WATCH: Refugees Enjoy Thanksgiving at Whitehall Church

The Whitehall Church along East Willock Road played host on Nov. 15 to an annual Thanksgiving celebration, and the event's organizers—South Hills Interfaith Ministries (SHIM)—captured video from the event. (See video above.)

Originally organized in 2006 to celebrate both Thanksgiving and the announcement that SHIM was opening the Prospect Park Family Center in Whitehall Borough early the next year, the event has grown by leaps and bounds.

Dinner at the event features meals prepared by families serviced by SHIM, as well as SHIM employees. The choices range from American Thanksgiving staples, such as turkey, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie, to items more typical of some SHIM families' native countries.

According to its website, SHIM's Prospect Park Family Center was established through funding from the Allegheny County Department of Human Services after Catholic Charities of Pittsburgh and Jewish Family & Children's Service of Pittsburgh began resettling refugees in the Prospect Park area over a decade ago. Prospect Park has also become home to many immigrant families.

The Family Center is free to all families living in the area and focuses primarily on families with children ages 5 years or younger. All of the family center's programs intend to provide needed services for those adjusting to life in the United States. The programs also promote self-sufficiency through education and help children to succeed in learning, including at Baldwin-Whitehall's public schools.

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