Beyond Just Mom

The venue is booked 

the tables are set

and a standing invitation is offered

The guests:  About one hundred men and women of varying ages, races and persuasions.  Some drive or ride from home; others walk from the shelter down the road.  All, without a doubt, are welcome.

Dress:  Casual.  Some find fresh clothes on the open rack.   Some wear professional attire, grabbing nourishment on their way to work. 

Entertainment:  Live.  A talented guest plays piano show tunes, offering to play trumpet tomorrow, if someone can lend one.

Occasions:  A birthday, remembered with a candle-graced cupcake and song.  A celebration of one man’s hospital discharge, just yesterday.  Coffee and conversation to start the day. 

Common themes:  Hospitality.  Dignity.  Nourishment.  Fellowship.  Service. 

For more than twenty-seven years, 365 days a year, The Breakfast at St. Andrew’s has served a cup of coffee and hot breakfast to folks who walk in the door between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m.  It started in 1982 with temporary expectations, during another economic slump, but the need never declined.  Now, with our state’s unemployment at 15%, the need is greater than ever.  While many of us carry on with life as usual, local food pantries are bare, and people are hitting really hard times. 

On a recent early Saturday morning, I had the privilege of serving sack lunch supplies.  As an admittedly fair-weather servant, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.  What moved me was the simplicity and beauty of the whole experience.  The atmosphere is lively and gracious.   There was nothing frightening, no sense of embarrassment; guests were happy to be there and thankful for our efforts.  People are treated with dignity, like honored guests, by the servers, who return the mutual affection and respect.  We all pitch in to help, we banter about the food choices, and they repeatedly thank us for our efforts. 

But we, the servers, are also being fed.  We are touched by their bravery, resilience, and optimism.  Bob, our lunch program coordinator, has a personal connection with many guests.  He knows them by name, knows their stories, and considers them friends.  Now, I recognize people I sometimes see on the sidewalks downtown.    I wish so much that I, too, remembered their names. 

I was moved by this, although I should not have been.   It’s both simple and complex.  We too, regardless of our stories, are welcome at the banquet.  Our names are known, our great moments celebrated, our trials noticed.  No matter what happens, we can depend on fresh nourishment, every day, without fail.   We are loved, and we are called to love our neighbors.  

Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.”  St. Andrew’s returns the favor, every single day.  What better way to respond to the call?

More about Breakfast at St. Andrew’s