Real Meaning of Community

I am staying with my Aunt Jenny in Rome on and off for the next few months.  Jenny who is a member at North Broad Baptist Church was volunteering at their quarterly Community Brunch Saturday morning. So because I have a passion for feeding hungry people, I tagged along.

We arrived at 8:00 to a kitchen full of people bustling about making a full breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, grits, and biscuits.  Because it was the Saturday after Easter and other reasons, the number of volunteers was expected to be low; however, I am sure Julie (the Community Brunch liason)  and MIcah (the pastor) and many others must have done some mighty praying since over 35 joyful volunteers showed up to feed God’s people.

The Community Brunch is a true chance for people to give and receive God’s wonderful hospitality.  Our guests were escorted down the elevator to Rutland Hall for a breakfast feast.There, we directed them to choose a place at  one of the twelve decorated and inviting tables waiting for them.  Greeting them with smiles, the volunteers took drink orders and followed by food orders and brought everything to the guests.  All the fixins a person might want or need were on the tables--jelly, sugar, pink stuff, yellow stuff, salt, pepper, syrup, butter, and napkins. We brought them coffee, water, milk, and orange juice. We noticed that the grown ups were giving the kids the orange juice and said you can have some, too. In their world, orange juice is a luxury and they were willing to give that luxury to the children.

We wanted our community guests to feel welcome and well taken care of. We wanted them to find a place where they were accepted and where they could sit and enjoy a cup of coffee with their friends.  We wanted them to feel like dignified human beings. And I believe they did.


Some of my other noticings included--

If we asked how someone was, they always said blessed or glad to be here or happy to see us.

Our guests waited patiently in line to get into the breakfast and then went back to wait in line for seconds. Those patient people were truly hungry both for food and human contact.

Our guests were patient and sat socializing and drinking coffee to wait for 11:00 for go plates to be distributed. Many of them were taking plates to friends and family who were unable to attend because of illness or disability; however, our guests who didn’t have much themselves made sure that other members of the community could also share in the bounty.

The addressed me as Miss Laurie, which at first made me uncomfortable, but later I realized they were being respectful in their own way.

I saw that many of our guests had on layers of clothes including coats on this late April Saturday in Georgia because all they had was what they wore and what was in their backpacks.

I saw people taking care of friends and family with mental and physical disabilities with a tender touch.

I saw a gentleman collect the uneaten pancakes and biscuits from his table mates and wrap them in a napkin for later. I wondered just how hungry he was.

Everyone we served from the oldest to the youngest said please and thank you.

We were all one community celebrating God’s love at a meal.

Sharing a meal with others is one of the holiest ways to show God’s love and hospitality.


Their faces lit up when we got refills of the drinks. They enjoyed sitting at tables with other people they knew. They enjoyed holding each others’ kids so the parents could eat.  They enjoyed the food. They enjoyed the fellowship. They enjoyed being in a loving environment as a child of God.

Our faces lit up when we got refills of the drinks. We enjoyed sitting at tables meeting new people. We enjoyed holding the kids so the parents could eat.  We enjoyed the food. We enjoyed the fellowship. We enjoyed being in a loving environment as a child of God.

By the end of the two hours, as you can tell from the paragraphs above, we and they were now one--one community of North Rome, one community of love and friendship, community of God’s beloved people.