This week’s Hope-Hempstead Chamber of Commerce Community Coffee happened at Unity Baptist Church in the lobby.  Those arriving through the campus’ main entrance were greeted with three tables holding an assortment of tasties. As of 10:00 a.m., more than two dozen had come in.

Pastor Nick Flowers said the food items and the beverages were made by several church members and that the event itself was part of the church’s mission. “We have a lot of women who are very good cooks. Miss Deborah Dorman and Holli Boyett and Miss Heyman. There's a whole lot of people that help us. We do a police table once a month at the police station, and so they work hard on getting all that food together, and it's just one way to just show that you love people and appreciate them,” he said.

Flowers said the church is coming off a busy time and looking forward to summer activities: “We just got through with Easter and had a big day, and [we’re] gearing up for the summer. We're winding down Awanas for the 26th year that we've done that ministry on Wednesday nights, and so that's coming to an end, and then we'll have some summer programs. We have six or seven different schools represented at our church, and all their school calendars are changing. So that affects church calendars, and so [we’re] trying to figure out the new normal in that and different activities and programs.”

For now at least, Flowers said the building of a new Life Center building is on hold, though the plans are still on display in the church’s lobby. “We have plans for that, but it's like with everything else. Prices are so high, interest rates are high, and so we want to be good stewards of the money that we have, and we don't want to spend all our money on a bank note where we can't do ministry.”

But on the more appealing subject of the food, on offer at the coffee were items that included a fruit plate, apples and honey dip, pinwheels, finger sandwiches, brownies, banana nut bread, meatballs, pigs in blankets, chocolate chip cookies and more.  Community Coffee and a pineapple punch were also available.