This year, RoundBox @ Children’s Society organised their first ever Thanksgiving event at the drop-in centre. The idea came from 14-year-old L, who felt that it was a good way for him and his peers to show appreciation to the RoundBox staff while being thankful for the friends they had made at the centre. A total of 22 youth came together to celebrate the event.
Guided by our staff and intern, L planned the activities and menu for the dinner. They went through several rounds of testing out recipes such as Mac & Cheese, spaghetti, pizza and roasted chicken.
The event kicked off with the registration of those attending and distribution of activity packs, followed by a game of “2 truths 1 lie” so that participants could get to know more about one another. Gratitude cards and board were distributed to the participants to pen down their appreciation to their peers and the staff.
Youth penning down their thoughts for the gratitude board
L took a little time out to reflect on what “Thanksgiving” meant to him – he shared on how he was thankful for a safe space like RoundBox where he could do the things he enjoyed with his friends.
The event concluded with a sumptuous party spread prepared by the centre’s own staff and youth!
The wide spread of food that was all prepared by staff and youth
Staff and youth indulging in the widespread feast
Here are some of the sentiments shared by a few of our youth about the event.
The Thanksgiving event managed to fulfill RoundBox’s objective of promoting Connection, Caring and Character. It also provided opportunities for the youth to showcase their skills in cooking, and for L, the confidence to speak in front of an audience.
Group photo of the staff and youth to round up the day
RoundBox @ Children’s Society is a youth drop-in centre that aims to promote positive development while reducing and preventing risky behaviours. The centre uses the Positive Youth Development (PYD) Framework to reach out to youth in a supportive and nurturing environment. Youth are ingrained with positive character-building values such as respect and responsibility, while developing skills and interests in sports, music and arts such as football, jam band and cooking. As such, when the youth come to staff members with ideas, they are given the responsibility to come up with the details and to find participants for the event. This in return creates a sense of leadership and accountability.
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