You Register
For both Students and Hosts, it only takes a few minutes to fill in a registration form. Select the appropriate section below to get started.
We Match
We will carefully match registered students and hosts together. Matching is based on location, available dates, and other preferences. We will then send the contact info to both students and hosts.
Enjoy Your Meal!
The host will contact their international student guests to invite them to their home. All that remains is to enjoy your meal together and begin a friendship!
Would you like to build friendship with an American host?
Hosts from all over are happy to welcome international students into their homes for an Easter gathering, a Thanksgiving dinner, a Christmas meal, or simply a casual dinner to share about cultures and to build friendship.
Interested by the idea, but feel a bit nervous about what it is like? Below we’ve put together a list of the most frequently asked questions that will help you to get a better idea.
Ready to take in this experience?
Here’s how it works.
If you are an international student interested in being a guest:
1Select the city you are in and register by filling out the online form. You may register yourself and your family. If you want to join with friends they must also register.
2We will match you with a suitable host based on various factors including group size, special diets and location. Your host will contact you to arrange a date and time for the dinner.
3If you cannot provide your own transporation your host will arrange to pick you up either from your residence, your school or a specific bus/train/metro station.
Enjoy the time with your host!
Frequently Asked Questions
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Who is “Friends for Dinner”?
Friends for Dinner is a network of volunteers from local churches and Christian ministries in the city.
Who can participate as a guest?
Friends for Dinner is available to any international student at a college or university in the U.S. If Friends for Dinner is running in your city, you are welcome to participate.
Who are the local hosts?
There is a great diversity among our local hosts. Most of our hosts are families with children, but some are single people, others are married couples, some are retired, and others are grandparents. But all our hosts have one thing in common – they are Christians who love to connect with and befriend international students!
Will international students feel safe?
All of our hosts attend a local church and are asked to provide a reference from a leader or a pastor of their church. The Friends for Dinner team will contact the references in order to ensure that all registered hosts are known and reliable people ready to receive international students for a meal in their home.
What does a meal with a host family look like?
Hosts will contact their student guests to confirm the date of their meal and organize transportation. Some hosts will include students in a traditional family gathering, others will plan a special meal for their student guests.
They may serve traditional American holiday foods or they may serve foods from their own ethnic traditions. During registration, students are asked for information regarding any dietary restrictions they may have; this information is communicated to the hosts so that they can accommodate their students’ preferences.
After the meal, your hosts may invite you to play games, walk in the neighborhood or simply continue to talk and learn about one another.
Is there a cost?
No, there is no cost. If you wish to bring a gift for your hosts, you are welcome to do so, but there is no obligation.
Let’s get started.
Select your city and register with the online form.
If the form does not appear, registration may not yet be open.
Austin, Texas
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chicago, Illinois
Houston, Texas
NYC, New York
