Dinner with a Stranger
by Franke James
Writing, illustrations and photos by Franke James
Dinner with a Stranger © 2009 Franke James, MFA
The donation was made to The Yonge Street Mission which has been around for 113 years.
===================
FOLLOW UP ONE YEAR LATER:
CBC does “Dinner with a Stranger”
CBC television’s The National and CBC radio’s The Spark shared Franke’s story of “Dinner with a Stranger” with their audiences.
February 1st, 2009 at 5:52 pm
As always Franke, this is a very nice post illustrating a great idea and concept.
I really look forward to reading your next post. Meanwhile, take care and enjoy !
February 1st, 2009 at 5:54 pm
WOW! What an amazing story!!!! I love it and right now my mind is whirling with all of the possibilities!
February 1st, 2009 at 6:31 pm
I love it!
What a great story – I’m so happy you said yes, and shared the story here. I hope that the idea catches on.
5 or 6 years ago my husband and and I got a somewhat similar, completely random online request. Only, it wasn’t asking us for dinner – it was from an 18yr old kid across the country who had just graduated high school. His girlfriend had moved to our area and he felt he needed to come see her and see if they could make it work. And – here’s the kicker – could he come stay with us for 4-5 days in the process?
I asked why he didn’t just stay in a hostel and he replied that hostels scared him. I asked how we – as complete strangers – didn’t scare him, and he explained that he loved our photography and he felt like he knew us through our art. We said yes.
The thing with the girl didn’t work out, but not only do we still keep in contact with him but he went on to become a really amazing photographer, a career decision he credits to getting to stay with us and experience life in a photography studio for a few days that year. It’s a relationship that I treasure, and if we had never taken the leap for a totally bizarre request it never would have happened.
I think we all need to get outside our comfort zones more often, and I think I’ll do some digging and invite myself over to dinner the next time I read about someone I want to get to know.
Cheers!
February 1st, 2009 at 7:12 pm
Miranda,
Thanks for sharing your story! Wow! What an amazing impact your kindness and willingness to trust yielded. Good for you!
Franke
P.S. I can see why your photography inspired that young student. Fantastic work!
February 1st, 2009 at 7:25 pm
VIA TWITTER
Franke that’s *amazing*! Quirky, wonderful, amazing! Reading your post made my day.
Nancy
February 1st, 2009 at 8:34 pm
what a truly cool example of simple grass roots humanity – as always I adore the way you present things -dinner included!
February 1st, 2009 at 9:43 pm
Hi franke
what a wonderful post – makes the waiting so totally worth it.
i struggle to get my whole family together at the dinner table and here you are having complete strangers over!
Thank you for sharing your experience- give me hope
February 2nd, 2009 at 1:31 am
Franke,
Spoiled on three fronts:
1) A FABULOUS dinner (kudos again to Bill!!)
2) Delightful company (more than we could ever have asked from strangers)
3) A representation of the evening that captures the true spirit of the encounter.
I look forward to sharing this with all the friends and family that said “You’re doing what?”
Thank you again for such a magical time.
Best,
Hilary
February 2nd, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Wow Franke — You’ve done it again and again and again! This is a remarkable story in so many ways and your visual telling of it is superb! Words and images were meant to go together just like peas and carrots, chocolate and peanut butter and yes, kindred spirits who start out as strangers but become friends.
The story made me think about invitations are like seeds of possibility and how we often are captive behind a hard outer shell of fear or distrust or whatever we name the things that keep us from reaching out or allowing others in. So much wrapped up in an authentic, generous invitation offered and accepted. What could happen indeed if this idea were to spread?
Thank you and Bill, Mark and Hilary – for showing at least one way to reach in/out to each other. And now to blog this fabulous story among my circle of friends and colleagues and readers — Wonder what will be born of this idea that might create new community ties?
LaDonna
February 2nd, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Franke, you’re brilliant. *Love* this and can’t wait to share it!!
February 2nd, 2009 at 10:26 pm
Wonderful story!
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:26 am
Franke and Bill,
Such intrigue and excitement you unwittingly injected into our Christmas gift exchange! Just when we thought ideas couldn’t get more ingenious, in stepped the S.W.A.S. (supper with a stranger) fork. Thank you for not deleting the proposal.
