My Knights and I along with our sisters in the Daughters of Isabella have been running coffee Sundays almost every month since the restrictions were lifted. They weren't what I wanted to run, but they have still managed to turn out fairly well.
We did our first Sunday at the parish just before the shutdowns of March 2020. Before we took over, the coffee Sunday was run through various groups at the parish. I hate to say it, but they weren't very good. They had no funding, and therefore ran it as cheaply as possible. Parishioners came and saw an urn of coffee (Folger's), a pot of hot water, and some cookies that were bought from the bargain bin (ie, stale) from the local supermarket. Whatever the original size of the crowd, it was soon dropping off, with just a few regular die hards coming down for the refreshments, such as they were.
Unfortunately, it was a case of failure reinforcing failure. People didn't come on account of the lack of effort, and the small crowd made the people running it to conclude that there was no point in putting in much effort, so they didn't. which made the crowds even smaller, etc, etc. The people who ran those early Sundays were disappointed with the lack of turnout, and rather than seeing and appreciating those who did come, instead lamented those who were not there. Occasionally they would say the small turnout was not worth the effort they had put in.
At any rate, people were simply walking out the doors after Mass, several of them probably to go to Starbucks or something similar to buy a coffee. It was obvious to most of us that, if people would rather pay five bucks for a coffee rather than get one of ours for free, there was a problem. So, when the organizers announced they would no longer do them and asked if anyone else would step up, my knights and our sister group the Daughters stepped up. We tried to turn coffee Sunday into Cafe Sunday. The first thing we did was jettison the store bought stuff. People were not going to come out for things they already had in their own homes. We brought home cooked pastries, brought in our espresso pots from home, started making hot chocolate for the kids. We tried to go over the top. We baked bread in the parish ovens in an attempt to fill teh room with the smell of fresh baked bread and draw people in. We even got some parish musicians to come and play a little and sing. We were approached by some of the people who had formerly run the coffee Sunday. They told us our efforts were nice, but all that was needed was some coffee and some cookies. We ignored them. We ran two before Covid hit.
For the duration of Covid I was in contact with my Knights and with the parish office. I was trying to arrange some kind of celebration for when were finally back in the church without restrictions. We debated different things to do- pancake breakfast, pizza Sunday, etc. Unfortunately, the basement was in the process of being renovated. Perhaps we could use the garden? No. It was where the workers who were working on the basement stored their equipment. When we were allowed to go back last May, we had almost nothing with which to work. It wasn't what I wanted to do, but I suggested we run a Coffee Sunday. We had nowhere to run it, nowhere to prep. Our options were to either do nothing and let it pass, or set up a table and do our best in the Narthex. We and some other volunteers baked some stuff at home and lugged an urn out. We got a kettle for some tea and some hot cocoa.
Oddly enough, it worked well. People couldn't just walk out- they had to pass us. They were happy for the opportunity to pause and socialize. Setting up in the narthex may have been a desperation move, but it turned out to be a decent idea. We did it there for several more months. Then, this January, we were first allowed to use the basement again, though not the kitchen. We set up mainly in the basement, but still kept the table up in the narthex for the people who couldn't come down.
Oddly enough, another of my better 'ideas' was likewise an accident of necessity. I had set up our Sunday in October in the belief that renovations to my home would be done by then. They weren't, and I had no kitchen and no oven. The only thing I had to cook with was a hot plate. I stared at it, wondering what I could possibly do. The only things I could come up with were Rice Crispy Squares, Scotcheroos (rice crispy squares with chocolate and butterscotch icing) and fudge. I was all but apologizing that I didn't have anything better when handing them out, but they were popular. People hadn't seen them in a long time and were pleasantly surprised to see them. They became a new regular item.
We haven't charged anything for this. We put out a tip jar, and we tell people that everything is free, but we appreciate anything to help cover the costs. We have always broken even, and lately, we have even earned a little extra. Not that much, this would never be a profitable fundraiser, but it is nice to have a little extra. It allows us to go a little more over the top.
As I said, I have learned a few things. We try and run it with a mixture of the familiar- we always have a few standbys in our treats, and also a something new. We try to make each one a little different. This means, yes, we will have a few that don't work. That's fine. Learn and do better next time.
I do the Sundays because, frankly, not many of my knights come out to help. These are something we can do with a minimal number of men.
I also try to make sure there is always something for the kids. The last one I dubbed a hot chocolate Sunday, and we went through a ton of the stuff. It's important the kids are not treated as an afterthought.
I try to have something for everyone- and that everyone is growing. There was one little boy to whom I owed an apology. I had been told by his mother a few months back that he was allergic to dairy and eggs, and also gluten intolerant- you name it, the poor kid was stuck with it. I spent a few months trying to think of something the kid could have before I realized I was overthinking it, and got some grapes, oranges and bananas. The kid and his grandmother came to me afterwards and thanked me. I squatted down to the kid and apologized that it took me so long. A few of my knights had told me they thought buying fruit would add to the expense and it wasn't worth it prior to the event. I ignored them.
Our efforts are starting to bear a little fruit. I haven't recruited any new members, but I haven't been trying much. There are studies on advertising which show that the average person must hear an ad or similar message seven times before it registers and they decide to act on it or not. Our last Sunday was our eighth- and my wife and I were approached by three people who wanted to help. Help is good enough for now. It will help us to start working in other areas.
Lastly, whatever success we have had comes from the effort we have put in. When the people who ran the earlier Sundays said the small turn out was not worth it, that was a mistake on their part, and a bad one at that. They were, in effect, telling the people who did come that they were not worth it. That was not their intent, of course, but that was the message they were sending, and it is a terrible message. Considering what Christ did for us, what he thought we were worth, it is wrong for any Christian to say to any human being at all that they are not worth it. It is even worse for a Catholic to say it of another Catholic. I am happy we have been having larger turnouts of late, but I hope I would still put in the effort even if they were not. It is my hope we are telling everyone, down to the child with eating issues, or the homeless man who came in looking for a cup of joe and some healing, loudly and clearly, that they are worth it.
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