LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A weekly meeting of cultures has been going on for more than 50 years. It’s called Friendship International of Lexington, and the group of women meet Fridays during the school year.
“It's one of the best-hidden secrets of Lexington,” said Preeti Gupta, a volunteer who has been a part of the group for 33 years.
Friendship International of Lexington meets weekly at Ashland Avenue Baptist Church in Lexington. The friendship group started as a way for local American women to welcome international women who moved from far away into the Lexington area.
“What’s cool about it is we are welcoming these women to Lexington,” said Julie Stevenson, president of Friendship International of Lexington. “They're really looking for community and friendship and they can find it here. They might find people from their country or they meet women from lots of countries.”
Judy Metcalf, who has been a part of the group for 40 years, added her perspective; “it's a wonderful thing to be a part of a group where Taiwanese and Chinese sit at the same table where Ukrainians and Russian ladies have a chance to talk to each other and just where people from all over the world get a chance to sit down and learn about another culture.”
Today, the group had a visit from Mayor Linda Gorton, and the women wore clothing from their cultures to the gathering.
“We celebrate the diversity,” Gupta said. “It's a beautiful place, you know, unity and diversity and just supporting each other. Some of the ladies come here for 3 months or 3 years, so they come and go, and so we have friends from all over the world.”
This semester, Friendship International has more than 200 women from 42 counties registered.
“I feel like I'm the most fortunate woman in Kentucky to be able to be a part of this,” Metcalf said.
You can learn more about Friendship International of Lexington at friendshiplex.com.
