Every weekday morning at Trinity United Church of Christ in Wooster, the aroma of fresh coffee and warm breakfast fills the air as volunteers begin serving hot meals. For three decades, the Trinity Breakfast Program has opened its doors to anyone in need of a meal or a kind word.
In the fall, the program celebrated 30 years of service to the community. Co-founders Sally and Joan assumed leadership of the program when they retired from teaching, continuing the work of a third cofounder, Joanne, who has since passed away.
“Hunger touches all of us,” Sally says. “You never know what someone’s been through. We show our love through food.”
What began with just a handful of guests and donated fast-food trays has grown into a daily breakfast serving 50 to 70 people each morning — more than 300 every week.
Sally and Joan's motivations come from the people they serve and the people they serve alongside. “I work with an amazing group of women who have become my friends,” Sally says. “And the gratitude of the people who come through the line keeps us going, too. When someone says, ‘Thank you,’ that’s all it takes.”
The Trinity Breakfast Program has been a hunger relief partner of the Foodbank for many years, a partnership that Sally says is vital to their success.
“The Foodbank helps us keep going,” she explains. “It takes the stress off our budget and lets us keep serving people without worrying about what we’ll do next. Everyone there is so nice. They even make it fun to come pick up food!”
And as Sally knows well, that kind of support matters most in hard moments, like during the pandemic and a major kitchen remodel, when volunteers packed and served bagged breakfasts. “We never stopped,” Sally says proudly. “We just adjusted.”
Today, the program runs smoothly thanks to the dedication of volunteers who cook, serve and pick up donations. Now, with a brand-new kitchen and three decades of service behind them, the Trinity Breakfast Program remains a cornerstone of community care in Wooster.