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ROCKVILLE, Md. - Maryland lieutenant governor shared an early Thanksgiving meal Monday with an unlikely group of kids in an unlikely place. In fact, he was told he couldn't even bring his umbrella or pocketbook into the dinner.

The meal looked like one that millions of Americans will eat this Thursday. Only on this Monday afternoon, it was shared in a place most people will never visit. That's because Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown, D-Md., served turkey to kids who are serving time.

There are no shoe laces allowed at Alfred D. Noyes Children's Center. The juvenile detention facility keeps kids under close supervision.

"Thanksgiving or any other holiday is kind of tough for the youth here," said John Dowdy, superintendent of the Noyes Children's Center.

More than 50 children aged 12 to 18 walk through the center's halls. For them, thanksgiving will be another day behind closed doors, shut away from their families and the outside world.

"Most of us go through some troubling times in our lives," said Brown.

But he shared a message of hope and a meal of thanks on this Monday. "We're investing in them to help them get back on the right track to make the best out of their lives," he said.

And Brown says it's working. He says fewer children are in Maryland detention centers this year and at least one child feels like his time out turned into time well spent.

"I would also like to say that I am truly thankful for Alfred D. Noyes because over the time being here, I have learned that violence doesn't solve problems, but advances them," said a child.

"A lot of these kids don't necessarily have a family support system, so it's just nice for them to know that people care," said Jennifer Gauthier, director of Lead for Life.

Twenty-three children couldn't attend the meal because they're quarantined with swine flu-like symptoms. They received custom plates of food as volunteers tried to show that they're special too.

"We gave them a list of everything. We wanted them to choose what their meal was going to be today although they could not be with us," said Gauthier.

Some children stay at the center for a couple of days while others remain there for months and even years.

The center's superintendent says they try to create a family environment despite the absence of family and says special meals like this one help show the children love.

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