Weber State University housing staff will host the 21st annual Feast of Gratefulness on Nov. 29 at noon at the University Village Community Center. The meal is free, but the staff asks that each student respond to the event invite or by calling Wildcat Village so they can plan enough food for everyone. The food will be catered by Cracker Barrel.
“I think it’s an honor,” Conley McCabe, the area coordinator for housing at Wildcat Village, said. “It’s exciting, heartfelt, heartwarming and it’s just a fun thing to get to do with the students.”
Thanksgiving is a time for family, food and gratitude, but students living on campus might not be so privileged. The university is home to over 1200 students from around the globe. Usually, these students study away from home, which might be many miles away. The housing staff want to make the Thanksgiving holiday memorable for those who will be separated from their hometown without everyone they love.
For some students, this feast put on by staff is their first experience with Thanksgiving.
“They’re happy that there is somewhere to go on campus where they can eat,” Angie Betancourt, associate director of housing, said. “It is a very American tradition to do Thanksgiving, so for some, that’s a new thing. They’re like, ‘What is the turkey? Why are we eating turkey?’ So I think maybe this year, we can capture more of what they have felt when they’ve come. It’s just been a very nice experience for them to have this college experience but also do things that American families do.”
The staff wants to make the students feel as at home as possible, which is why they organize events and special celebrations. The staff regularly holds student activities and loves seeing them enjoy themselves. Betancourt said they have gone around the table in previous Thanksgiving feast years and voiced their gratitude, celebrating with a cider toast. They’ve also watched the Thanksgiving Day parade and the football game together.