Shine Online

Learn how to take your Shine Dinner virtual

Social distancing, doesn’t have to be social isolation! Why not host a Shine Dinner Party with your friends, coming together through today’s challenges to brighten lives? Hosting a virtual dinner party can be as elaborate or basic as you want it to be and we are here to help. Follow the steps and tips below and start to Shine Online!

Step 1


Choose the Right Platform

There are many video chat platforms to choose from, each with their own limitations and abilities. It is key to choose a platform that most people are comfortable and of course that can fit your whole invite list! Some of the most popular platforms include Skype, Zoom, Google Hangouts and Facetime. Apps like Houseparty also make it easy to connect and have some in app games to share!

Step 2


Choose a Theme and Cuisine

  • Although we may be really limited to what we have in the house, there are many recipes that focus on these basics! Exchange recipes and try each other’s favourites, choose one recipe and send it to all guests, support one local restaurant to all order delivery from, heat up a freezer pizza! The only thing to keep in mind is for everyone should have a similar style of meal. If someone has a full roast dinner and another person is snacking on some chips the party flow won’t feel right.
  • Set a dress code – why not make use of those fancy clothes that everyone is keeping at the back of the closet. Set a theme dress code as simple or as wild as you want! Some of our favourites are black tie, the 80’s and pirates!
  • Decorate – Set your table to the theme and make you background as interesting as possible! Light some candles for atmosphere. Make it as fancy or basic as your heart desires

Step 4


Give Back

Shine Dinners are all about giving back to try to brighten the lives of families around the world who have lost their homes from disaster. Challenge your attendees to commit to donating what you would spend on a night out and commit to your host page. Every little bit counts on our mission of ensuring no families go without shelter after disaster.

I’m Ready to Shine

Allison's Shine


Allison brought her close friends together, virtually, to Shine

Allison decided to take Shine for ShelterBox online with a virtual Shine dinner last weekend. Using Zoom, she planned the Bob Ross Brunch themed dinner party for a few of her closest friends. Her guests all ate their brunch for dinner (some complete with mimosas) apart while feeling as if they were together. They followed a Bob Ross painting tutorial to paint a happy ocean sunset, but no one had paint on hand so they all inventively used MS paint. The results may not have turned out all that beautiful, but the feeling was. “Having a Shine dinner was really a great way to bring together friends who are all over the country, and even a few half-way across the world who have been physically distancing,” Says Allison, “It really brightened our quarantines”