Feeling lonely? There’s an event this month that might help.
Nobody Should Eat Alone, scheduled for Dec. 6, aims to build more community connections in Squamish over a shared meal at the Zephyr Cafe.
Carolynn Moon, a local who moved to Squamish two years ago, is organizing the event.
Moon said despite the community being friendly and adventurous, many people are having their dinner at home, alone, at the end of the day.
“Every age group in our community, there’s so many people eating alone,” she said.
“I’ve met so many awesome people in this community, so many great outdoors people, but at the end of the day they post all of these happy pictures on Facebook, and then go home and eat alone with their dog.”
The event scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m., is a social gathering, and adults of all ages are invited.
Moon said the meal will likely be something simple and sharable, like a big soup or chili with bread. While she says the food will be tasty, the focus is the company, not the meal.
“Breaking bread is huge,” she said. “It gives you a stronger sense of community to share a meal.”
While the final details are still being determined, the plan is to seat guests at two long tables inside the Zephyr Cafe and there will be board games and music later in the evening.
Any leftovers from the meal will be donated to Squamish Helping Hands.
Moon said she’s had the event in mind for a couple years, but a Thanksgiving gathering at her home this year, with 17 people of different ages sharing a meal, inspired the idea of having dinner together.
“Some were 20 years old, some were 65 years old,” she said. “We had the most fun.”
Moon said she doesn’t think Squamish is necessarily a lonely place, but for people who are less outgoing or have moved from a different city, it can be hard to break into a new community.
“I think for me it’s easier because I love to chat with people, for the general population it can be hard,” she said. “We have an amazing community here, lots of friendly people, and if we can do this kind of thing it will be even better,”
In November, Moon hosted a movie night at the Adventure Centre, an event meant to bring an older demographic together for a social event.
Moon said she hopes the communal meal will become a monthly event if there is enough interest in the community.