Mark has provided our family with 31 years of surprises (mostly OK ones!). Paired with Hil, we knew you were in for an interesting encounter.
Your blog is absolutely delicious – so many seeds sown in such a delightful way. You just never know where a grassy driveway will lead.
Mark’s Mom
February 3rd, 2009 at 11:41 am
Wonderfully wacky and fun but I’m happy to see that you did some research before agreeing to the request.
You two are an inspiration and the Yonge Street Mission is a very worthwhile charity.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Hello Franke,
Thank you for your e-mail. I was in awe as I read your amazing blog. It was heartwarming to read how everything fit together perfectly, from Mark’s ask, to you being inspired by the Mission’s advertising, to the dinner with a “stranger”.
It is a wonderful story, one that I really feel can help the Mission.
Warm wishes,
Barbara
Barbara Walkden
Director of Development
Yonge Street Mission
270 Gerrard Street East
Toronto, On M5A 2G4
February 4th, 2009 at 6:07 am
I loved reading “Dinner with a Stranger”. Great stuff!
February 5th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
BLOGGED: Dinner With a Stranger
Imagine that a total stranger sends you an email inviting himself and a friend over to your place for dinner, in exchange for which he’d contribute $200 to charity. Would you say yes, prepare a meal and see what’s in store? That is exactly what local artist Franke James (of un-paving paradise fame) did, and now she’s trying to get the idea to spread.
Franke’s latest visual essay chronicles the experience, from the initial email appearing in her inbox to almost magical conclusion. And now, in the comments, we’ve already heard from The Stranger’s mom and the Yonge Street Mission – Franke’s charity of choice – and now Franke and The Stranger are sharing ideas of how to expand upon this concept as a larger-scale fundraiser.
I had a little chat with Franke about what was on her mind hosting this dinner, and what’s on her mind now…
February 5th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
Franke James does it again. I keep wishing I led her life, had her talent, insight and sense of wonder. As always Franke, you’re an inspiration!
What could possibly be next?
February 5th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
VIA TWITTER
I liked your visual essay about ‘Dinner With a Stranger’. Great idea! Just submitted it on Digg –> http://bit.ly/47UFc1
Maki Dosh Dosh
February 5th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
What a FANTASTIC story. The creativity of the grass roots. This is where the solutions lie.
Thank you so very much for sharing, Franke
Sharon
February 5th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Such a great concept! And I’m so glad that he picked you so that we could all benefit from your documenting the experience. This really could be a movement. What possibilities!
February 6th, 2009 at 1:18 am
Site is up again… Sorry for the hiccups! We got Dugg, Reddit, and Twittered! So we moved to a new server.
Many thanks for your interest,
Franke
February 6th, 2009 at 1:53 am
Hi,
I came to this through Reddit and it is awesome in every way, I enjoyed the format and the story. I call strangers every week to talk to them on my podcast and it’s an amazing and rewarding experience every time. The concept of Dinner with Strangers is fantastic and this post really made my day.
February 6th, 2009 at 4:47 am
Great story! I loved the illustrations to liven up the text. I’ve never seen anything like it before. I found this through popurls.com.
February 6th, 2009 at 5:20 am
Wow….this is so inspiring. I wannna do this. Veggie dishes all around! WOO HOO~
February 6th, 2009 at 6:57 am
Brought a smile to my face
February 6th, 2009 at 7:11 am
Interesting, there’s a partial risk in letting a stranger to your house. Suffice to say I’d be a little more concerned about letting some random person who seems to know you more then you know them (if at all anything you know about them).
Nice story, and thankfully it played out well.
February 6th, 2009 at 7:25 am
This is the first time I visited your site (thanks to digg) and I have to say this is a wonderful story. Thanks for sharing.
I hope to hear more wonderful experiences…
Tetea
February 6th, 2009 at 9:25 am
Imagine that a total stranger sends you an email inviting himself and a friend over to your place for dinner, in exchange for which he’d contribute $200 to charity. Would you say yes, prepare a meal and see what’s in store? That is exactly what Toronto artist Franke James did, and now she’s trying to get the idea to spread.
(via Digg)
February 6th, 2009 at 9:46 am
Thank you so much for the heart warming story. It shows such trust, care and thoughtfulness I hope that others take up the cause.
