Global Friends Memphis: Our November Nonprofit of the Month {2024}
Global Friends Memphis exists to welcome, serve, and connect internationals in Memphis. Our vision is to journey together with international students, faculty, scholars, and their families in faith and friendships at The University of Memphis.
We see the need for international students to find a family away from home as they face the many challenges of being in a new country, learning a new language and new culture, and adjusting to a new way of life.
As we are a faith-based community, we have seen that we are called to love the whole person. In first meeting their physical needs (such as free furniture, weekly free English conversation partners, monthly campus lunch, monthly free dinner in an American home, grocery donations, and rides to the grocery store), we are often able to connect with their spiritual needs. Our longing is for each student, scholar, faculty, and American volunteer to become a better version of themselves from this organization and to see the importance of giving back. We believe we are each called to be a blessing as we have been blessed.
We also seek regular opportunities to give back to the community with the students that have received from us, such as helping serve free food during the COVID 19 pandemic on campus to over 100 students in need. We have also served food in conjunction with other organizations in town and have seen many students invite other students longing for community find they that in Global Friends Memphis.
Global Friends Memphis was founded by Anna Adams, who serves as the Executive Director. We have existed as a non-profit and registered student organization at The University of Memphis since 2015. We are a ministry partner under the organizational umbrella of Memphis Leadership Foundation. We have served and connected with over 2,000 international students, faculty, and scholars. We currently have a volunteer team of 25 and have 9 active church partnerships in the city.
“We want to grow people, not just programs,” says Lee Adams, husband of Anna. These programs are a means to an end. We exist because we have an amazing community of volunteers, donors, and church partners. One tangible way our church partners have helped has been to provide lunch for our monthly campus lunches. We’ve regularly had 85-100 students attend. We’ve also experienced the generous spirit and hospitality of community partners who open their homes and provide meals for 85 students monthly.
The road to celebrating almost 10 years next year has been anything but easy, but God has not failed us yet. We have seen Him move in the hearts of such generous people who give their time, energy, possessions, and finances. This international community could not thrive without God’s hand on it and the many amazing people, faculty, donors, and church partners. We are always looking for more community partners!
To get involved in impacting the nations right here in Memphis, please visit our website at www.globalfriendsmemphis.com
The Memphis Mom Collective features a nonprofit organization every month. If you know of a nonprofit that is making a difference here in Memphis, we want to know about it! Let us know by nominating them here.
