Neighborhood Philanthropy: Rise and Shine Community Breakfast
Oxford is host to some wonderful non-profit organizations that provide for our community in so many ways. We want to provide a glimpse of these organizations each month. Rise and Shine Community Breakfast is a food ministry that was started in 2017 by St. Peter’s Episcopal Church (also known as “the pumpkin church on the Square”). It provides FREE breakfast and a sense of community twice a week.
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Van Buren Street Entrance
Rise and Shine serves a full, FREE breakfast every Monday and Thursday in the Parish Hall located behind the historic church in the newer building (Van Buren Avenue entrance). Local volunteers cook, set up, serve and clean. Many of the guests eat at the church and there are some guests that will get "to go" plates to take away to work or to family that are home-bound. Rise and Shine has recently partnered with Chick-Fil-A to pick up their left over food two times a week. This food is cooked and packaged in "to go" boxes for guests to take away for lunches or dinners. They are even able to send some Chick-Fil-A frozen food away with guests.
Since Covid, Rise and Shine has struggled to get the word out that this weekly breakfast service is still available and FREE to the public. Rise and Shine has created such a nice community of people who not only need a nice breakfast twice a week, but who also want to socialize with each other.
Diane Lindley serves as Rise and Shine Community Breakfast’s leader and coordinator. She recently shared, “I love feeding people. Anywhere, anytime. Rise and Shine is especially rewarding for me because some of our guests really need the help (the food insecure) and others just appreciate the fellowship this provides. We would love for you (within our Lafayette county community) to let others know this is happening each Monday and Thursday.”
We are so grateful to Rise and Shine Community Breakfast for providing food for those who desperately need it twice a week and for providing a space where community can be born. Please consider donating or becoming a volunteer. Contact St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, located at 113 S 9th Street, by phone 662-234-1269 or contact Diane Lindley at dlindley@olemiss.edu.
