Anne Calabresi is a long-time New Haven civic leader. She is one of the founders of LEAP and The New Haven Arts & Ideas Festival. In 2013, she began meeting with local civic organizations to find space where people lacking permanent homes or sufficient food could find safety, welcome, warmth, a free healthy cooked breakfast of their choice and shelter from the weather in the morning as an alternative to being isolated outside.

In March 2015, with encouragement and support from John Bradley, then Liberty Community Services Executive Director and initial funding from the Carolyn Foundation, Sunrise Cafe – an independent 501c3 since 2019 – opened as a program of Liberty Community Services.

Sarah is a retired civilian registered nurse of 30 years in conjunction with 24 years in the Navy Reserves. Beginning the first 5 years as a hospital corpsman, she completed her military career as a Commander in the Navy Nurse Corps. She received a master’s and postgraduate degree in nursing from Quinnipiac University. Due to her love of choral singing, Sarah has been a choral member of the New Haven Chorale since 1985 and the Greater New Haven Community Chorus since 2023. Currently living in the Wooster Square area of New Haven, Sarah began volunteering at Sunrise Café in the Spring of 2024 which led to a staff position shortly following.

Lynn started her career in the entertainment industry and transitioned into public service-oriented work.  Now, she works with community-based basic needs banks across the United States to evaluate the impact their distribution of diapers and period supplies has on the individuals, families, and communities they serve.  Her recent research includes the National Diaper Bank Network’s Study of Diaper Insecurity, Health and Economic Mobility in the United States, assessing the economic and fiscal impacts of free diaper distribution to families in need. In 2015 when Lynn first moved to the New Haven area she volunteered at Sunrise and she is happy to have this opportunity to be back.

40 years of significant achievement in corporate, entrepreneurial and non-profit environments including: Retired from General Re Life Corporation (Subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway) as Director of Treaties, Assistant Secretary. Previously one of three founders of Connecticut American Inc which was affiliated with then named Blue Cross Blue Shield. Bob is a Fellow, Life Management Institute (FLMI) and a Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU).  He is a board member of the Willoughby Wallace Library (Stony Creek).  Previous non-profit activities include Past President, Branford Jaycees; Past Chairman, Branford Board of Ethics and a Past Member, Branford Board of Education.

Ann trained in Canada as a veterinarian. She also has a PhD in immunology and ran a molecular biology lab investigating new drug targets for the pharmaceutical industry. Ann retired in 2010 and moved back to Canada to care for her parents. While there, she volunteered at St. John’s Kitchen which is part of a wider community called the Working Centre. On her return to Branford in 2017, she volunteered at the Community Dining Room in Branford and at the Sunrise Café. Ann also works with the Friends of the James Blackstone Memorial Library in Branford and runs the free library at Sunrise with some of the donated books.

Elise works for Press & Cuozzo Realtors selling residential real estate in the New Haven area. She is a long time Sunrise volunteer and also volunteers with Columbus House and Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen and has tutored inner city children with the Bridges of Hope. Originally from Ridgefield, CT, Elise moved to New Haven in 1982 after graduating from Fordham University with a degree in Communications. She has worked in advertising sales for WELI Radio and the New Haven Register. Elise currently lives in the East Rock neighborhood of New Haven. She has two grown children, Abigail who works for the US Department of Foreign Aid in Washington DC and Rees who works at Sequoia High School in Redwood City, CA.

Kevin helped organize Sunrise and subsequently served as a volunteer. He is a long-time volunteer with Loaves and Fishes, IRIS, and FISH, among other organizations. From 1984 to 2014, he served on the non-partisan staff of the state legislature. He and his wife live in East Rock.

Born and raised in Connecticut, Jasree graduated from Southern Connecticut State University with a B.S. in Communication. She has over 15 years of experience in retail, IT, communication, and student support sectors. She has worked for organizations such as Southern Connecticut State University, NBC Universal, The National Diaper Bank Network, The Episcopal Church in Connecticut, and Yale University’s School of Medicine. She now serves as a mindset coach for women navigating career and life changes, and as a communication consultant.

Jasree enjoys spending time with her husband and toddler, exercising through Zumba, and discussing mindshifting, motherhood, and more on her podcast, The Mindshift Mami Show.

Ben is a graduate student at Yale Divinity School and volunteer coordinator at Yale’s Dwight Hall Center for Public Service and Social Justice. He has been volunteering with Sunrise Cafe since August of 2024. Before coming to New Haven, he worked with asylum-seekers along the US-Mexico border and studied at Fordham University in the Bronx. He enjoys making friends at Sunrise!

Bob graduated from the University of Rochester in 1971 with a BA in psychology. He returned to school to study computer programming and had a rewarding career in Information Technology, retiring in 2014.

Bob has been a volunteer at Sunrise Cafe since moving to New Haven in 2016. When not in the kitchen, Bob loves to photograph Sunrise events and share the photos with Sunrise guests. In addition to photography, Bob loves gardening and is an avid bridge player. Bob also volunteered for many years as a basketball coach, tutor in the public schools, and helping out at the local food pantry.

Ms. Fleming is a former nurse and retired social worker. She spent 25 years working with the Department of Children and Youth Services and 8 years in clinical work with Yale Child Study Center.

She is currently President of the Board of Loaves and Fishes, the New Haven non-profit food pantry and clothing closet. She serves on the Vestry of St Paul and St James Episcopal Church and is a longtime volunteer with Sunrise Cafe.