Volunteer to Host an International Student for Thanksgiving

November 9, 2021 | News, UToday, Student Affairs
By Staff



The Center for International Studies and Programs is inviting UToledo faculty and staff to share in a cross-cultural experience by hosting an international student for Thanksgiving.

American families are invited to volunteer and open their homes to share a meal with international students as they celebrate the holiday.

“This is our eighth year of coordinating this event and families and students have all enjoyed meeting with new people and learning about different cultures in the past years,” said Xinren Yu, assistant director for the Center for International Studies and Programs. “We were able to pair more than 40 international students with 20 families through this program in 2019. The program was put on hold in 2020 due to the pandemic, but we would like to resume the program this year and see more people from the UToledo community get involved.”

Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 25 and many U.S. families will host a dinner on this day; however, some families may celebrate on another day.

“Even if you celebrate Thanksgiving on another day during that week, we would still like to invite you to sign up as a host family,” Yu said. “For many UToledo international students and scholars, this will be their first American Thanksgiving experience. As U.S. students plan trips home to celebrate the holiday with their families, many international students are unable to do the same. This Thanksgiving dinner experience will truly make a difference in their lives.”

Host families are asked to register online at utoledo.edu/cisp/thanksgiving by Friday, Nov. 19.

Click to access the login or register cheese