Connecting International Students with Friendly Canadians

Friends For Dinner

Welcome to Friends for Dinner! We are a hospitality program that brings International Students into the homes of friendly Canadians for a tasty meal during the traditional holidays of Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Student Info Host Info

About Us

What is Friends for Dinner?

Friends for Dinner is a collaboration between local churches and Christian student organizations
to connect friendly Canadians with international students
in order to show them hospitality and build friendships.

We understand that international students coming to Canada will have many new and exciting experiences as they study and live in a new culture. Yet leaving home to live in a foreign country can also leave them feeling disoriented, lonely and homesick.

In 2012, a small team of volunteers in Ottawa came together with a vision to help church families befriend international students at local colleges and universities by inviting them into their homes during the traditional holidays of Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Since then, Friends for Dinner has hosted hundreds of international students and has spread to other cities in Ontario and across Canada.

How Does It Work?

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!

How Do I

Get Involved?

How To Participate

Select the option below and let us know if you are an international student or are interested in becoming a host

Student Registration

Host Registration

Upcoming Events

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THANKSGIVING (OCTOBER)

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CHRISTMAS (DECEMBER)

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EASTER (MARCH OR APRIL)

Our Next Event

Christmas – December 2024

If you would like to be invited for a special meal this coming Christmas (December 23 to 27, 2024), registration will open in mid-November. Please click on your city to see if the registration form is available.