Thanksgiving Day looks a little different for everyone. Some watch football, while some play board games. Some keep it simple in the kitchen, while others cook a feast. Whether or not family or friends are involved, there is something to be said for finding a community to spend the day gathered around a table with.
The ACA Business Club in Columbia hosts a Thanksgiving Day potluck for those looking to celebrate the holiday in a different setting, with a different community. The business supports other causes by contributing to the potluck, and many who attend bring a dish that’s personal to them as well.
“We usually provide the turkeys, and we usually get them from Rotary,” said Lili Vianello, general manager of ACA. “I like that we’re able to support their causes. I announced this morning that I was going to make my mom’s dressing ... I cannot imagine Thanksgiving without a turkey, but I cannot imagine it without that dressing.”
Connection and gathering go beyond the business’s potluck. The three pillars on which the ACA Club in Columbia stands are building quality relationships, providing personal and professional development, and offering marketing opportunities for a business. The first is, as founder Lili Vianello sees it, the most important one for all members. The business consistently supports members at events and award ceremonies. Members attend plays and concerts together. The club wants them to feel supported.
“When you’re getting together on a regular basis, you get to know each other and engage,” Vianello said. “We have so many different types of activities to allow people to connect. For instance, the socials are the epitome of the Thanksgiving potluck, but on a smaller monthly basis.”
The club hosts socials, art receptions, Super Bowl Sunday and many other events, along with its weekly Tuesday and Friday morning coffee meetings. Throughout all of this, members’ businesses are promoted, but it starts with personal connection.
“We have so many different types of activities to allow people to connect."