REST Centres Gives Thanks to the Community this Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving!
Holidays can be difficult for young people when family is not always around. It’s very easy to feel alone on days dedicated to celebrating with loved ones when those people are no longer in your life. That’s why REST Centres believes in found family, where people come to love each other like family through bonds, shared experience, and support.
On Monday, October 9th, 2023, the REST Centres community came together to give thanks to each other, to life, and to the futures of our youth in a Thanksgiving celebration. Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate gratitude over the last year and think about what one is grateful for, so the youth clients of REST Centres and Our Place Peel played games, made new friends, and revelled in the holiday spirit.
“This year’s Thanksgiving event meant a lot to me. Usually when these family holidays come around, I don’t find much to look forward to. REST Centres has time and time again shown up to provide that sense of family and belonging that so many of us struggle to find. This year, I was able to spend Thanksgiving in a room full of laughter, togetherness, and gratitude. Thank you to the entire REST team for bringing us together!”
For the second year in a row, our Thanksgiving celebration was made possible, thanks to Xaymaca, a Jamaican Owned and Family-Run restaurant in Brampton. Xaymaca prides themselves on bringing unique, authentic Jamaican flavours to the heart of the city.
Xaymaca generously invited REST Centres into their home away from home and made us a part of their family. Marlon Smith, General Manager, believes in the power of hard work, dedication, and paying it forward. Marlon and his family opened Xaymaca in 2015 when he was in his early twenties. Since then, Marlon has strived to build his restaurant up and reach a place where he can give back and provide opportunities to Black youth in need.
“This year for our REST Thanksgiving, I liked how the event that they united the local communityarea to appreciate and have a great time. The food was tasty, and I likewise partook in the games.”
The REST Centres team is endlessly grateful to Xaymaca restaurant and the REST Community, and we would like to offer a special thanks to everyone who made this celebration a success:
Marlon Smith & the Xaymaca Restaurant Staff
Dagma Koyi - Executive Director, Founder | REST Centres
Nikima Leslie - Program Manager | REST Centres
Jacqui Henry - Case Manager | REST Centres
Oona Goslyn - Housing Coordinator | REST Centres
Alyssa Berdan - Case Manager | REST Centres
Mya Moniz - Peer Support Worker | REST Centres
Danielle Nevado - Program Support Worker | REST Centres
The REST Centres Youth Council
REST Centres Volunteers