Eight years ago, Emmaus team member, Myriam had the idea to host a breakfast brunch in celebration of Easter. Many clients in Marthasville work every weekday, so they don’t usually get the opportunity to attend our daytime program activities and special events. She talked to the these clients, and decided that since they had the day off on Good Friday, they’d host an Easter celebration on that day. Thus, the first annual Easter Breakfast Brunch was held on April 22, 2011. This event was, and continues to be made possible with the support of Emmaus team, and plenty of volunteers throughout the community.
Why we do it?
The Easter Breakfast Brunch provides an opportunity to participate in our community celebration. Over the years, as popularity of the event has grown, others have joined in to both help and celebrate. The Easter Breakfast Brunch brings together not only those directly connected to Emmaus, but has also been an ongoing way for Emmaus to connect with the broader community. After the first year’s event, members of St. John’s UCC Church became interested in hosting the Easter Breakfast Brunch.The church agreed, and has provided us with their event space and tremendous volunteer assistance ever since. What’s more, for the past six years, the church has gifted us with enough funds to purchase all of the food for our meal. We are so grateful for such generous support!
Who’s it for?
The Easter Breakfast Brunch is for Emmaus clients, Direct Support Professional Staff, Home Managers, and our clients’ friends and families.
What we do there in relation to Easter?
The focus of this event is to celebrate Easter together as one big family. Clients, team members and volunteers arrive early in the morning to prepare the brunch. They make pancakes, cinnamon rolls, biscuits and gravy, sausage, scrambled eggs, fruit salad, coffee, and orange juice. The group of church ladies, Mary & Martha Circle members, decorate the table for Easter with centerpieces, and they also fill a big basket with Easter eggs to distribute. Afterwards everyone enjoys the delicious food, and someone takes the basket around to every table so that each client can choose an egg. Inside the egg, is a “prize coupon,” to turn in for a special prize, donated by the generous members of St. John’s UCC Church.
Celebrating together like this has brought so much togetherness and enjoyment over these past eight years!