National No One Eats Alone Day (February 17th, 2023)
Growing up in middle and high school can be difficult. Known for its social cliches and drama, if you don’t have friends throughout those years, then it can be hard. Social isolation is a pervading feeling that can never seem to go away, especially in a world that thrives on social interaction. Hence comes National No One Eats Alone Day, a day all about socializing and making friends through lunch. Want to know more about National No One Eats Alone Day? Read below to find out more about its History and how you can take part in this special holiday!
History of National No One Eats Alone Day
No One Eats Alone is a prevention program that was created by nonprofit Beyond Differences to tackle the growing problem of social isolation in schools. The program, which was launched in 2012 in a handful of schools in Northern California, addresses an issue that affects students all over the country in urban, suburban, rural, public and private schools. No One Eats Alone encourages students to not only sit with classmates they don’t know and get to know them but also to spot others who might feel left out and include them. In 2018, more than 1 million students in over 2,300 schools in all 50 states participated in National No One Eats Alone Day.
Beyond Differences is a student-led organization focused on bringing an end to social isolation in schools all over the country. The organization was inspired by a woman named Lili Rachel Smith, who had Apert’s Syndrome and died in her sleep at the age of 15, suffered from social isolation during much of her life. The organization has since created multiple programs such as Know Your Classmates and Call It Out, No One Eats Alone has become one of the most popular programs in the country, helping to end the feeling of social isolation and bringing acceptance back into middle and high schools.
How to Celebrate National No One Eats Alone Day
While this is a program that’s celebrated in middle and high schools, if you want to get involved, then try and bring the program to your school by contacting Beyond Differences. If your school has a program involved for the holiday, celebrate it by sitting next to a person at lunch and hashtag #NoOneEatsAloneDay on your favorite social media websites. The main goal of this holiday is to speak to a person you wouldn’t normally speak to and get to know them. National No One Eats Alone Day is all about spreading kindness where it is needed, so grab a seat and chat with a stranger and see what possibilities can come of it.
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