colors, for visits and spent time at their residences, reading, singing or playing.”

        Those foster children and others are often African-American or other minorities, but they're members of the Brock family, too, at least in heart: “I've had kids who are just as precious to me now as ... if they'd been born to me,” she said.

        About 11 years ago, the family hosted its first of many foreign exchange students, a boy from Germany who today is still close to them. During his stay, the Brocks succeeded in getting Kentucky to repeal its ban on foreign students competing in high school sports.

        Her four children's life long involvement in soccer — and their parents' strong determination to be involved in their lives — made the Brocks international soccer parents.

        They have boarded teens and college students from around the world. Their eldest son, Tyler, 23, is a soccer coach at Union College, volunteering their home to young men from Brazil, Seychelles, Africa, England, Ireland, Australia, Trinidad and Mexico, staying overnight or even several months.

        “For my kids, having someone speak a different language or be from a different background is normal. In my house you can wake up and see someone like that eating across from you at our breakfast table,” she said.

        This Thanksgiving, though the family is still unsure of the guest list, they expect Brazilians, Africans and a Trinidadian, at least. Last year, an Australian helped them give thanks.

        “It depends on who can't get home for the holidays,” Mrs. Brock said.

        “To me, it's a religious issue,” said Mrs. Brock, a Christian. “If you're doing what God wants you to do, you'll be open to everybody.”

        Two years ago, she realized that her patients from Mexico were often uncomfortable discussing intimate health matters with her using a male translator. She began teaching herself Span ish and translates for other nurses when she's off-duty, if necessary.

        She got a boost in her salary but her real repayment, she said, was that her children can see “that sometimes we're rewarded for doing the right thing.”

        Sometimes, even her best intentions are complicated by world events.

        A sponsor of a high school Fellowship of Christian Athletes group, Mrs. Brock usually invites speakers to share breakfast and devotions with youth at Conner High School. Recently, the group invited someone from the Islamic Center to speak but the group canceled for safety concerns because federal officials had just detained about two dozen Muslims there for questioning, she said.

        Mrs. Brock said she hopes to reschedule the Islamic speaker. FBI officials admitted after the raid on some Northern Kentucky apartments that they were following a case of mistaken identity.

        Family to family, Cincinnati can learn to live with its diverse peoples — black or white, rich or poor, English-speaking or foreign-born, Christian and Muslim. Education and exposure can break down fear and prejudice, Mrs. Brock said.

        “My children aren't afraid of people who are different; they're afraid of the evil in people,” she said.

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