Brought a tear and a smile to my face.
February 6th, 2009 at 10:02 am
That was a refreshing read. I love the flow and illustrations. Kudos to everyone for doing something good and sharing in the experience!
February 6th, 2009 at 10:05 am
I found your wonderful article on Digg, a truly wonderful and inspiring concept! One can only hope to hear similar adventures occur in the future!
Fantastic!
February 6th, 2009 at 10:34 am
[...] http://www.frankejames.com/debate/?p=118 [...]
February 6th, 2009 at 11:23 am
this?
is ridiculously cool.
February 6th, 2009 at 11:24 am
awesome
February 6th, 2009 at 11:31 am
What a fabulous idea and wonderful way to pay it forward. I’m actually thinking about doing something similarly here in Massachusetts.
Thank you Franke for posting your experience in what can be said a very colorful way. And Thank you to Mark the “stranger” for taking the first step.
February 6th, 2009 at 11:33 am
An amazing story! This is a great idea!
I love to travel by myself for the sole purpose of FORCING myself to meet people I otherwise wouldn’t have to talk to if I were with friends or families. Americans (of which I am proud to be) have grown far too fearful of the unknown -strangers being what we seem to fear most.
February 6th, 2009 at 11:35 am
Digg has found you a new reader. You brought a smile to my face today.
February 6th, 2009 at 11:52 am
Hey Franke,
Like many of the people here, I found your site through Digg. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article.
Thank you for the story and wonderful idea.
February 6th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
What an interesting story. A year or two ago, we had a related experience. My son’s girlfriend has a friend who plays world of warcraft extensively, and she eventually “met” a guy online who she grew to like a lot and wanted to meet in person. Of course we were cautious about this, but we eventually allowed the young man to fly in from Seattle to Dallas to stay with us (rather than directly with her) so he could meet the girl. We didn’t know him from Adam, but he turned out to be legit and they still see each other from time to time and talk online regularly.
February 6th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Wow! What a great idea! I love the story, and it shows we are not all strangers out there in the universe. Thanks for the inspiration.
February 6th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
I loved the story!!!!
February 6th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Actually, that is just a great idea. We might even consider this idea to be spread here- thanks for this awesome input.
February 6th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
That was actually quite inspiring. Nice delivery, I liked the illustrations. It stretched out the pacing of what was actually a very short story, and it made me enjoy it more than I would have if you’d just made a simple blog about it or something.
Well done!
February 6th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
Hi!
First, this was a wonderful story. I picked it up on Reddit. I’ve never seen your site before so it was kind of a double treat.
I love the concept. I work for the St. Petersburg Times in Tampa Florida. I think I’m going to try and figure out how to make this concept work for a story idea locally.
Have you ever seen couchsurfing.com? The sentiment of this sort of reminds me of the idea behind that.
Well thanks for sharing this. I look forward to doing this myself in the future and also reading more of your work.
Best,
Tristan Wheelock
February 6th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
This is a great story, and I can’t wait to share it with people.
February 6th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
What an uplifting story.
Congratulations to Mark for his chutzpah and to Franke for her intuition that all would be well. When you are open to surprises, one can never contain the joy that emerges.
February 6th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Tom,
Thanks! I appreciate your comment. Many people are reflexively cynical. While a glance at the newspaper shows why there are many reasons to be careful, we also need to trust our ability to intelligently assess situations and people so that we can take advantage of new opportunities — and experience as you say the “joy that emerges”.
Cheers,
Franke
February 6th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Wow, best story i read in a long time.
Really cool idea …
February 6th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
Enjoyed This, Thank You!
February 6th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Crazy! Crazy awesome
February 7th, 2009 at 8:01 am
[...] Would you have dinner with a stranger? Read on… [...]
February 7th, 2009 at 8:03 am
This is a fascinating idea!
February 7th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
I loved that story! I too would like to try it and see what happens. Small kindnesses can really make a difference, I have a story about a year of free coffee for strangers on my blog that is also pretty neat, but on a much smaller scale. : )
- Scott
February 7th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
That’s such a wild idea, but I probably would have done the same thing. I’m glad it all worked out.
