A happy and peaceful Thanksgiving Day was held at the Memorial Building (photo)

A happy and peaceful Thanksgiving was held at the Memorial Building (photo) (Written by Liu Guotai) Located on south 7th in Phoenix At the junction of Ave. and Buckeye...

(Written by Liu Guotai) Two ten-story buildings stand at the intersection of south 7th Ave. and Buckeye in Phoenix. These are apartments for the elderly built by the U.S. Department of Housing to realize home ownership. It has been twenty years since the first Chinese moved here in the early 1990s. Today, there are 86 Chinese households here, with more than 140 people, accounting for more than 70% of all residents. It has become the largest concentration of elderly Chinese in the Phoenix area. This apartment is surrounded by a library, a sports field, a clinic and a hospital next to it, and there are bus stops and small shops at the door, making life very convenient. The residents here are united and help each other, living in harmony and harmony, just like a big family. This year we democratically elected a five-member residents committee, composed of three Chinese, one Mexican, and one Latin American immigrant. Chinese movie appreciation on Monday night, social dance on Wednesday night, and English speaking class on Thursday night enrich the cultural life of the elderly.

On November 17, the residents in the building gathered together for a Thanksgiving dinner. This is a Thanksgiving dinner organized by the building residents committee. Managers and staff from the Memorial Building office also worked with volunteers to decorate the lobby. Director Qian of the neighborhood committee and members of the neighborhood committee enthusiastically served the participants. They distributed turkey, bread and drinks to everyone, especially those with disabilities. There were about 70 to 80 people attending the party, including immigrants from China, immigrants from Europe, Africa and Latin America, as well as people born in the United States. The Eight Immortals crossed the sea, each showed his talents, and cooked many delicious dishes for everyone to taste. Here you can find Chinese-style braised pork ribs, spicy chicken, fungus slices, braised 100-page knots, etc. There are also Western-style pastas, vegetable salads and a variety of desserts. Under the leadership of the organizer, everyone held hands and sang happy songs side by side, praying and blessing for a better life. The paper tapes on the decorative tree in the hall express people's blessings, and their sincere wishes are expressed between the lines. Thank you to God for your blessing; thank you to the U.S. government for creating a beautiful living environment for the elderly; thank you to your family, relatives and friends for their kind care.

The residents held hands to symbolize unity as a family

On November 19, the Fengcheng Chinese Christian Church came to the Memorial Building to hold a grand Thanksgiving celebration. Dozens of elderly people from Kang Le Building, Kang Ning Building and Hansen Senior Center also came to participate. There are also some elderly people living abroad who come here to visit. The one hundred and twenty seats arranged by the organizers were already full, but guests were still arriving one after another, and the spacious hall suddenly became so small. The volunteers moved in all the more than a dozen benches in the garden outside the building, but there were still many people standing there. Some residents in the building also moved their own chairs in. Everyone warmly greeted every guest.

The Thanksgiving party starts at half past ten. First, the organizers of the Christian church sang "All Praise", "Because He Lives" and other songs to thank the Holy Grace for everyone. The Senior Citizen's Choir also sang songs in Mandarin and Cantonese for everyone. The singing was loud and full of energy. Mr. Chen Zhigang's superb and funny "face-changing" performance brought the celebration to a climax. Children also came to join in the fun. They performed the dance "Lift Your Hijab" and "Auspicious Ballads" for everyone. Their childish performances made the elderly laugh and have fun. The performance ended with everyone having fun playing games.

Children's dance performance

The dinner started at around twelve o'clock. The sumptuous dishes are mouth-watering. The church brought delicious meatballs and stir-fried vegetables; Zeng Liqing bought barbecued pork buns and salt-baked chicken for the gathering, and everyone even used the dinner as a stage to show off their cooking skills. Not only are there delicious roast turkeys, but also famous dishes from all over China. For example, Mapo tofu from Sichuan and potato zacha from northern Shaanxi; Yangzhou fried rice and fried steamed buns from Shanghai; Baihua stuffed beans and stir-fried diced chicken; glutinous rice balls and braised pork. There are also many unnamed famous dishes from the North and the South, as well as different styles of porridge and desserts. Mr. Liu Hongjun dedicated two large buckets of tofu porridge to everyone, and also made the tofu pulp into healthy desserts. Everyone marveled at his craftsmanship and enthusiasm. So many delicacies are really a feast for the eyes.

Choose sumptuous dishes

Enjoy delicious food happily

The Thanksgiving celebration is over, but the joy it brought to everyone cannot subside for a long time. The old people bid farewell with regret. Goodbye, please cherish it and let us meet again next time.