Bren + Friends Serve D.C.
Welcome to our 6th annual Day of Service! Last year’s event was a huge success, despite being at the height of a global pandemic. Fortunately, 2021 has been a bit kinder and things are starting to open up again. However and while most of us are gathering as usual, those with different circumstances are still working on surviving. And while our daily goal is still to get back to normal and resume our lives as we knew how, our priority remains to serve the community and its people.
My family and I started the tradition of cooking warm, home-cooked meals and distributing them to the homeless community and those in need in D.C. on Christmas Day years ago (first when I was a child and then in 2010, which led to today), in an effort to teach the kids in the family that Christmas is about celebrating the life of Christ and service; not about a wishlist and gifts.
In 2016, I rallied my parents, siblings and a few friends and we set out to the cold and empty streets on Christmas Day. We set up at Franklin Square Park and served 200 hot meals.
In 2018 I decided to expand our service to Columbia Heights and DuPont circle. We served 500 meals in 2018 and 2019. We also started handing out coats, hats, new socks, shoes and anything else, lightly worn, that our volunteers could gather.
2020 was a success though our work was much more laborious and the crowds were slimmer! With that, we are so very excited to continue growing and blessing our community with food, care and love on a day so many of us are privileged to enjoy at home with our loved ones. We are increasing our meals served to 700, up 100 from last year!
This year will go much like year’s past: We’ll be set up and serving at three different parks in the city, feeding different sectors. Because we are still in a Pandemic, we need different resources and different strategies in place in order to keep everyone safe and healthy.
Our target goal this year is $4,000 and we need your help! Our volunteers do a lot of the physical labor on the day of, but we need to make all of cooking happen in an efficient and safe manner. Please consider making a donation in any amount you are able.
Please read below for information on each day we need assistance. If you are signing up as a volunteer, you will receive via email specific details on volunteering on the 23rd and on Christmas Day.
If you are interested in volunteering, please sign up via this Google Doc.
Join Bren + Friends for an afternoon of service and merriment!
It’s 2021 and we’re expanding! Our goal this year is to serve 700 meals and continue providing winter wear!
Prep and Cooking Day
December 23, 2021
Memorial Baptist Church
3455 N. Glebe Rd
Arlington, VA 22207
3:30 pm – 8:30pm
Volunteers for this day are split into three groups in order to minimize shared time and space.
If you are fully vaccinated, you will not be required to wear mask, though we still encourage doing so. Gloves are required at all times and will be provided.
We will provide masks, gloves and sanitizer for all volunteers.
If you are interested in volunteering, please sign up via this Google Doc.
Christmas Service
December 25, 2021
11am: Volunteers (A group) arrive at Memorial Baptist church to assist with organizing.
11:30am: Drivers arrive at a Memorial Baptist church to load all drivers’ vehicles with food and respective park needs
Noon: Volunteer drivers depart for their assigned location.
12:30pm: Park service volunteers and drivers arrive at their assigned location
12:30pm-1:00pm: Set up
1:00-4:00pm: Serve the people!
4:00-4:30pm: Break down and clean up
Service Locations
- Franklin Square Park, 14th & K St. NW
- Columbia Heights Civic Plaza (Park Rd. & Kenyon St.)
- The Big Chair (parking lot) Anacostia
1001 V St.SE
Please add this page to your RSS feed for updated information.
Please consider making a donation in any amount you are able. If you do not have PayPal, but wish to use an app, you can submit your donation via CashApp: $honeybeehive or Venmo: @BrenHerrera.
On behalf of my family and friends, thank you! Please stay safe and healthy!
With love and in service,
Bren-
