For New Immigrants
ComeToDinner is a new, free service that matches New-to-Canada families with Canadian host families for a dinner to remember together!
In October, 60 families participated to Share Thanksgiving Dinner and had great experiences, and now we’re expanding the program! As a guest, you would be invited by a host family to share a dinner in their home. There’s nothing expected of you – this is a chance simply for families from different backgrounds to connect over food.
Sign up to join an established Canadian Family for Dinner
Learn more!
We hope you are excited about the chance to join an established Canadian family for dinner!
But you might be a little nervous! It would be great, but what’s it really like? We’re here to answer any questions you might have and to explain how the matching process works.
Have other newcomers had these dinners?
Yes! 50+ newcomer families have done this and loved it! Read about their experiences here.
Why would a Canadian family want to host you?
Many newcomers have asked this question! Many Canadian families are simply generous. We’ve had 100 sign up so far to express interest in hosting newcomers. Some might have travelled to other countries and experienced the hospitality of other cultures, some might have done this before, some might have heard from friends who enjoyed their hosting experience.
Will I feel nervous?
Many newcomers initially did express that they were nervous – but as you can see from the stories of newcomers who have attended the dinner, they loved the experience!
How can I learn more?
North York Community House and other newcomer settlement services have helped in setting up this program and generating participants. Talk to them if you have any other questions!
How will I get to the dinner?
If you don’t have a car, most hosts will be located near subway or bus stops. Some hosts might be able to pick you up from a subway stop. We’ll take this into consideration when matching.
What will the hosts expect from me?
Host families are delighted to extend their hospitality with no expectations from you, other than to meet and learn from a newcomer family! However, if you would like, you could offer to make a dish from your home country to share at the dinner.
How it works
We’re here to help make the perfect match for your family. We’re run by volunteers who want to make connections and conversations easier. And we’ve designed this service to be really simple.
The next phase of matching will be for dinners occurring in the first two months of 2013.
There are three simple steps!
1. Express your interest. You want to share a dinner with an established Canadian family? If you sign up and answer a few questions that will help make the match as close as possible, we’ll put you in our group of newcomers to be matched.
For this phase, this step will close on January 5th.
2. Get matched! ComeToDinner will then find the right match for you. We will email you and your proposed host with the necessary contact information , and share the answers from the questions that you answered in step 1.
3. Arrange the dinner details. In early January, the host family will contact you to set up the details of the dinner. They will propose a few evenings and times when they are available, and you’ll be able to confirm the time that works best for you. You’ll get their address and arrange any necessary transportation.
On the day of the dinner, you’ll travel to your hosts house to share a dinner to remember together!
We know that you will enjoy it!
