City Care Breakfast moves, ministry continues at First United Methodist Church of Oklahoma City
BY CARLA HINTON
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Published: October 31, 2009
A downtown Oklahoma City nonprofit agency that offers a free morning meal each weekday has moved to a new location.
The City Care breakfast that started 17 years ago at CityChurch, 136 NW 10, is now held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. weekdays at
First United Methodist Church of Oklahoma City, 131 NW 4.
The agency’s executive director,
Larry Bross, said the change was made after CityChurch leaders said they needed the space for something else. City Care, formerly affiliated with CityChurch, operates the breakfast, the Whiz Kids reading program and
Pershing Center, a transitional center for homeless people. Bross said the Whiz Kids office and the breakfast moved to
First United Methodist in August, and the City Care office is at Pershing Center, 2400 General Pershing Blvd.
He said leaders at nearby First United Methodist did not hesitate when a member of the church brought up the idea of holding the long-standing breakfast there.
"They were wonderful about it,” Bross said.
The
Rev. Mark McAdow, First United Methodist’s senior pastor, said the free meal fit with the church’s mission to help others.
"We have a large facility, we weren’t using the space at that time and it just seemed like a natural thing to have it here,” he said.
He said the church recently completed a ministry initiative in which one of the concepts was God invites His people to join Him in His work.
"What we’re trying to do here is say, ‘God, where are You working? How are You working? And how can we be supportive of it?’” McAdow said.
Bross said about 200 people show up for the breakfast each day, with more families with children coming in recent months.
He said many of the breakfast visitors are what he calls "couch homeless,” meaning they are usually staying with friends or relatives but have no home or residence of their own. Others who regularly partake of the meal are homeless, living on the streets.
He said the menu has stayed the same over the years: Biscuits and gravy on Mondays and Wednesdays, eggs on Tuesdays, pancakes and sausage on Thursdays and grilled cheese, cold cereal and hash browns on Fridays. Oatmeal, a filling staple, is offered every day.
Bross said volunteers come from many different churches, and some have been serving for many years. He said along with their regular breakfast menu, they serve about 400 cups of coffee a day and doughnuts donated by
Krispy Kreme.
Bross said other establishments that donate items include
Panera Bread,
Starbucks and Buy 4 Less.
He said moving the meal benefited everyone involved because it ensured that the longtime morning ministry would continue.
"The clients that we serve usually kind of get displaced during the day, so we like to give them a nice start. We offer them prayer and encouragement,” Bross said.
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