Our summer excitement was tempered by Thelma Ragsdale’s departure. Thelma, our longtime Operations Manager, moved out of state. She has been a steady hand and calming presence especially during the Covid outdoor serving challenges and the transition back to normal operations.
 

About three weeks ago, with air filters and socially distanced tables, the Cafe began welcoming guests to warm up and enjoy breakfast indoors. It is amazing and wonderful and almost unbelievable after two years of Covid restrictions.
 

Sunrise Cafe, like our guests, survives one day at a time. Focusing on our guests in the present moment enables us to share friendship and breakfast with guests Monday through Friday with hope, grace, patience, kindness and compassion. We celebrate the generosity of our donors in this season of celebration.
 

The staff and volunteers at the Cafe have been very busy. In addition to serving walk up guests at the corner of Chapel and Olive streets, Sunrise volunteers delivered breakfasts to the La Quinta hotel Monday through Friday.
 

It’s been a Year! Masks, hand washing, hand sanitizer, six feet apart, regular COVID testing,
serving breakfast outdoors. We did not begin to imagine in January what we would have to
endure or that the year would end this way.
 

Potentially delivering breakfasts to the winter warming centers, continuing to serve “grab and go” breakfasts outdoors, purchasing insulated warm food containers, improvements to St PJs, welcoming new board members – lots going on at the Cafe.
 

Potentially delivering breakfasts to the winter warming centers, continuing to serve “grab and go” breakfasts outdoors, purchasing insulated warm food containers, improvements to St PJs, welcoming new board members – lots going on at the Cafe.
 

We are still serving breakfast weekday mornings in the open air at the corner of Chapel and Olive Streets in front of the Church of St Paul and St James.

EMERGECT and Amistad House help us expand our reach into Fair Haven.

We have been responding to the pandemic with adjusted Cafe operations for ten weeks.

Recently, we have taken 25 breakfasts to Fair Haven on Thursday and Friday supplementing the Wednesday breakfasts provided by Amistad House.

Beginning Monday, our staff and volunteers will again be preparing bags at the Cafe and will be including a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. We are currently serving 50-60 guests per day with all service outdoors along Olive Street.