AMIS Welcome Meals: Welcoming Newly Arrived International Students

In 2024, AMIS Atlanta started a new initiative to welcome newly arrived international students to the Atlanta area: Welcome Meals. This program connects volunteer hosts with students who have newly arrived in Atlanta (and often the US!) for a meal in a local home. 

In 2025, AMIS has continued this initiative, with multiple volunteer hosts welcoming students studying at Georgia Tech, GSU, Emory, and more to lunches or dinners in their homes. One host reflected, “The small welcome events are very meaningful to students who are overwhelmed by the strange newness of everything in America and Atlanta!” 

Welcome Meal at the home of the Executive Director, Camille Kesler

The students, hailing from Ghana, Taiwan, South Korea, India, Japan, Nigeria, Panama, Thailand, China, and more countries, have been able to glimpse into local homes and try homemade cuisine. Some students were pleasantly surprised to be served food that didn’t fit the American stereotypical bad eating of hamburgers, pizza, and hot dogs.  

A student from Japan thanked her host, “Thank you so much for today! I had such a wonderful and enjoyable time. Annie [the dog] was absolutely adorable, and thank you for the lovely dinner gathering! It was so meaningful to hear everyone share their different opinions and cultural perspectives. Even though I still can’t express myself perfectly in English, I learned so much and it was such a valuable experience for me!... I’m so happy that I got to meet you through my first AMIS program experience!” 

AMIS is truly grateful to our volunteer hosts for taking the time and making an effort to “welcome the stranger” in our wonderful city of Atlanta! If you are interested in hosting a meal or other event for a small group of students, please reach out to office@amisatlanta.org!