Hundreds of refugees from Ukraine, Afghanistan, Eritrea and other countries facing conflict, got a taste of Thanksgiving at a special event in Silver Spring, Maryland, Sunday afternoon.
“I only saw Thanksgiving in the movies before,” Natalia, a refugee from Ukraine who resettled in Ellicott City, Maryland, told WTOP. This year, she’s with her two young sons and husband.
“I’m so curious about what’s going on, what people do and what they eat,” she said.
This is the 11th year that the Arlington, Virginia-based Ethiopian Community Development Council, a resettlement agency, has held a “Refugee’s First Thanksgiving” event.
“This is one of the greatest American holidays and we want them to be familiar with that. This is part of our acculturation process,” ECDC President and CEO Tsehaye Teferra said.
He said ECDC resettles about 8,000 refugees each year. The agency is one of 10 national resettlement organizations authorized by the State Department to assist refugees settling into their new homes in the U.S.
Volunteers at Sunday’s pre-Thanksgiving meal at the Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza doled out holiday staples like cornbread stuffing, apple crisp and pecan pie.
“We are trying to encourage the American public to be welcoming to newcomers,” Teferra said. “These are future citizens, they are going to be part of our communities here.”
Families also got to dig into dishes from back home like rice and lentils, falafel and lamb biryani.
