Holiday Brunches for the Homeless Capture the Reason for the Season
The holiday season is one of giving and gathering around tables for a good meal, and this year Christmas brunches successfully brought both aspects together. The Hospitality Center in Racine, WI and the Open Door Mission in Omaha, NE both served hundreds of families this Christmas.
According to the Journal Times, this year was the first community-wide brunch, which gained so many donations and recruited so many volunteers that they opened their doors to the general public. The center, which opened in 2011, benefits the homeless and nearly homeless in Racine.
Within days, the Hospitality Center had more than enough donations of food and gifts and three dozen volunteers.
Open Door Mission in Omaha had the help of over 150 volunteers on Christmas day — so many, in fact, that it was tough to find jobs for all the volunteers, which according to volunteer, Preston Speece, is “a testament to how generous [the] community is.”
Both events offered traditional brunch and breakfast items like eggs, bacon, sausage and gravy, and a variety of holiday breads and pastries.
“I would say that these types of charitable acts are, although not very common, definitely something that clubs often do around the holiday season in order to help their community and those in need,” says Jeff Robinson, Sales & Marketing Director, Deerfield Golf Club. “Venues all play a part in doing what they can to provide needed services for both local and national organizations. We’ve been involved in such efforts and it is a great feeling to be able to help out.”
Many venues that offer a holiday brunch — which are usually held on Sundays in December — also encourage attendees to contribute something to benefit a charity like Toys for Tots or a local food pantry. It isn’t uncommon for the venue to invite guests to bring along a toy to donate, or a non-perishable food item, to help needy families celebrate the holiday beyond the scope of the event.
The organizations in Racine and Omaha — as well as others — successfully emphasized community and giving all while enjoying a bountiful holiday meal. And that is, as they say, the reason for the season.
