Some of the best conversations happen around a table.
A community dinner does not need to be a formal event or a big production. It can be as simple as inviting a few people over, sharing a meal, and making space for a conversation about the community you live in.
During Hunger Action Month, hosting a community dinner is one way to bring people together while learning more about food insecurity in Alaska and what each of us can do to strengthen food access.
You do not need a community event on the calendar to host one of your own. A kitchen table works just fine. 🍽️
What is a community dinner?
A community dinner is any gathering where people share food and intentionally connect with one another.
It could be a neighborhood potluck, dinner with friends or extended family, a workplace lunch, or a gathering hosted by a faith community or local organization. There is no required guest list and no perfect menu.
What matters is creating an opportunity for people to sit down together and have a conversation they might not have had otherwise.
Below are a few ways to get started.
Invite your people
Start with the community you already have. Invite neighbors you have been meaning to get to know better. Bring coworkers together for lunch. Ask friends or family to join you for dinner.
Your gathering does not need to be large to matter. A handful of people around the table absolutely counts.
You can also let guests know ahead of time why you are gathering. Explain that September is Hunger Action Month and that you would like to use the meal as an opportunity to learn and talk about food access in Alaska.
Keeping the invitation simple makes it easier for people to say yes.
Keep the food simple
This is not a cooking competition. Host a potluck. Order pizza. Make a big pot of soup. Serve a favorite family recipe.
➡️View our Pinterest board for ideas
If it works for your gathering, consider featuring Alaska-grown foods or dishes that have meaning to the people at your table. Food can be an easy way to share family traditions, learn about one another, and start conversations about where our food comes from.
The goal is having people at the table.
Start a conversation about hunger
More than 115,000 Alaskans experience food insecurity. That is about 1 in 6 people across the state, including 1 in 5 children.
Food insecurity can affect people in every type of community, and it does not always look the way we expect.
A shared meal creates an opportunity to talk about what food access looks like where you live. If you are not sure where to begin, download our How to Talk About Hunger Conversation Starter Pack. It includes tips for talking about food insecurity in a way that is respectful, accurate, and centered on people.
You do not need to be an expert to start the conversation. Try asking a question and listening to where it leads.
Some conversation starters:
- What makes it easier or harder for people to access healthy food in our community?
- Where can someone in our community turn if they need help getting food?
- What have you learned about hunger in Alaska that surprised you?
- What is one resource that could make food access stronger where we live?
The point is not to have every answer by the end of dinner. It is to make hunger something we can talk openly about, learn about, and understand more deeply.
Choose one thing to do next
This year's Hunger Action Month theme is One Thing at a Time.
You do not have to solve hunger over dinner.
Instead, ask everyone at the table to think about one realistic action they could take next. 💭
Maybe your group decides to host a food drive or spend a morning volunteering. You might share a local food distribution calendar with someone who needs it or learn more about the organizations working on food access in your community.
Your next step can also be as simple as continuing the conversation with someone who was not at the table.
Small actions add up when people keep taking them.
Keep the conversation going
A community dinner does not have to be a one-time event.
Host another one next month. Invite someone new. Ask a different question. Learn about another part of Alaska's food system. 🍱
Food has always been a way people build relationships and care for one another. Sharing a meal gives us an opportunity to understand our communities better, including the challenges our neighbors face and the strengths already present within them.
This Hunger Action Month, gathering around a table can be your one thing.
Invite a few people. Share a meal. Talk about hunger in your community, then decide what you want to do next.
