The Friendsgiving Lunch was a collaboration between the Henry County Cooperative Extension Service and the Eminence Independent School District Family Resource Center.  The luncheon is the second annual meeting to empower middle and high school at risk females of their self-worth and inner strength.

Over 40 students signed up to attend the event that was held at the extension service. Teen Ambassadors who had completed the GEMS peers program served a traditional Thanksgiving meal to the younger members. A program on manners and table etiquette was presented to allow the participants to enhance their engagement and feel more at ease in social settings.  The program concluded with a speaker on personal worth and how to increase self-esteem.   Teens were allowed to openly discuss areas in which they felt their strengths and weaknesses.

The program was so well received that the family resource director is planning to provide more opportunities for future programming on these topics to continue the conversations that began around a dinner shared with friends.