By Michela Gritti
The day of Thanksgiving, November 27, UNC Pembroke hosted a Thanksgiving lunch for students spending the break on campus. The event offered a traditional American meal and allowed students, especially those who are away from home, to embrace the local culture and strengthen their feel of belonging to this campus.
The menu included roasted turkey, fried chicken, candied yams, mashed potatoes, green beans cooked with turkey, cabbage, sweet tea and lemonade. The food was freshly delivered by Flipped and Fresh, a new restaurant that recently opened in Pembroke.
The event was funded by the Division of Student Affairs and coordinated by the Office of Global Engagement. Their goal was simple but meaningful: to make sure no student felt alone during the break. And the message came through clearly. What could have been a quiet and lonely day became instead a warm and lively moment of community, as students, faculty members and staff all came together to share the holiday spirit.
Many of the students at the lunch were far from home. Some could not travel because of the distance, the cost or their academic schedules. For international students in particular, this gathering meant much more than a free meal. It offered a sense of belonging that is often hard to find when living so far from family.
Riya Neupane, an international student, said she appreciated the chance to share the day with others who understand her experience. “If I was not here, I would have had to prepare my own food or spend the day studying alone,” she said. “Being here gives us the opportunity to connect with people. For us, international students, this gives a genuine sense of belonging and strengthens the bonds within this community.”
For others, the event brought a sense of comfort that helped soften the feeling of being away from home. Shaynne Dimpas explained how difficult it can be to celebrate a holiday without family nearby. “The idea of going back to your family is always there in your mind,” she said. “It is something we would like to do, but we cannot because we are far away. This lunch definitely allowed us to connect with people who are in similar circumstances.”
In addition to serving students on campus, the event also extended its impact to the wider community. All leftover food from the lunch was donated to Sacred Pathways, a local nonprofit that supports individuals and families in need. Sacred Pathways focuses on outreach, ministry, counseling and referral services, meeting people at their point of need and helping them move from hopelessness to hope. The organization offers programs such as a soup kitchen, health screenings, peer support and addiction recovery. By donating the remaining food, UNCP made sure the Thanksgiving spirit reached beyond campus and supported community members who rely on Sacred Pathways’ mission of healing, dignity and support.
Events like this one show the commitment of UNC Pembroke to being more than a school. UNCP aims to be a home, a place where students feel supported, valued and welcomed even when they are far from their own families. The Thanksgiving lunch was a small gesture, but an important one. It reminded everyone that community does not depend on distance. It depends on people who choose to show up for one another.
And today, UNCP showed up.