Over 350 Kids Share A ​“Thankful Dinner”

Every year just before Thanksgiving, LEAP has its annual Thankful Dinner. This year’s was held Tuesday at the Elks Club on Dixwell Avenue. Over 350 LEAP kids and their counselors came together to have dinner and share what they are thankful for over the last year.

Five children, one from each of LEAP’s five neighborhood sites stood before the packed room and read their essays on thankfulness. These children took this as an opportunity to thank their LEAP counselors, New Haven high school and college students who work with children after school and on weekends. They also thanked parents and family members for working hard, loving them and being role models.

This event would not be possible without donations from restaurants, stores, board members, neighbors and friends, including students at Eli Whitney Vocational Tech High School who every year cook turkeys for the Thankful Dinner. It would also not be possible without the hard work of LEAP staff, counselors, and alumni as well as community volunteers who cook, serve food, assemble tables, and clean up.

LEAP started in 1992 when college students and community activists came together to build a program which engaged young people from New Haven as leaders and mentors for children. LEAP’s counselors are public high school students and college students from all six New Haven area colleges. Many current LEAP counselors began as children in the program and are now giving back to the neighborhoods where they grew up. Thousands of children have been through LEAP in the last 22 years.

We all really do have a lot for which to be thankful.

Henry Fernandez is executive director of LEAP.