Miami Lakes Congregational Church hosted a Thanksgiving celebration on November 14 for new arrivals in the United States.
The 7th annual Refugree Children’s Thanksgiving Celebration was sponsored by Church World Service and supported by volunteers from Florida International University, Barry University and the University of Miami.
The Miami Lakes campus provided music, space for soccer games, a bounce house, pony rides, hula-hoop competitions and a beanbag toss.
Honored guests included families from Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, Iraq, Venezuela, Cuba and Uganda.
The event concluded with a Thanksgiving meal – Imperial ride, salad, plantains, a cake, and a blessing offered by Pastor Richard Sparrow. Each guests left with a turkey and a box filled with side dishes.
The day was a reminder that that the Thanksgiving holiday commemorates a feast share by America’s indigenous people and refugees of a different sort centuries ago.