February 8th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
Blogged by John David Mann
Dinner with a Stranger:
“We teach our kids not to talk to strangers. But some of our best conversations have been with strangers.” So says The Stranger, in this charming pictorial-adventure-diary from Franke James, Toronto-based founder and editor of the blog Office-Politics®.
Last August Franke wrote an extremely engaging and thoughtful piece about The Go-Giver (she even posted her own go-givers list of forty-five specific people).
Franke just shared a remarkable story with us that seemed so go-giverish, we had to share it with you…. read more
February 8th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Blogged by Cynthia Paniagua
Good is not measured, it’s just good.
I was going thru my digg list a couple of days ago and I came across this post “Dinner with a stranger”. The title of course drew me in immediately and I had to see what it was all about.
The premise is simple: A man looking for an eco-friendly gift for his family annual secret xmas draw went online trying to figure out what to get. In his search, he came across Franke James’ website (frankejames.com) and was really taken by her eco-friendly views and wanted to know more. This inspired him to write an email to her and invite not only himself, but the person who he drew from the xmas draw to Franke’s house for dinner… read more
February 10th, 2009 at 1:10 am
Hi Franke,
I am a follower of the Go-Giver and a recent blog there alerted me to your story. I found it fascinatingly heart warming. In a world which seems so protective and fearful, you have conveyed a way to break through the barriers.
It has me thinking that we may be able to employ this idea here in Australia to help raise funds for our youth employment project.
Thankyou for your whimsical and engaging way of communicating to our cynical world. You made my day just like those who have responded before me.
Cheers
Gary
February 10th, 2009 at 10:53 am
Hi Gary,
My thanks to John David Mann for the wonderful Go-Giver article that connected us!
So terrific to read your comment on my Dinner with a Stranger essay. I’m delighted to hear that you are considering ways to use this concept to raise funds for your Youth Employment project.
I think there is lots of scope to tailor this concept to suit your needs. The beauty of “Dinner with” or “Lunch with” is that it is an honor for the person who is asked to “host” — but not so much of a time commitment that it is a burden.
I know in my life that I’ve met many wonderful people who have achieved great things. And the amazing thing is that when you sit down and talk with them they are often so human and so down to earth that it often made me think, “If they can do it, I can do it.”
I hope that your project will raise funds — and act as an inspiring influence.
Best,
Franke
February 10th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Hi, Franke! This is a fabulous idea, and you are definitely on the right track to spread the word as I’m certain there are many many people who could (and will) employ to raise funds for the causes that are dearest to their hearts. I’m seeing a group of kids doing this to meet their need to raise funds for something they care about. (I don’t know why that came up, but it did!) I will help spread the word! Thanks!
February 11th, 2009 at 10:42 pm
In our community, there are tons of us working on food security, food mapping and a food charter. I think your idea is brilliant and I am going to see if we can make it happen here!
February 12th, 2009 at 10:58 pm
This is a great story with even better illustrations. My mind is swirling on how can I use this for our non-profit youth group. Better yet to help small business help jump start the economy…WOW what a concept….help Mother Earth and the people that live on it…thanks Franke
February 13th, 2009 at 10:17 am
BLOGGED:
Who doesn’t love a good story? And if you want to add a message to your story, your story better be good. And Franke James’s visual essays are exactly that. Great visuals peppered with socially relevant messages!
“Dinner with a Stranger” shows us how an idea sprouted after a slightly reluctant agreement to host a dinner for two strangers. “12,000 Sitting Ducks” calls for action after an unfortunate incident takes place. The same essay also makes use of drawings, YouTube video screenshots, Google maps and much more. In “To My Future Grandkids in 2020″, she wonders “will you call us crazy for filling up pools with drinking water?”
read more…
February 14th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
“If you got an email from a stranger, who said they’d donate $200 to a charity of your choice if you had them to a vegetarian dinner, would you say yes?”
That’s the question Franke James answers for herself, in her dinner with a stranger blog post.
It’s a great story, and if you haven’t seen Franke’s blog, her graphic blog posts are worth it just for the visual presentation.
February 14th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
We do this a lot at my church to raise money for the church. It is often still dinner with a stranger since there are lots of folks you don’t really know at church. Nice side effect: one less stranger at church the next week! We raise thousands every year this way.
