Our Family Dinner Crew: NYC January 2016    Photo Courtesy: Errol Dunlap

When was the last time you went somewhere to unwind and meet people, free of an agenda? Simply to breaking bread and sharing a few hard-bellied laughs? Last weekend, I had the opportunity to attend “Our Family Dinner,” an initiative with a sole mission to bring complete strangers together and turn them into family, one dinner at a time!  The brainchild of Lawrence Adjah, “Our Family Dinner” was brought to life 8 years ago, when he became drawn to addressing the need to facilitate community-based family-style dinners for young adults.

Here are my top 5 reasons you should attend:

1. They greet with hugs and big smiles.
2. You connect on a strictly personal level. Professional networking and jargon is better left at home.
3. You share food and create a space where everyone feels important.
4. You get the opportunity to share major life events, just like you would with your family. (ran half-marathon, new home, birthday, new family (baby) arrival, engagement, promotion, etc)
5. You create organic relationships, just like you did in the playground as a child. We can get so lost focusing on the amount of social media “friends” we have that we lose touch of the personal interaction. This dinner allows you to put your people skills to the test and gained some valuable relationship by being yourself.

Whether you just moved into a new city, looking to make friends or just need someone to tell you where the best hair salons are located, making a connection is very important. Our Family Dinner allows you to step out your comfort zone by welcoming strangers into your physical and spiritual space as family. This event happens twice a year! The next one in NYC will take place in July!

Check out the website for more info.