Class News
Terry Holcombe ’64 reports reopening of Sunrise Café in New Haven
April 4, 2022
Marya and Terry Holcombe ’64, who have supported and worked at Sunrise Café for years, reported that it will reopen for community breakfasts for the first time since the pandemic hit. Terry added: “A number of classmates have volunteered at Sunrise when visiting New Haven, so we look forward to seeing you and others again.”
Here is a letter from the Chair of Sunrise Café:
Dear Friends,
I want to update you on some exciting developments at Sunrise Café. After a long hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are now serving inside once again. We look forward to returning to our pre-COVID level when we served over 45,000 hot breakfasts. Guests can begin their day with hot coffee and the most important meal of the day, breakfast. Our daily specials always include a nutritious, warm main dish accompanied by fresh fruit and our signature smoothies! Along with the free meal, Sunrise Café prides itself on a warm, welcoming environment for all guests. We continue to follow all CDC guidelines to ensure our Café is safe and that we keep our guests, staff, and volunteers healthy.
This month, we began a partnership with the University of New Haven. Students majoring in marketing have volunteered to work on a social-media campaign with the goal of raising awareness of Sunrise Café's warm and welcoming environment and delicious breakfasts. The students will meet with our guests, staff, and volunteers to create videos and posts on social media showing how unique and special Sunrise is. They will also incorporate an avenue for people to donate via these platforms. With the rising costs of food, it is very important that we find additional venues for our fundraising efforts.
Our board will host a special breakfast on April 27, 2022 to help celebrate our reopening. The breakfast will coincide with the Great Give 2022, and we are inviting New Haven-area politicians, the media, volunteers, and donors. We feel it is important to let the community know that not only did we survive the pandemic but thrived! At this breakfast you will have the opportunity to meet our new chairperson Elise Kamp and our new vice chair Kelli Rae Gibson. If you would like to join us please RSVP to kelli.gibson@yale.edu. If you cannot make the breakfast but would like to support this effort with a gift for our reopening, you can donate on our website sunrisecafenewhaven.org or mail to Sunrise Café, 57 Olive Street, New Haven CT 06511. It would be greatly appreciated.
Lastly, I want to thank all our donors for your generous support throughout the years. Sunrise would not be possible without your generosity. Our hope is to continue not only being a place to eat, but a place where our guests feel that they matter and that we are making a difference in their lives.
Sincerely,
Anne Calabresi
Chair, Sunrise
Café