It can be hard to be away from family and friends for the first time, especially as an international student in a new country.
That's why the Salvation Army is working to recreate that sense of family and community among international students and locals with its young adult drop-in program.
Every Tuesday, 30 to 40 people meet at the Gordon Street citadel at 6:30 p.m. to share a home-cooked meal and play board games, sports, or just hang out. The group mostly consists of international students, though there are also domestic students, immigrants and young families who stop by.
“The idea was to create a bit of a hub for young adults 17 to 30, to be able to have a place to connect, to be connected to resources in the community, and share a meal,” said Rowena Ridder, who runs the program.
It initially launched in 2022 after the citadel received an internal grant, but really kicked off in fall 2023.
“We found there are a lot of international students disconnected from community because they are far away from their families. They’re under a lot of pressure, especially the ones working on their master and PhD programs.”
She said for people away from their families for the first time or international students away from home, it provides a community hub and support.
That’s the case for Maria Fernanda, a food engineer from Mexico getting her master’s degree in nutritional science at the University of Guelph.
“It might not make sense to locals, but when you’re an international student, the thing that you miss the most, is not the place but the people, your friends and family,” she said.
Fernanda has come to the drop-in pretty much every week since arriving in January; it’s helped her cope with being homesick.
“I love the food. But my favourite part is when you are done eating but then you can chit chat a bit longer with your friends. We call it sobremesa in Spanish,” she said.
Dinners are made each week by volunteers, who cook within a $150 budget. This week they had chili and bread, and some fruit and cake after for dessert.
But Salvation Army corps officer and pastor Peter van Duinen said the biggest pull is the sense of community, not the food.
“People have found a place where they belong. It’s like the theme song for Cheers. You need a place where everybody knows your name,” he said. “Whether it’s playing board games or sharing a home cooked meal, they’re finding a sense of belonging and a place where they can connect.”
Ridder said people are comfortable asking questions they might not elsewhere since it’s such a relaxed, friendly environment.
For instance, whether or not to feed geese, if they can have a barbecue in their backyard or how to buy a used car.
It also means people are comfortable asking for help connecting to the resources they need, whether it be mental health resources or Hindu or Muslim communities and organizations.
“It’s an absolute joy to be able to connect with them and make people feel welcome. Our overarching goal is to make people feel like they belong,” she said.
The program is so popular Ridder said while it’s supposed to end at 9 p.m., they often stay until 10:30 p.m. Even after that, people often hang out longer in the parking lot.
For Siva Karthik, an international student from India getting his master’s in data science at the U of G, the best part is playing badminton or volleyball and making new friends.
“You’re not holed up in your house, you can come out to play with others,” he said.
Karthik first came to the drop-in last month, and like Fernanda, has come every week since.
“I actually wait for Tuesdays to come,” he said. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Aurora Duran is an international student from Mexico doing her master’s in engineering. She first visited the drop-in the day after she arrived in January after a friend invited her, and has been coming ever since.
“It’s nice to have some connections with people, especially when you’re far from your family and friends and your support system in general,” she said. “If I think of my time back home, when you get together to eat with your family, that’s when we generally talk about your day and share. This feels the same. We’re family.”
Although the semester is ending, the program will continue to run each Tuesday throughout the summer. A car wash fundraiser for the program is being held on June 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1320 Gordon St.
