When someone first gets invited to a "college kid dinner," they may expect a small gathering of close friends. However, when they walk in the door they will instead be greeted by around 70 enthusiastic college-age kids filling the home.
Michelle Webecke stands at the center of the commotion — hugging kids, taking pictures and replacing the empty plates with more heaping servings of food.
In 2020, Michelle Webecke and her family moved from California to Utah. In an effort to stay connected with neighborhood kids from California, she started “college kid dinners” and invited young adults to her home from her previous ward in California who were attending school in Utah.
“I just love getting to hug them and then send pictures to my friends to be like, 'I hugged your kids today,'” Webecke said.
As time went on, the dinner grew. Kids from California began bringing friends to dinner with them. After her eldest son returned from his mission, the dinners became an opportunity to stay connected with missionaries from his mission. Then roommates started coming, other friends joined in and now the dinners range from 50-100 people each time.
Josh Mix, a BYU student who recently started attending college dinners, has enjoyed his experience thus far.
“This time was absolutely phenomenal,” Josh said. “It’s a lifesaver to have this and other things that go on throughout the month. I at least have one decent meal this week.”
Webecke said that the motivation for these dinners comes from memories from her time as a BYU student.
She said she remembers what it felt like to be a college student away from home in the dorms. Webecke is from Arizona and said she remembers feeling stuck.
“I just felt like I had nowhere to go,” Webecke said. “I hated that feeling, and I don’t want kids to have that.”
Webecke said she has empathy for those attending school far away from home. Hosting “college kid dinners” is a way for her to create a 'home base' for those college students.
The dinners are a lot of work, but Webecke explained that it's been worth it every time.
“There was one time someone even left me a letter on our piano,” Webecke said. “It didn’t say who it was and they were just like, 'Thank you so much. You have no idea what this means to me.'”
Experiences like these make Webecke want to continue these dinners.
“That one letter or that one kid that’s like 'I needed this today' or 'It felt so good to be in a home' — that’s why I do it,” Webecke said.
Being able to be an extension of their moms and give them a “mom hug” makes it all worth it. As long as they know there is a place they can go to have a home cooked meal, then it is enough.
William Wayne, a roommate of Webecke's son, has been attending since September.
“She’s very kind and caring,” Wayne said. “There’s a legend that apparently one time when they were first starting this, they ran out of food ... after that day she vowed to never run out of food again.”
Webecke laughed and confirmed this story, saying once she made extra food, guessing 40 people would show up, but 60 showed and they just about ran out.
Hosting these dinners is not easy. The planning process usually begins once one dinner ends. The week before is filled with grocery shopping, planning and cooking. Webecke’s kids are very involved in the process of preparing these dinners.
Webecke hopes that her kids take this example with them and understand how important it is to take care of others. She has already witnessed how her daughter has thoughtfully taken care of friends in need which makes her proud.
“I do like showing my kids this service,” Webecke said. “I can see my daughter picking up on it in certain things.”
Webecke is always sure to hug students goodbye and send them home with more food before they leave. She gives these college students a few hours to connect and eat a delicious meal, and then sends them home with full stomachs and full hearts.