February 18th, 2009 at 8:02 am
[...] This is not only a great idea…but the most engaging post I have ever read, please click through and read it here. Thanks to Fundraising Breakthroughs [...]
February 18th, 2009 at 8:57 pm
Blogged by TA2:
…And so marks the opening statement of Franke James’ most recent artistic diary/social experiment…
James is now set on developing “Dinner With A Stranger” into a charity event…
Question is, if your safety was entirely guaranteed, would you like to have dinner with a stranger? I would definitely be game. Who’s cooking?
read more
February 20th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
Meghan Cox (Hilary’s friend) told us about this very cool idea! I’m very impressed and inspired by all involved. I’m passing this on to my friends so we can create something similar.
Faye Morgan
Orlando FL
February 20th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
Blogged: Dinner with a stranger
Franke James received an unusual email from a stranger who invited himself and a guest to dinner at her house…in exchange for a $200 charitable donation. Read the rest in James’ illustrated story.
By Jason Kottke
February 20th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
Wow, what a story! I have to admit, I don’t think I would have gone for this idea. But kudos to you for taking a risk. What a cool idea!
February 20th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
This is an amazingly inspirational story! I will strive to go outside of my comfort area here to fore!
February 20th, 2009 at 7:26 pm
Hi there – i’d sure be willing to have dinner with a stranger if it would help generate funds for the kids with hiv/aids, lepers, and orphans in India that i work for through Chapel Missions – Calvary Chapel Boise. if anyone’s interested in having me over – sure, I’ll come. it’s not for me, it’s for them and they deserve our very best effort. looking forward to meeting you!
February 20th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Franke James had dinner with a stranger, and it sounds really awesome.
read
February 20th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
Am very tempted to do something similar. Cheers!
February 20th, 2009 at 10:03 pm
[...] with a stranger? [...]
February 20th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
I don’t know who Franke James is…
but I quickly get the sense that if I was crazy-eco-conscious I would.
Either way, this is a pretty cool account of a pretty cool situation and a pretty cool idea: Dinner With A Stranger
If you had your choice, who would your $200 charitable-donation-dinner-partner be?
Read
February 21st, 2009 at 6:25 am
[...] Franke James » Blog Archive » Dinner with a Stranger. If you got an email from a stranger who said they’d donated $200 to the charity of your choice IF you’d have them (and a friend) to a vegetarian dinner, would you say yes? Tags: links [...]
February 21st, 2009 at 8:07 am
Would you have dinner with a stranger?…
Franke James, “an author, artist, photographer and writer”, received an email from a stranger in which he told her that he’d donate $200 to a charity of her choice if she had him and a friend over for a (vegetarian) dinner. Did she do…
February 21st, 2009 at 8:52 am
Beautiful in many ways: Dinner with a stranger (via). Spread the word.
February 21st, 2009 at 10:26 am
I LOVE this idea. What a creative way to inadvertently raise funds for a favorite cause, meet more people and enjoy a nice dinner. Thanks for sharing it!
February 21st, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Blogged:
If a stranger invited himself to your house for dinner and offered to give $200 to the charity of your choice in payment, would you accept? Franke James did.
The idea is brilliant and in the beautifully illustrated post James points out how this could have great applications to help non-profits. Well worth a read on a Saturday morning.
read more…
February 22nd, 2009 at 5:23 am
Check out this really cool illustrated essay on dinner with a stranger by Canadian artist/author/green person Franke James.
February 22nd, 2009 at 8:29 am
Would you make dinner to a stranger if the stranger donated 200 dollars to your favorite Charity? Read this fun story. The drawings are great!
February 22nd, 2009 at 8:52 am
A wonderful idea, and you are amazing to trust and to think out of the box by taking this risk. To be sure, you both got rewarded in many ways. Bravo!
February 22nd, 2009 at 9:22 am
How absolutely wonderful and touching…..
February 22nd, 2009 at 12:48 pm
BLOGGED: Dinner with a Stranger
By Brian Chesney – Feb 21st, 2009 at 7:50 pm EST
Franke James has a great post on her blog about an offer she received around Christmas: $200 to the charity of her choice in exchange for one night of dinner. Only the catch is, the the person making the offer was a complete stranger. Read her post to see how it went — reminds me of the great community spirit that organizing can capture.
