Community invited to join ‘Host-A-Boiler’ during Thanksgiving and winter breaks

Purdue is home to more than 10,000 international students and scholars from around the world. During the holiday season, many of these students remain in Greater Lafayette and choose to join Purdue’s Host-A-Boiler program, coordinated by the Office of International Students and Scholars at Purdue.   

The Host-A-Boiler program pairs host families with students to offer a family-oriented experience during the holidays. The volunteer hosts are Purdue faculty, staff, domestic students with families and others living in the area. Participants in the Host-A-Boiler Program can sign up for a one-time get-together during either Thanksgiving or winter break. Thanksgiving break hosting dates are Nov. 25-27, and winter break hosting dates are Dec. 18-31. Those interested should contact Beth Tucker at friendship@purdue.edu.

Swati Shikha, a Purdue student who participated in Host-A-Boiler in 2019, describes the experience saying, “I was hosted by Mrs. Karen Leeker, her husband Mr. Steve Leeker and her mother, Theresa, for Thanksgiving. They were all very welcoming and since I was a vegetarian, they specifically cooked meatless portions for me. Our original plan was to meet only for an early dinner, but we ended up spending time together until late in the night! Between stories, smiles, pies and steaming cups of coffee, we never even noticed all those hours passing away. Mr. and Mrs. Leeker regaled me with colorful accounts of their time with students and we bonded over our love for whipped cream and reality TV drama.”

Host-A-Boiler is an opportunity to celebrate the holiday times with some new friends from different cultural backgrounds and gain new understanding for not only the students, but the hosts too.

Julia and Marv Boyer, who hosted students in 2019, said, “It is a lot of fun, we find much so laugh about! We can’t travel to all the countries these students are from so we are able to learn a lot from them. I am used to feeding a crowd so there is always a variety of food that allows everyone to find something they enjoy. I pack up leftovers for them and though it’s not fancy, it’s home-cooked, and the students always leave full and happy.”

Shikha said, “It was really special for me getting to share and experience their holiday traditions. We have even kept in touch since then. I will always be thankful to the Host-A-Boiler Thanksgiving program for having introduced me to such a kind and generous family.”

To learn more and register for the program, visit the Host-A-Boiler program website. Sign up to participate in a Thanksgiving get-together by Nov. 16 or for winter break by Dec. 13.

Writer: Bella Vina, ivina@purdue.edu

Source: Beth Tucker, intercultural learning specialist, 765-494-9225, btucker1@purdue.edu