The Annual Christmas Fellowship Breakfast at the Cocoa West Community Center
Article and Photos by Audrey Grayson’s Mobile Photography, LLC
At a time when many senior adults in Brevard County receive meals on a regular basis from Meals on Wheels and the Seniors at Lunch programs, other caring groups like the ones that hosted the annual Christmas Fellowship Breakfast at the Cocoa West Community Center on Saturday December 21, 2024, have similar goals to provide nutritious food to senior citizens. The 2024 Senior Christmas Breakfast was hosted and Co-chaired by two Delta Sigma Theta Sorors Mrs. Betty Wells and Mrs. Bettye Bryant in partnership with the Brevard County Department of Parks and Recreation.
On this chilly Saturday morning in December, some 55 senior adults came for the food, the fellowship and of course, the gift giveaways at this breakfast. Members of the annual breakfast committee, the Staff of Brevard County Parks and Recreation, members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Post 8116 and Commander Eric Harris’ Buffalo Soldiers worked as a team to prepare a delicious meal and program for these fine folks.
The idea of the annual breakfast began in 1991 after the construction of the Cocoa West Community Center building was completed, when the Whispering Pines, Lake View and Catalina Village (WLC) Homeowners Association realized that the elderly in their community not only enjoyed getting together to reminisce about old times and to share a meal, but they also benefited from this kind of companionship, and the seniors really looked forward to this annual gathering. After all these years, local seniors continue to get together in West Cocoa to greet each other, to share a meal and to enjoy the fellowship at the Cocoa West Community Center.
Several churches committed to sponsoring and supporting this breakfast. Friendship Primitive Baptist Church, Elder Rodney Osbourne, Pastor; Mrs. Lois Thornton, Senior Citizen; New Hope Deliverance Temple, Mother Clara Carter, Pastor; G. V. Jones; Parker Memorial Missionary Baptist Church, Pastor Addison Mitchell; Pentecostal House of Prayer, Elder Clarence Bailey, Pastor. Other groups that sponsored the breakfast were the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Buffalo Soldiers, Post 8116, Mr. Eric Harris, Commander; Mr. and Mrs. William Chaney, and from the Brevard County Department of Parks and Recreation, Mrs. Felicia Fallen, Cocoa West Coordinator and staff members, Loretta Berry and Cassandra Gains.
After breakfast, Mrs. Wells read The Night before Christmas, aka ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, by Clement Clarke Moore and Mrs. Bryant distributed 20 fruit baskets and 20 poinsettias and raffled off 4 huge turkeys donated by the Brevard County Department of Parks and Recreation. The committee has a clever strategy for distributing the baskets and poinsettias. These giveaways are given by age. The first to the oldest attendee and this continues until all giveaways are given away. The first gift was given to a lady who is 94 years old.
The wonderful food, the great giveaways, and the fellowship made for a fun morning. Kudos to the Co-Chairs Bettye Bryant and Betty Wells and the Brevard County Department of Parks and Recreation partner for their commitment to the senior adults of Brevard.
I end this story with a word from the Lord:
Matthew 25:34-40, New International Version
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
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