(via kottke.org)
February 22nd, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Really awesome story. A friend just linked this in an email and I loved reading the whole experience. I would totally do it, but then I love things like this and believe in the power of connection, of those seeking to find and finding the thing they seek.
And why are you Canadians so freakin cool? Sorry, I have a small fascination with all things Canadian. This would be one of the reasons.
February 22nd, 2009 at 3:31 pm
OMG I loved it Franke. The story kept me interested right to the end. I love short stories, but only if they have great pictures. I loved the pictures. They were perfect…. The best part was where the husband did the cooking. I loved it.
Joanne Mills
February 24th, 2009 at 5:40 am
loved it !
February 24th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Eco-activist Franke James was invited in an e-mail by a stranger to dine with her (in her home) and in exchange have $200 contributed to the charity of her choice? Would you do it? At what price?
The question raises social capital questions of trust of strangers and raises interesting questions of when chance encounters lead to interesting new ties.
read more
February 25th, 2009 at 12:04 am
Beautiful! Gorgeous! Inspiring. I would totally do it. Yes I would. But would I be the host or the guest? Either is a bit strange in this scenario, but enticing as well.
Oh, by the way, I found your blog through Karen Hanrahan who found it through through Marguerite Manteau Rao. Hope I can keep the chain going…
February 25th, 2009 at 5:14 am
What a splendid reminder that we need to keep ourselves open so that opportunities can bowl us over and change our thinking and enrich our lives.
I love real people happy stories. I’m going to sincerely try to live at least one story like that in each day of my life.
Z
February 25th, 2009 at 11:48 am
I am a friend of Mark’s mom and we were discussing this encounter last nite at our Book Club meeting and I was so impressed with this idea and just want to wish success in this venture blossoming. Liz Allan
February 25th, 2009 at 11:35 pm
I just stumbled onto your blog and I’m so very impressed. Wonderful storytelling in a truly unique way. I’m “favoriting” you.
February 26th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
What would you do if a stranger emailed you and asked to have dinner at your house? This cool story (with pretty artwork) is all about having dinner with a stranger – for charity!
March 3rd, 2009 at 3:37 pm
This was so fun to read! What a fantastic idea! A great gift, and a great cause. I love it!
March 5th, 2009 at 8:51 am
Blogged by Technology in Prevention:
Would You Do What Franke Did?
Some of you may have missed previous posts (and here) about the brilliant visual essays of Franke James over at My Green Conscience. She’s written about The Real Poop on Social Change, 12, 000 Sitting Ducks, Paradise Unpaved and more. Never fear, she’s done it again.
Franke’s visual essays are remarkable. Her stories reflect all of the best of what stories can be in both content and visuals so I know you will want to take 3 minutes to read her most recent work, Dinner with a Stranger…
read more
March 5th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
I stumbled onto this post completely by accident…if you believe in those….no, me either.
What fun! This is such an absurdly outrageous proposal in this day of arms length, e-mail relationships that it completely captivates me. How wonderful that you took Mark up on his invitation. Excellent example of what good can come from being bold!
March 6th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
This just made tough old me tear up a little bit. So, so awesome!
March 7th, 2009 at 9:36 am
Blogged on Eggplantia
Franke James / Dinner with a Stranger
(tags: art inspiration social charity dinner stranger humanity experiment awesome fundraising blog food)
March 9th, 2009 at 9:12 am
Cool! My place is a mess, so if I got an email like this I’d ask if I could take them to a vegetarian restaurant (my treat) instead. Would that count?
March 9th, 2009 at 10:11 am
Jennifer,
Yes! Dinner with a Stranger could certainly work at a restaurant. And for many people they’d be more comfortable in a public place rather than opening up their home.
The key points are the donation to a worthy cause and the opportunity to spend some time with someone you want to meet. There are lots of ways to tune this Dinner with a Stranger concept to make it work.
Cheers,
Franke
March 9th, 2009 at 10:41 am
What a amazing way of tell a story! Congratulations!
March 10th, 2009 at 3:35 am
Question is: would someone pay 200us$ to eat something I cook?!
I would obviously accept if they did.
March 12th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
That sounds like so much fun, Franke!
