Open Table UCC in Ottawa to host Christmas brunch

Christmas Day is for family, friends and love and the members of the Open Table United Church of Christ in Ottawa are again sharing that love with all who will join them.

Open Table UCC will be conducting a holiday brunch from 10 a.m. to noon on Christmas Day, Monday, Dec. 25, at the church, located at 910 Columbus St.

There will be a variety of egg casseroles, fruit and baked goods, along with juice, milk and coffee for anyone who wishes to take part in the holiday event.

“The sense of fellowship and community is as important as the food itself.”

—  The Rev. Jennifer Amy-Dressler, pastor of Open Table United Church of Christ in Ottawa

And though Santa Claus like will be busy at the North Pole that morning, Walt the Therapy Dog will be on hand to greet all comers.

“Everyone is welcome,” the Rev. Jennifer Amy-Dressler said of the brunch. “There is such an expectation that even if you don’t do Christmas in any way, everything is quiet, everything is shut down and you feel like you should be somewhere with friends and not just sitting alone. The sense of fellowship and community is as important as the food itself.

“We hope to see even more people take advantage of this brunch this year than last.”

A year ago, when Christmas Day fell on a Sunday, the church wanted to expand its post-services coffee hour into a coffee and hors d’oeuvres. Thanks to the efforts of its member and word of mouth, it turned into a full-fledged Christmas dinner that nearly 100 people attended.

“It was a blast,” the reverend said. “Last year, we had a couple who were spending a few days at Starved Rock, drove through Ottawa a few days before and saw our banner and said, ‘Let’s go there for Christmas.’ We had folks who were homeless spend a few hours with us. We had some families who were in tight straights and families that weren’t in tight straights who joined us. There was a couple who were new to town and they and their adult daughter came and did their Christmas dinner with us instead of doing their own thing. Plus we had a lot of our regulars.

“This year, we didn’t have someone to coordinate a full dinner, but we will have enough people available to manage a brunch. We’re doing what we can and we hope to see even more people join us this year.”