Philly’s immigrant and refugee populations remain ‘thankful together’ during Thanksgiving celebration

“We know the future will be better because you are sharing the present with us,” said HIAS’ executive director.

HIAS Pennsylvania hosted "Thankful Together” at the Old Pine Community Center on Nov. 24, 2024, providing people of all ages and backgrounds a chance to experience their first Thanksgiving celebration. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)

Philly’s immigrant and refugee populations remain ‘thankful together’ during Thanksgiving celebration

“We know the future will be better because you are sharing the present with us,” said HIAS’ executive director.

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Newcomers to the United States from around the world gathered Sunday to celebrate their first Thanksgiving in the City of Brotherly Love.

“Thankful Together” was organized by HIAS Pennsylvania, a Philly-based organization that supports low-income immigrants with legal and social services to aid their new lives in the United States. Traditional Thanksgiving holiday dishes were shared among those at the Old Pine Community Center.

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an adult receives a plate of food
HIAS Pennsylvania hosted "Thankful Together” at the Old Pine Community Center on Nov. 24, 2024, providing people of all ages and backgrounds a chance to experience their first Thanksgiving celebration. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)

Executive Director Cathryn Miller-Wilson said the event helped people assimilate to get to know each other, and showcased the best of what Philadelphia has to offer.

“It’s telling Philadelphians that this is what we do,” Miller-Wilson said. “We teach them how to become your neighbors and your friends and your members of your church and all of that.”

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desserts on a table
HIAS Pennsylvania hosted "Thankful Together” at the Old Pine Community Center on Nov. 24, 2024, providing people of all ages and backgrounds a chance to experience their first Thanksgiving celebration. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)
a plate of food
HIAS Pennsylvania hosted "Thankful Together” at the Old Pine Community Center on Nov. 24, 2024, providing people of all ages and backgrounds a chance to experience their first Thanksgiving celebration. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)

The organization originally focused on immigrating Jewish refugees to the United States when it started in 1882 before expanding to aid people of all backgrounds. All these years later, Miller-Wilson said the organization’s core tenets are still directly tied to its Jewish base.

“The Torah says to welcome the stranger 36 times,” Miller-Wilson said. “It’s the most repeated commandment.”

The gathering followed the 2024 presidential election where former President Donald Trump emerged victorious, becoming the second president-elect to win two non-consecutive terms. Trump’s proposed immigration policies include mass deportations of undocumented residents and an end to birthright citizenship.

Cathryn Miller-Wilson speaks to someone
HIAS Pennsylvania Executive Director Cathryn Miller-Wilson told WHYY News how tenets from the Torah that inspired the organization's beginning in 1882 continue through this day. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)
a man and a child smile
HIAS Pennsylvania hosted "Thankful Together” at the Old Pine Community Center on Nov. 24, 2024, providing people of all ages and backgrounds a chance to experience their first Thanksgiving celebration. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)
Mary Gay Scanlon speaks into a microphone
U.S. Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon addressed the hundreds present at "Thankful Together" at the Old Pine Community Center on Sunday. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)

National and local leaders addressed attendees before meals were served, including Democratic U.S. Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon.

“We’re going to keep working to make sure that this remains a welcoming country and pushing back against any forms of hatred and exclusion,” Scanlon said.

Jamie Gauthier speaks into a microphone
City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier discussed how her mother's immigration makes welcoming people to the city personal for her. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)

City councilmember Jamie Gauthier, whose mother immigrated to Southwest Philadelphia from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines as a teenager, said welcoming people to the city is personal.

“She came here with the same determination and the same hopes that you all had and she was able to build a life for herself and for our family,” Gauthier said. “And that helped me to become the person that I am today.”

People serving food
Traditional Thanksgiving food, as well as cuisine from the various nations people are immigrating from, were provided to hundreds of people at the Old Pine Community Center. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)

Miller-Wilson wrote a critique of Trump’s policies shortly after he clinched the presidency saying the organization will continue to provide services “regardless of who is in the White House.”

“We know many of you are anxious about the future, and so are we,” Miller-Wilson told attendees ahead of meals being served. “But we know the future will be better because you are sharing the present with us. And we will be here, no matter what, to ensure we can share the future together.”

kids play with pages for coloring and a word puzzle on a table
HIAS Pennsylvania hosted "Thankful Together” at the Old Pine Community Center on Nov. 24, 2024, providing people of all ages and backgrounds a chance to experience their first Thanksgiving celebration. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)

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