March 18th, 2009 at 9:56 am
Franke,
You are like fine red wine….you just get better with every sip.
Love it.
Colleen
March 22nd, 2009 at 10:20 pm
Franke,
I heard about your Dinner with a Stranger from the stranger’s guest and was immediately in awe of the beautiful idea.
I am grateful for my introduction to you, your drawings and documentary way, and your inspirational life conscience. The strangers are super-swell and their story will no doubt motivate more Dinners with Strangers.
In health and happiness,
Shawna
March 23rd, 2009 at 12:33 pm
[...] även av tanken att låta främmande människor få vara med om det här, efter att ha läst denna hemsida. Så alla som känner sig uppmanade av att prova något helt spontant och halvgalet, är välkomna [...]
Dinner with a Stranger / The Swedish Version
March 23rd, 2009 at 6:41 pm
Franke, as always, you blow fresh air into the crannies of my skull. I have shared your link on a political blog today to try and elicit some awareness that we don’t have to be nasty to be smart!!! And we don’t have to be angry to be active!!! I’m so glad I bumbled onto your blog, it makes me remember why we are artists. Enjoy!
April 13th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
what an awesome idea. thats just amazing. Read the post about the drive way as well – great idea.
April 22nd, 2009 at 9:56 pm
so, how was Bill’s eggplant?
We will be over next month if it was any good.
April 23rd, 2009 at 1:25 pm
VIA TWITTER
Very cool! Suzuki’s Living Room Challenge [http://twurl.nl/f160k3] “drew inspiration from Dinner with a Stranger” http://twurl.nl/3e1yfr
@frankejames
April 25th, 2009 at 12:00 am
VIA TWITTER
RT @ellaandelliot Loving this post http://tinyurl.com/bj8kbf by @frankejames. I have a feeling she will now be bombarded with dinner requests.
@MyPe4nut
April 25th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
At first I thought No, to the question Would I have dinner with a stranger. And then I read this amazing post. This is the first time I have come across your site and I will be checking it out further.
Sincerely
Hyla
P.S. I also have a green blog
P.S.S. I would consider saying yes after your story
April 25th, 2009 at 10:58 pm
This was one of the most charming stories I’ve read in a while. Awesome graphics.
April 26th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
Amazing story, stumbled upon it, very nice to see there are still nice/quality people in the world. Every day we see so much on the news about terrible things. It brightened my day to finally hear news about great people doing tremendous things.
Might just invite myself to a stranger’s house
April 29th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
Great story, I enjoyed reading it, I think that your picture art definitely adds to the story and makes it a more interesting read. Thank you.
May 2nd, 2009 at 6:15 pm
That was SO great! Go you for having the guts to do that!!!
May 5th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
MMMMMMM….u made my day!!!!!!! *big HUGZ*
May 7th, 2009 at 6:55 am
Wonderful posting!
Communities In Schools (a national, private nonprofit dropout-prevention initiative) hosts an annual “Lunch with a Leader” where people bid for lunch with various celebrities with the proceeds going to help CIS:
http://www.lunchwithaleader.com/home.asp
Thanks for the posting!
May 7th, 2009 at 9:26 am
Totally brilliant!
May 10th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Beautiful!! Wish it would happen to me!
May 11th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
[...] over for dinner with an offer of $200 to the charity of her choice. She had a fun experience and illustrated a blog post about the evening. What’s really interesting about it is that she thinks it could be scaled [...]
May 14th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
That is awesome. I think I’m going to include a mention of this on http://notnegativenews.com
May 29th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
[...] with a stranger?” Mark Shouldice of Toronto did exactly that—not by chance, but by identifying Franke James (author, artist, and photographer) as someone he thought would be interesting to get to [...]
June 28th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
Fantastic story – wish it would happen to me but no-one has had the idea that I’m that interesting a stranger! Having said that, would I do it? Maybe not. I would assume spammers were trying to get me to reply!
July 9th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
I’m positively speechless….what a warm and fuzzy feeling I got reading this. Thank you so very much, Franke, for sharing your incredible experience!
August 6th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Absolutely loved this story. You are all remarkable one-of-a-kind people.
September 14th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
This is wonderful, Franke. Great on you for taking part, and better for sharing the story so masterfully.
