With just three weeks left in this season of Community Lunches at Brady’s, we thought it might be fun to answer the questions we still get from people on the street all the time. What is this Community Lunch anyway and why is it at Brady’s? 

In the beginning, around 2006, the local churches of the peninsula began serving lunch once a week in the wintertime. The Catholic Church, led by Mary Patch and Gerri Botti, had their lunch called “Warming Spaces” every Monday. On Thursdays, the Congregational Church, the Methodist Churches, and the Baptist Church, held their lunches at the newly opened St Columba’s on Emery Lane. Tancy Mitchell and Gloria Walter of St. Columba’s were the leaders and organizers of that endeavor. Every week the various churches rotated duties making hot soups, bread and desserts for between 30-50 people, mostly retirees. It required a ton of work each week as tables and chairs needed to be set up and broken down to be ready for church services. 

In March of 2020, along came COVID-19 putting an end to the lunches for what was then the foreseeable future. For many reasons, after the end of the lockdown, both The Catholic Church and St. Columba’s did not reopen their doors for the return of the lunches.  

In the early spring of 2022 Tancy Mitchell was looking for a way to start the lunches again and that is when her daughter stepped in offering Brady’s on Mondays to host. The first few lunches saw the same number and most of the same people who had attended previous meals. Over the summer break it became clear Brady’s was going to remain the venue for the Monday get together. Tancy invited all the previous hosts to a meeting at Brady’s along with Lisa Hallinan and Paula Warford. While brainstorming how to continue and grow, it was suggested perhaps instead of just having just churches host, we should invite other groups and businesses to participate as well.  

Along came Janson’s Clothing Store, Wiscasset Ford, Guy Peaslee, Hallinan Construction, the Rotary Club, Topside Inn, to mention just a few, as well as most of the original churches. What started as a small group of people has turned into a weekly event which sees over 80 people, ranging in all ages, enjoying fellowship and food.

Tancy and her crew will be looking towards the next season of Community Lunch at Brady’s. Interest in hosting has grown, if your business or group is interested, please call Tancy at 592-0060 or Lisa Hallinan at 380-9709 

The volunteers have been amazing with Kelly Camp, Nancy Van Dyke, Kris Ward, Janice Coutier, Paula Warford, Lisa Hallinan, Theresa Orne, Jacki Dunn- Helinski, Betty Jeanne Maddocks, and Scott Edwards showing up every week along with the sponsors of the week to ensure everyone has a great time.  

So,  what is a Community Lunch? It is the very best of what our peninsula can do when we all work together regardless of anything.