To the Editor:

The griddle is hot. Coffee is made. Bacon and sausage sizzle. Eggs are cracked, ready to scramble or fry. Pancake batter is mixed up. The kitchen is heating up. Butter and real maple syrup are on the tables. Must be the last Saturday of the month at Helderberg Lutheran Church in Berne.

In the summer of 2012, the Helderberg Lutheran congregation was brainstorming ways to reach out to the community. Brian Bunzey said, “Let’s serve a pancake breakfast!” Melanie Bunzey, Brian’s wife, said, “Let’s open a thrift store!” And so it began — and continues 13 years later.

The free-will donation breakfast has always been much more than pancakes, French toast, and eggs. More than a pancake breakfast, it is Community Breakfast. Some 100 to 115 people come not just for the food, but for friends and family. 

The breakfast is popular because the food is hearty and good. Ingredients are fresh and prepared to order. It all starts with love and care; we are serving our neighbors, and oftentimes our relatives! 

For the first decade, cooks, dishwashers, and wait staff were members of Helderberg Lutheran. Now, members of Berne Reformed Church and community friends help out. Most diners and workers are dedicated regulars, regardless of the weather.

Which leads to another facet of the breakfast’s popularity: You are sure to run into a neighbor or friend, perhaps someone you haven’t seen in a while. There are friendly waves from table to table. Old friendships are deepened; new friendships are formed. Conversation volume reaches a satisfying crescendo at around 9:30 a.m.

After polishing off breakfast, diners can browse the Thrift Store. Early on, there was mulling of a clever name, but nothing ever caught on. Just as the Community Breakfast is called exactly what it is, the store is simply the Thrift Store. 

Open most Wednesdays and Saturdays, you never know what you will find. Items are all donated. Customers lucky enough to be in the store when a box arrives sometimes purchase treasures right out of the box! You may even find something you need before you realize you need it!

Maybe Brian just wanted to wear a poufy chef’s hat, but there’s no doubt that the idea of a community breakfast was spot-on. Melanie was right that a thrift store would be embraced. It takes many people working faithfully to keep these ministries going. And we are grateful for ongoing support and goodwill from the community.

Rev. Wendy Cook

Berne

Editor’s note: Rev. Wendy Cook was pastor of Helderberg Lutheran Church from 2012 to 2020. The church is located at 1728 Helderberg Trail in Berne.