Event Recap: 18th Annual Refugee First Thanksgiving

On November 20th, the African Community Center of Denver’s 18th annual Refugee First Thanksgiving event was held at the Assumption of the Theotokos Cathedral.

Every November, this multicultural dinner serves as an opportunity for the local community to welcome newly arrived refugee families with music, dancing, children’s games, and diverse foods.

2023 has been a record-breaking year for ACC, with more than 1,350 refugees and immigrants welcomed from countries such as Cuba, Ukraine, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and more. This marks a 30% increase from the number of refugees welcomed in 2022 and a 750% increase from 2019. With the addition of so many new neighbors this year, it was more important than ever to come together as a community and create meaningful connections through the sharing of food, music, dancing, and conversation.

Traditional Thanksgiving dishes were complemented by a variety of multicultural foods, thanks to the help of local partners. Alongside the meal, bags of donated hygiene items were provided to refugee families who attended the event. The contribution of our event sponsors played a significant part in making this event possible, highlighting the power of community collaboration and support.

At this year’s Refugee First Thanksgiving event, we…

handed out over 950 plates of food
had the support of 150 community volunteers
distributed more than 150 bags of donated hygiene items to refugee families.

“My experience [of Refugee First Thanksgiving] was learning from other cultures that are here as well. And my favorite part was seeing my daughters dancing to the music during the event.”

— Erick, refugee community member (Cuba)