October 2nd, 2009 at 5:11 pm
[...] the one being written about (if you know my work, I often interview friends, family, pundits, and strangers for my essays). But I’m very grateful they decided to write the article, and totally honored [...]
October 22nd, 2009 at 11:06 pm
Nice story, fun and creative page.
Amazing and why not?
November 15th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
very creative and vivid
December 11th, 2009 at 7:35 am
What a fantastic concept! Helping other… while enjoing a night out… with a stranger!
I’ll do my utmost to spread this thought!
Cheers!
December 20th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
How lovely! Both the Dinner with a Stranger and your totally entertaining website. I just thought you should know I almost never, maybe only once before, comment. I’m more of a lurker, skulker, in the most positive sense of the words, if there is one.
How did I know about this? Doing my August year-end taxes while listening to the CBC and was so intrigued by the story I just had to search you out.
What a pleasure. Happy holidays!
December 20th, 2009 at 11:00 pm
What a great idea with an even better cause! Your creative flow is inspiring and heart warming not to mention hilarious!
Just caught it on CBC News and found myself totally absorbed by the report. I guess I’ll keep this in mind for my next big surprise to my partner.
Thank you!
Happy Festive Season!
December 21st, 2009 at 12:13 am
Was surprised and pleased to see this story on the News tonight. I too am a friend of Mark’s mom and we discussed it last year at our book club. Have sent this information to my son who knows Mark from working at Right to Play.
Hopefully this will inspire some people to get with it and use this unique way to give to their favourite charity and with care meet a stranger.
Admire the creativity of Mark and Franke.
December 21st, 2009 at 11:37 am
Saw your story on CBC last night and *had* to look it up! What fun, and a much better gift for Hilary than another sweater or kitchen gadget! Everybody wins; Hilary, Mark, Franke, Bill, AND the Yonge Street Mission! We win too; I love the picture essay! Thanks to all involved for participating and sharing your experience. This will have me thinking of ways to use the ideas here in my own life.
December 24th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
[...] I never expected that by saying “yes” to one dinner with a stranger last Christmas, that I’d still be talking about it one year later. The dinner took place last January and benefited the Yonge Street Mission. I created a visual essay about it called “Dinner with a Stranger.” [...]
January 15th, 2010 at 6:45 am
Great story. Thanks for this!
January 17th, 2010 at 8:24 pm
Very cool … but … I have dinner with Strangers kinda often …
Have you ever heard of couchsurfing.org?
http://www.couchsurfing.org
It makes making strangers less strange a lifestyle choice.
Dave
January 17th, 2010 at 11:34 pm
David,
Thanks! Yes, I’ve heard of http://www.couchsurfing.org . Wonderful initiative and certainly related to the hospitality of this concept.
Dinner with a Stranger is an idea that organizations could pick up on for fundraising. We’ll have to see what transpires for 2010!
Franke
February 16th, 2010 at 2:47 pm
[...] James has Dinner with a Stranger named Mark [...]
February 25th, 2010 at 9:48 am
Hi, Franke ~
This is the first time I’ve encountered your site, and I’m absolutely blown away! First, by the amazing story of allowing self-invited strangers into your home, and second, because of the amazing visual way you told this story.
Innnncredible!
I hope to see a web site/service spring up from your story that would allow others to experience such an out-of-the-box encounter!
In awe,
Nicole
May 5th, 2010 at 10:28 am
I was so moved by your ‘dinner with a stranger’ experience. I want to pay it forward myself. Tell me how me and my girlfriend can make a difference like this? This is awesome!
August 3rd, 2010 at 1:45 pm
Wow! I must thank stumbleupon for bringing me here! I had never been to your site before. What a fun, witty, and touching story! It was just so fun to read. Kudos to Mark for his very generous idea, and to you for not just deleting his email like most of us probably would have. I hope this catches on like you said. I have shared this with everyone who I think will appreciate it.
August 13th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
What a great way to make this planet cozier, friendlier, more caring and definitely more fun! Maybe we should have a central web site that matches dining donors with happy hosts!
I will endeavor to develop this idea in my community… thank you for sharing this!
August 14th, 2010 at 7:52 pm
i think this is awesome. and your visual essays are magnificent