Son-Rise Breakfast was started in 2007 to fill a need for the homeless and those in need in the downtown Dayton community area on Sunday mornings. There were only a few souls (12) showed up those first few Sundays for juice, bagels and coffee.
Since then, the crowds (as well as the menu) have mushroomed! We now serve 60-140 meals each Sunday. The meal now includes sausage, eggs, hash browns, biscuits and gravy, hot and cold cereal, sweet rolls, orange juice and coffee. Breakfast is served from 8:00 – 8:30 a.m. which is followed by a contemporary Praise Service from 8:30 -9:00 a.m. for those who want to attend.
Since the congregation at First Lutheran is small, five other churches send volunteers to assist in preparing, serving, and cleaning up. They are: Dayton Church of the Messiah, Xenia, Sh’ma Israel, Dayton, Good Shepherd Lutheran, Kettering, St John’s Lutheran, Miamisburg, and the Living Word, Vandalia.
Volunteers from St. John’s provide the cooks and servers on the third Sunday of each month. These volunteers meet at the church at 6:00 am to carpool to 1st Lutheran or meet at 1st Lutheran Church at 6:30 am. The church is located at 138 West First Street on the corner of West First and North Wilkinson Street. There is free, on-street parking on Wilkinson Street at that time of day on Sunday morning.
For more information on how to volunteer, contact Diane Naylor at St. John’s or phone St. John’s Church Office at 937-866-3780 and church secretary Diana will see that Diane contacts you.
