Holidays in JP: MSPCC families enjoy Thanksgiving dinner

FOREST HILLS—Sixty children and parents enjoyed an early Thanksgiving dinner together Nov. 26 at the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children’s (MSPCC) service center at 3815 Washington St.

MSPCC runs Kid’s Day, a therapeutic after school program for children ages 5-12. Volunteers from MSPCC’s young professionals group served a full Thanksgiving meal to the children in the program and their parents.

“The children, their families and the staff look forward to the Thanksgiving dinner all year,” said Denise Duggan, MSPCC’s Jamaica Plain Site Director. “It captures the true sense of community that is part of our program every day. Fitting for the season, the theme of Kid’s Day this month has been gratitude. We all have so much to be thankful for.”

In addition to the meal, entertainment was provided by the kids, who performed songs, magic tricks and a Thanksgiving reading. They also provided decorations for the event in the form of construction paper turkeys on which they wrote all they are grateful for.

“I’m thankful for my family,” one child wrote. Others wrote they are thankful for school, friends and dogs.

“It’s such a special event, a delicious feast and families thankful for each other—treasuring the moment,” said Duggan.

MSPCC is a private, non-profit society, founded in 1878, dedicated to protecting and promoting the rights and well-being of children and families throughout Massachusetts. In addition to the Kid’s Day After School Program, MSPCC’s services include child abuse prevention and intervention programs, mental health treatment, and support for military families, young parents and foster, adoptive and kinship families. For more information, see mspcc.org.

Chemere Jones (center) and her daughters Kahliah Smith, 10 (left), and Khyla Davis, 7 (right), enjoy the Nov. 26 dinner at MSPCC’s JP service center. (Courtesy Photo)

Chemere Jones (center) and her daughters Kahliah Smith, 10 (left), and Khyla Davis, 7 (right), enjoy the Nov. 26 dinner at MSPCC’s JP service center. (Courtesy Photo)

From press materials.

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