An expat with no holiday plans? Sign up for Adopt Me for Christmas

How are you spending your Christmas? If Covid-19 is keeping you in Brussels, and you don’t yet have plans for the holiday, you might want to sign up for the Adopt Me for Christmas initiative.

The novel idea was launched by Maxime Adam Levy, who runs the Expats in Brussels Facebook group. Expats who want to be “adopted” by a local family for Christmas can sign up, and families who are happy to take in an expat in can sign up, too. Then they are matched.

Once the match is made, neither party should socialise with others in-between, in keeping with coronavirus regulations. That hasn’t stopped some 65 expats from signing up, and about 35 host families so far.

Levy, a Canadian, usually spends Christmas with his uncle in France, but that didn’t seem like the best option this year. He figured other expats were in the same boat, especially if they haven’t lived here long.

“So many people have felt a bit lost during the pandemic,” he said. “They don’t know anyone here.”

Levy not only runs the Facebook group that counts 29,000 members, he organises the International Afterwork weekly. Since the pandemic, he has hosted online drinks.

Adopt Me for Christmas is accepting sign-ups until 7 December. Host families are especially asked to consider taking in an expat. We’re friendly and a lot of fun, we promise.

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