A Special Thank You
to All of the Simply Breakfast Volunteers
In the 2009 March April issue of the SNCA Newletter, we did something a little different. We recognized the group of people who have prepared our Simply Breakfast meals for the last several years. The group includes Paul Brown, Jack and Tracy Barton, Elizabeth Crittenden and Penn White, Chris Geidel, Marilyn Gwen, Lark and Tom Hutto, and Richard and Jimmie Tinius. They’ve been an amazingly cohesive group, with all but Marilyn and Paul having started with the original Simply Breakfast five years ago. They say they like each other and enjoy working together.
In February 2004 the SNCA Board of Directors was looking for additional fundraising ideas. Jimmie Tinius, who was then on the board, was already working with the Simple Suppers and thought perhaps a monthly breakfast would be appealing to members. All nine people who prepared the first breakfast are still doing it! That’s remarkable in the world of volunteer efforts.
Richard and Jimmie do the shopping. They also set up the dining room and prepare the big coffee pots on timers on Friday evening. Saturday morning breakfast preparations start at 7:00 a.m. with service beginning at 8:00 a.m. They serve until 10:30 a.m., and cleanup is usually finished by 11:30 a.m. Of course, the machine wasn’t always this well-oiled. It took quite a bit of experience to get the routine perfected. And every breakfast is an adventure, because they never know how many people will turn out. Jimmie says they average serving 65 to 70 people, but one time they had 150 people. So if you arrive for a late breakfast sometime and find they have run out of something, please understand. They’ve managed to keep the prices the same since starting in early 2004.
Chris says he cooked lots of breakfasts with the Boy Scouts and likes doing it. He said they enjoy working together, and it’s fun to talk with the people who come to have breakfast and to socialize. Paul Brown says he’s one for getting up and out in the morning and he loves sausage. Jack likes to cook pancakes. He and Tracy fight over that duty. Elizabeth has the important job of batter maker. Lark is usually manning the beverage table, and Marilyn is helping wherever she’s needed. Tom and Penn collect the money. And Richard, bless his heart, knows every quirk of the restaurant-style dishwasher. This community breakfast is no paper plate event!
The next time you come for Simply Breakfast, please say a special thanks to your volunteer breakfast crew.
