A Place to Just Show Up: The Success oF Summer Lunch Bunch
Sometimes, community doesn’t need a big event or a planned activity. Sometimes, people just need a place to go.
That simple idea was the beginning of Summer Lunch Bunch, a free, weekly drop-in gathering created for our friends with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to meet up, have lunch, and spend time together.
We saw a need for something casual. A place where they could come without having to sign up for a structured program or wait for a special event. So, we gave it a try. And it quickly became clear that the need was there.
Week after week throughout the summer, Summer Lunch Bunch brought a crowd of friends around our table. Some came with friends. Some came to meet new people. Some brought games to play. There was no agenda and no expectation to participate in a particular activity. Just lunch and community.
What started as a summer experiment became something people looked forward to each week. The success of Lunch Bunch showed us that there is real value in having a consistent, low-pressure opportunity to connect.
So we’ve kept it going.
Starting in September, Lunch Bunch moved to a new weekly time: Fridays from noon to 1 p.m.
At Happy Day Plants, we believe community is built in all kinds of ways. It’s intentionally simple because sometimes simple is exactly what people need.
