L: Dayle Herstik, Elaine Bossik, Vera Hirschhorn receiving gift from Milagro teens.
Pen Women from the Boca Raton Branch of the National League of Pen Women (NLAPW) have been hosting a holiday program for teens at the Milagro Teen Center in Delray Beach, FL every Christmas season for the past five years. The Milagro Center offers after-school enrichment activities for local youngsters.
This past Christmas, we were asked if we could host two parties – one for a younger group and one for an older group. We accepted the proposal from the Milagro Center and, on December 18, 2019, under the direction of Pen woman Sheila Firestone, we prepared refreshments, a holiday program, and gifts for ninety teens.
Many of our Pen members attended the event to lend a hand. They met the youngsters, shared insights into their own creative work, and discussed careers in the arts.
The teens surprised us with demonstrations of their many talents that were nurtured by the skilled Milagro staff members. Boca Raton Pen women have watched these teens grow over the past five years from shy youngsters into confident and poised young people, eager to hone their skills and talents. They read original monologues, sang songs they had practiced and played musical instruments.
There were gift cards for all the teens so they could choose their own gifts this season as well as other gifts. And they surprised the Boca Raton Pen women with a special gift they created for us – an original painting, with the words, Thank you, Boca Raton Branch, National League of Pen Women.
We hope to continue this gratifying and worthy community outreach program for the Milagro Teen Center for many years to come. Generous contributions from our Pen members made this holiday event possible.
Pen women L: Joan Cartwright, Elaine Bossik, Sheila Firestone, Dayle Herstik. Back: Barbara Lunde, Carol White
Milagro teens at holiday party.
Milagro teens at holiday party.
L: Sheila Firestone & Jo Jo Harder at gift table.