On Tuesday, November 25, the Intrepid Museum’s employees and volunteers had the chance to give thanks for all the good things in our lives by sharing some of that good with others, inviting families who are homeless to join us for a night we won’t soon forget.

The Intrepid Museum, in partnership with the New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS), hosted its annual Gift of Thanksgiving celebration. This night of education and entertainment was held exclusively for families from all five boroughs that are currently living in transitional housing.

The number of families experiencing homelessness has risen in New York City. New shelters were opened to meet the need, and residents of these new facilities see protesters outside their windows most days. It has been a rough year for the DHS in general and for these families in particular, who face the enormous challenge of lacking one of life’s basic necessities.

The Intrepid Museum’s mission was to give those families (particularly the children) a nice evening in a safe and fun environment. When families arrived at the Museum, they received a tour of the former USS Intrepid and the Space Shuttle Pavilion, home to the space shuttle Enterprise, and saw a show in the Allison & Howard Lutnick Theater. This year, a performance by Story Pirates had children and adults alike in stitches with zany skits that were inspired by stories written by children throughout the nation. The final skit was improvised on the spot and centered on Intrepid itself, and was inspired and directed by the audience’s ideas and the information that they learned on their tours.

Before the show, the families were surprised by a very special guest. Former astronaut Mike Massimino paid a visit and talked to the kids about what it takes to become an astronaut. He generously took the time to autograph more than 200 pictures for our guests.

After everyone’s funny bones were tickled by Story Pirates, the families were served a delicious Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings, catered by CxRA. Refreshments were provided by the Coca-Cola Company.  Party Rental Ltd. and Craig Kiely & Darryn Murphy Designs used their talents to make our Exploreum Interactive Hall festive and inviting.

Intrepid Museum employees, along with volunteers from the American Legion, served the dinner and then facilitated a series of activities for the kids. Kids got a chance to play in our immersive exhibits, take a ride in the XD Theater and even confront some stormtroopers from the 501st Legion’s Empire City Garrison, who tried to invade the festivities from their galaxy far, far away. Some parents joined in on the fun, while others took the opportunity just to sit and talk, knowing that their kids were playing in a safe environment.

At the end of the night, every guest was given a gift bag containing an Intrepid Museum knitted hat, along with other fun Museum items. As a special treat, each house received a basket brimming with books donated by Scholastic. The families were terrific guests, and the night served to make everyone—staff, guests and volunteers—thankful for what they have. Who knows, after meeting Mike Massimino, maybe one of our young guests will be inspired to reach for the stars!
The Gift of Thanksgiving was made possible by a grant from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York State Council on the Arts.