About 8 years ago, Adam Schluter found himself alone in Coeur d'Alene knowing no one. He put himself out there and invited people to his home for dinner as a way of getting to know each other. The first dinner, to his surprise, eleven people showed up. That first dinner paved the way for the Monday Night Dinners outdoors in Adam's back yard every other Monday in the good months of the year. It has grown to include dinner, music, drink and a great sense of community.

This past Monday, May 13, 2024, Adam did a huge kick off dinner in McEuen Park as a way to promote more commaraderie as well as host a fundraiser and awareness campaign for the Coeur d'Alene Library Foundation. Adam knows well the great value of our local libraries, and he got together with the Foundation to organize the event in the park, which included many local businesses - a winery, breweries, sweet shops, and more - to come together to provide a free night of commonality for all. Everyone brings a dish to share, so there is plenty of food... and what better way to commune with people than over food.

Our conversation includes Adam and his videographer Jack Wade from his project, Hello from a Stranger. We also had Jimmy, Joy, and Sarah join us to tell of their experiences with the dinners.

This was filmed outdoors in the park, so please excuse the occasional quality bumps.

For more information about the Monday Night Dinners visit the website at Monday Night Dinners, and while you are there, check out the Hello from a Stranger project (hellofromastranger.com)! You can also check out his story in season 1, episode 8 on the Ali & Callie website alicallieartcast.com