This holiday season host a “Friendsgiving”! Gather friends and neighbors for a potluck full of delicious food and great company as you share a meal.
As the holidays approach most us are making plans and menus for big family meals. I know our holiday tables are laden with food. But I also think of all the moms and dads who don’t have the money to buy and prepare meals on a daily basis, much less large meals like Thanksgiving. Hunger in America has no boundaries – rural, urban and suburban. One in 5 children don’t know where their next meal is coming from. One of these children could be your own neighbor or even your child’s best friend.
Check out this short documentary, Going to Bed Hungry: The Changing Face of Child Hunger, which reveals the power and the promise of a shared meal for families across America.
The simple act of sharing a meal can have an impact on the fight against child hunger. So how can you share a meal this holiday season? Throw a Friendsgiving! People may shy away from invitations to a big family Thanksgiving so throw a “Friendsgiving” potluck the day before or after Thanksgiving and invite friends and neighbors who may need a meal.
Set A Date – You can host your Friendsgiving whenever you want. The day before or after Thanksgiving are the most traditional, but some people do a “Thanksmas” in early December, too.
Send Out Invitations – This can be formal invitations in the mail, invitations via email or on social media or simply knocking on your neighbors door. Not everyone has to know each other! This is a great way to introduce new people to each other.
Plan the Menu – You, the host, will cook the turkey. Then ask everyone else to bring a dish to pass. This can be anything from simple dinner rolls to green bean casserole to pecan pie. Just make sure to assign everyone a dish so you don’t end up with all one dish for dinner. The cost of a large traditional meal is now spread amongst several families, making the meal more affordable.
Plan Games or Activities – This isn’t necessary, but you may want to plan to have a few board games or other activities for guests to do after the meal. This encourages people to stick around. We play Thanksgiving Bingo every year. I buy little prizes from the dollar store to give out. Or you could play for leftover turkey!
No matter how you host a Friendsgiving, it is a great way to share a meal this Thanksgiving and help out those in need of a little food and compassion.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Unilever. The opinions and text are all mine.