MORE THAN A MEAL - DECEMBER 2025 | | |
Happy Giving Tuesday!
We hope you were able to enjoy time with friends and family over the Thanksgiving holiday. Here at St. Andrew’s, our Breakfast guests enjoyed a delicious meal of ham, sweet and sour meatballs, macaroni and cheese, potatoes, vegetables and pumpkin pie! Eighteen volunteers came in on Thanksgiving morning to serve our guests and make the holiday special for all. We are deeply grateful for all those who work together, in the kitchen and behind the scenes, to provide a hot meal every morning for those in our community who need our support. We recently mailed our semi-annual fundraising letter to St. Andrew’s parishioners and other donors. Some of you may have received it in your mailboxes this week. If not, you can read it below.
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Dear Friends,
As the Director of the Breakfast Program at St. Andrew’s, I speak with our breakfast guests almost daily. And I hear firsthand what this program means to them. They frequently express gratitude, not just for the delicious homemade food, but for the kindness and sense of community we offer. As we enter another season of Thanksgiving, I am filled with gratitude for the opportunity to lead this program and for the many volunteers and donors who have sustained it for more than 40 years.
We have much to be thankful for this year. We are able to offer a wide variety of nutritious meals for our guests; we now serve meat and fresh produce daily. Our guests enjoyed fresh watermelon and Michigan asparagus this summer. As the weather turns colder, we are adding homemade soups and chili to our menu rotation.
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We have seen tremendous growth in our volunteer numbers this year; people reach out every week to inquire about ways to help. On a typical day, a dozen volunteers work different shifts to keep the breakfast program running smoothly. We are delighted to welcome volunteers from Community High School two mornings a week. It brings me joy and a sense of hope to see so many young people giving back to their community.
The Breakfast Program has faced challenges this year as well. One of our commercial freezers had to be replaced. Prices for food and supplies have gone up. In response, we revised some of our recipes to stretch the most expensive ingredients, and we added new volunteer shifts to do some of the work that we used to outsource.
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As we make every effort to balance our budget, we must rely on the generosity of individual donors to fund this important work. And so I am writing today to ask for your help. If you are able, please consider making a donation to the Breakfast Program this holiday season. Your gift will help us provide a hot nutritious meal this winter for those who are struggling. Together we can make a difference in our community, every single morning.
Thank you,
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How Do I Volunteer?
Current Volunteers: You can sign up for all volunteer shifts on SignUpGenius.
New Volunteers: We are always happy to welcome new members to the team! If you have never volunteered at the Breakfast before and would like to get involved, please email our volunteer coordinator at standrewsbreakfast@gmail.com. She will send you some general information and the links to the SignUpGenius pages.
Connect with The Breakfast
If you would like to learn more about the Breakfast Program, please visit breakfastatstandrews.org; email Sue at breakfast@standrewsaa.org; or follow us on Instagram @thebreakfastprogram!
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Chris Turek
Chris Turek is a big believer in community service. She has served on several nonprofit boards and was a founder and board member of MotorCity Greyhound Rescue. Chris started volunteering for the Breakfast Program in January 2016 and has been a Wednesday morning regular ever since!
In addition to her weekly volunteer commitment, Chris is a member of our Board of Directors and the Board’s fundraising committee. An excellent cook, she is delighted to be able to serve delicious homemade meals to our guests. In addition to the food, she values the sense of community that the Breakfast Program provides. She has gotten to know our regular guests and enjoys visiting with them on Wednesday mornings. Thank you, Chris, for sharing your time and talents in the board room and the kitchen!
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Wolverine Street Medicine
For the past 18 months, medical student volunteers from Wolverine Street Medicine have offered a footcare clinic in the St. Andrew’s lobby during breakfast hours.
These dedicated medical students visit us every other Friday morning and trim toenails, care for blisters and wounds, and check guests’ feet for signs of diabetic ulcers, infections or frostbite. They are sometimes able to offer new warm socks and shoes as well. Our guests, many of whom are unsheltered and walk miles every day, are extremely grateful for this service. Thank you, Wolverine Street Medicine, for all you do for the community!
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Did you know that over the last 12 months, Food Gatherers donated more than 65,000 pounds of food to the Breakfast Program?
That's the equivalent of 54,458 meals!
Thank you, Food Gatherers, for all you do to alleviate hunger in Washtenaw County. To learn more about their on-going support of 140 local programs, see their Year End Report.
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