Join Us: #FamilyDinnerForward for Esther Day
The Family Dinner Project team believes in the power of family dinners. We believe that the little moments, the everyday meals that are shared by families of all shapes and sizes, have great benefits and lifelong impact. They all make a difference. Every dinner, every day.
But we also believe that the dinner table is an ideal place to learn and grow as a family, and to find ways to impact the world beyond our kitchen tables. That’s why we created #familydinnerforward, a series of social media campaigns that encourage families to perform acts of dinner-related kindness for others and share their efforts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Our first #familydinnerforward was held in honor of Giving Tuesday in 2014, and since then, we’ve seen many families, educators and organizations reach out to others in their communities with homemade meals, food pantry donations, bake sales and volunteering. There’s no wrong way to pay your #familydinnerforward, which is part of what makes it so powerful: It’s all about sharing whatever you can, whenever you can, with whoever you think could use a little kindness.
When our friends at the Harry Potter Alliance told us about Esther Day, we knew we had to get involved. Esther Day is an annual celebration of the life of Esther Earl, whose story and legacy live on through her family’s foundation, This Star Won’t Go Out (as well as through Hazel, the character she inspired in the book and film “The Fault in Our Stars”). Esther’s wish was that her memory be associated with powerful acts of love in the world. This August, we invite you to join us for a #familydinnerforward campaign in honor of her life and her commitment to love.
Between August 1 and August 31, pay your #familydinnerforward and share a photo on The Family Dinner Project’s Facebook page, or on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtags #familydinnerforward and #EstherDay. Your dinner-related act of love can be anything that works for you, but here are some simple ideas others have shared in the past:
- Invite someone over to share your family dinner
- Bring a homemade meal to a neighbor
- Buy the ingredients for a simple meal and give them to someone, along with the recipe
- Organize a potluck
- Bake a dessert for someone
- Donate to a food pantry
- Teach someone to cook
Whatever you choose, don’t forget that love is the most important ingredient!
On September 1, 2015, we’ll announce one winner from all the #familydinnerforward entries to receive a gift certificate to the Harry Potter Alliance online store. So go ahead: Share the love!
I’m doing this!