CCCC President calling for Thanksgiving hosts

During the holidays, many international students studying in the United States can find themselves alone, without friends and family to celebrate with. To alleviate that, Cloud County Community College President Dr. Adrian Douglas is asking that community members offer to host international students to their Thanksgiving dinners.

“Many of our international students do not have the ability to travel home for the holiday, missing out on spending time with family and friends. For them, it can seem like any other Thursday, and an especially solitary one as most of the campus is empty,” Douglas said.

As a host, community members are asked to invite at least two international students to their Thanksgiving dinner, giving them the opportunity to share family traditions, while also learning about their guests’ home country and traditions. This opportunity will allow students to experience a major aspect of American culture, and also give them a chance to connect with Americans off the Cloud County campus.

 “No one should be alone on Thanksgiving, and it is my hope that the Cloud County Community College communities will open their homes to welcome these international students,” Douglas said. “This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with them, learn about their country and traditions, and hopefully make bonds that will last a lifetime.”

If anyone is interested in being a host family for the holiday, they are asked to contact the president’s office at 785.243.1435, ext. 201, or via email at dleif@cloud.edu by Friday, Nov. 22. Once a list is compiled, the college will match international students with host families.