By Mariia Khanenko [1]
BELLEVILLE – Quinte Immigration Services [2] will be hosting their annual Children’s Holiday Party on Dec. 7 at 5:30 p.m. at Easminster United Church [3].
The party has been a part of the holiday season for as long as Quinte Immigration has been around, says Meghan Beatty, a program coordinator at Quinte Immigration.
“We’ve been hosting the Children’s Holiday Party for many many years. Possibly as long as we’ve been an agency since late 80s. The reason why we have it so we can reach out to our clients as well as the rest of the community and bring everyone together for a holiday celebration.”
During the event kids will have an opportunity to join many craft tables to decorate cupcakes or make their own holiday ornament. However, the highlight of the evening will be Santa Claus delivering presents for children.
“As a kid all you want to do is have fun especially around the holidays. We are just hoping to put smiles on their faces,” says Karen Serpes, a Belleville resident attending the event.
Meanwhile, the adults can enjoy a dinner and have some time to get together. It’s a great opportunity for everyone to spend more time in a less official atmosphere, says Beatty.
“It’s very nice to see all of them in a big group and doing something fun. We are not doing paperwork or something immigration-wise. We are just having fun and building a community.”
All the money collected during the party will go to the United Way [4], so it goes right back to the community, she added.
The event is open to the public and everyone is welcome to join.