Media Advisory/Photo Opportunity: CSU hosts Interfaith Friendsgiving Nov. 7

The day after the midterm elections, members of the Colorado State University and Fort Collins communities will gather for the fifth annual Interfaith Friendsgiving meal, sponsored by CSU Hillel and the Fort Collins Interfaith Council. This would make a terrific, upbeat story.

When/Where: Interfaith Friendsgiving will be held from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 7 at Everyday Joe’s Coffee House at 144 S. Mason St., Fort Collins, Colo.

Details: Held two Wednesdays before Thanksgiving, the Interfaith Friendsgiving brings together people from all walks of life – CSU students, faculty, staff and Fort Collins residents – to enjoy a traditional turkey dinner prepared in the kosher kitchens of the campus Hillel House by students of all backgrounds and religions.

The first Friendsgiving was organized by CSU students to bring together students of all faiths to share their traditions while bonding over cooking. Although the weather was near zero degrees, nearly 100 people crammed into the tiny space to eat and talk and learn from each other. Since then the serving venue has moved to the much larger Everyday Joe’s, and the meal is now served to about 200 people each year. Participants are required to share their table with others who identify with a belief system different than their own, and table cards provide suggested topics of conversation.

Meal preparation starts the weekend before the event, with students taking shifts in the Hillel kitchen – lots of opportunities for capturing images and interviews while they cook.

Not only has Friendsgiving become a tradition in Fort Collins, with some families attending every year and bringing everyone from grandparents to toddlers, it has also attracted national recognition. This year, representatives from the national Interfaith Youth Core in Chicago will be attending Friendsgiving to learn more about implementing similar events in other communities around the country.

Friendsgiving organizers Alex Amchi, director of CSU Hillel, and Elizabeth Sink, an instructor at CSU who also sits on the Fort Collins Interfaith Council, are available for media interviews. Students and community members who have been involved in past Friendsgivings also are available to talk with the media.

Photos of past events are available. For more information, view a short video from 2017 Friendsgiving at https://youtu.be/KYf-5AKvjmA

Contact: For more information, contact Elizabeth Sink at 970-443-3646 or elizabeth.sink@colostate.edu, Alex Amchi at 970 224 4246 or alex@hillelcolorado.org, or Jennifer Dimas at 970-491-1543 or jennifer.dimas@colostate.edu.