Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie and family gatherings – these are all commonly associated with Canadians’ yearly celebration of THANKSGIVING! However, there are a great number of immigrant and refugee families today unfamiliar with this tradition, and some of them have never experienced it before. This is prevalent in Toronto’s Vietnamese Community. This year, The Lighthouse celebrated a heart-warming Thanksgiving Dinner with 50 participants, including parents, children, and volunteers, on October 12th, 2013. The goal was to connect newcomer families and help them to feel welcome and engaged in their new country. It was a great opportunity to gather the Vietnamese community to give praise and worship God for His blessings. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the kids were asked to talk about what it was that they were thankful for. Everyone was excited to hear what the kids said about being thankful, with lots of love and humor. One mother expressed her appreciation to The Lighthouse, “My kids and I had never experienced such a meaningful dinner, with a big family like this, since we moved to Canada!” This event would not have been a success without the help of the coordinators and volunteers who donated their time and effort to serve others. May God bless The Lighthouse abundantly, to continue serving people for years to come, and to empower the community to do all things for the glory of God!
Tracy Dang
Vietnamese Administrative Assistant
