Thanksgiving is a national holiday that is celebrated with friends and family. At HS223, Thanksgiving is a time for family and community.
“Thanksgiving is a time to come together with loved ones and enjoy family traditions,” said Ms. Millye, HS223 staff member.
On Saturday November 15, Ms. Millye, in partnership with the non-profit Arete Education, ran the Thanksgiving Grab and Go, a yearly event that invites families to come to the school to get hot and cold food to help with their Thanksgiving festivities.
“The Thanksgiving Grab and Go is a little help that we give to families who need food. Perhaps they don’t have it. With the economics we always worry about those families in our community. ” said Ms. Millye.
One hundred families participated in the event and they went home with bags filled with rice, oil, beans, mac and cheese and apple sauce.
“We will definitely continue to do this in the future. There are a lot of people in this area who are in need. We want to make sure that everyone has dinner on the table and everyday,” said Ms. Millye.
And while HS223 continues to do work for the community, the thoughts of many students at Thanksgiving are around family and (of course) food.
“I like the small gathering, it feels more intimate getting to spend more quality time with each person individually” said Shannellie Reinoso (Class of 2027).
Thanksgiving will be hosted at her house this year, where she and her family will enjoy “white rice, morro, platano, chicken, and turkey.”
Laila Macias (Class of 2027) celebrates with her family every year and they have many traditions. Her family enjoys doing karaoke and playing games.
“I feel like, yes, as we get older and more mature, we’re able to contribute more and understand what we do and why we’re able to celebrate it now,” said Laila.
She bakes red velvet cake for her family bringing warmth and comfort in people’s hearts. However, Thanksgiving for her is more than just eating.
“Thanksgiving is just like a time where I’m able to hang out with my family and my cousins and eat good food and just have fun,” said Laila.
Overall, at HS223, Thanksgiving is about being thankful for our school and our Bronx community.
For the reporters at the Eagle Express, Thanksgiving is about celebrating all the many things we’re grateful for, spending time with all our loved ones and remembering old traditions and building new ones.
We wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!
