A sign reading “Feels like home” was the message that greeted 200 of Tampa’s newest refugees.
The second annual Refugee Interfaith Thanksgiving, held last Sunday at the University of South Florida’s Alumni Center, was an event held by Jewish, Muslim, and Christian volunteers from local organizations.
The first event came to be after Pastor Sally Campbell-Evans of Hyde Park United Methodist Church and Pastor Will Wellman of Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church were talking about a large annual interfaith Thanksgiving dinner that took place where she was working in Tallahassee.
Members of the Tampa Bay Refugee Task Force, Lutheran Services of Florida, Radiant Hands, Congregation Beth Am and Schaari Zedek joined after and helped to make the first event happen.
According to the Florida Immigrant Coalition, there 22.5 million refugees in the world. More than half of them are children. Florida’s refugee program is among the largest in the nation, receiving upwards of 27,000 refugees each year.
All of the food at the event was donated by local restaurants, including Radiant Kitchens, North Star, Haven, Brew Bus, Ella’s, Shuffle and many more. Customs and cuisine from America, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria, Afghanistan, and Central South America were featured.
The American tradition of welcoming everyone at the table is why the event was chosen to be held around Thanksgiving.
The dinner was designed with families in mind. Children were encouraged to have fun and be themselves, celebrating with games and cultural dances, while their parents got the chance to share stories of home with one another. Each community shared prayers, with aide from Swahili, Spanish, and Arabic translators.
“Home” by Phillip Phillips played on repeat.
Refugees often have a difficult time adjusting to American customs. The organization’s goal this year was to reach as many refugee communities as possible.
“Basically, it’s very important to show the refugees the culture here,” volunteer Ghadir Kassab said. “This is the country of liberty where everyone is enjoying their practices, their religion. They’re practicing their culture.”
Each refugee in attendance has lived in the United States for five years or less. The event is by-invitation-only in order to create a safe place for guests to feel comfortable.
The event had a great turnout this year. Organizers are already looking forward to next year’s event.
For more information on becoming involved or getting your local house of worship involved, join the Tampa Bay Refugee Task Force group on Facebook.
Anchor: Rachel Boyd
Producer: Lizbeth Gutierrez
Director: Maribeth Nguyen
Technical Director: Emmanuel Maduneme
Graphics: Steve Mutimer
Audio: Hunter Cefola
Prompter: Tristan Dodd
Camera Operator: Marquetta Wilson
Floor Manager: Marquetta Wilson
Reporter: Lizbeth Gutierrez, Rachel Boyd
Graduate Assistant: Emmanuel Maduneme
Supervisor: Jeanette Abrahamsen, Cathy Gugerty
