Jan 29, 2018 09:00:00

What is the revolutionary idea of creating a lunch club where everyone can eat together at high schools to eliminate the practice of eating alone?

When you eat lunch at school alone while everyone else is eating in a group, you feel alienated. However, for those who can't make friends due to personal reasons, such as 'not being good at talking to people,' this time of day can be very painful. In the following video, released by

Great Big Story , a 'Meal Club' was created at Boca Raton Community High School in Florida, and efforts are being made to create a new community for students who are isolated during lunch breaks for various reasons.

The Lunch Club Making High School More Inclusive - YouTube


No one should feel insecure. We are all struggling with the same feelings of anxiety and isolation.

And everyone should have some confidence.

'It starts with asking, 'What's your name?' and shaking hands,' says Denis Estimon, founder of the 'Eating Together Club.'

'I emigrated from Haiti, so I didn't speak English and I felt isolated,' she said.

'We have about 3,000 students in this school, and we would find many who felt isolated during lunch breaks. It's not that they wanted to be isolated, it's just that there was something preventing them from talking and making friends,' said Jean Max Meradieu, co-founder of the club.

'I couldn't speak English, so I always sat in the hallway and did my homework on my smartphone,' said a male club member.

Another member, a man, said, 'I was not good at making friends,' which shows that he is not trying to be isolated during lunch breaks.

'So we decided to start this club.'

'At this club, I met and became friends with people who also couldn't speak English.'

'And I was surprised to find out there were so many cool people nearby.'

'Everyone eats together and shares things with each other, so it creates a new community.'

'The reason you're all here is to turn school into a community. Let's get away from our friends and meet new people.'

'The purpose of this club is to build relationships with each other by having everyone eat together.'

'When you look at what we do, it may look like a welcome party for new students, but it can also be an opportunity to develop their leadership skills and be a catalyst for change.'

'We hope to expand this initiative beyond Boca Raton Community High School to schools across the country and even overseas,' concludes club co-founder Allie Sealy.