Santa is making a stop in Morrisville, and he’s bringing a little holiday magic along for the ride. But this annual Breakfast with Santa offers something even bigger — a chance for local families to celebrate the season while supporting men rebuilding their lives through recovery.
The annual community tradition also gives men working toward recovery at Good Friends, Inc. an opportunity to reconnect with others, contribute to the community and experience the rewards of helping local families celebrate the holiday season.
The breakfast is designed to remain affordable for families, with admission costing $10 per person or $25 for families of four or more. Last year, approximately 350 people attended over the four-hour event.
Families can enjoy pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon, hash browns and muffins, along with coffee, tea, milk and a hot chocolate bar. Santa will be available all morning for visits and photographs, with printed pictures offered for $5. He will also make his way around the cafeteria to greet families as they eat.
Children can write letters to Santa using paper and crayons provided at the event and place them in a special mailbox. Each child receives a packet of holiday activities, along with a box of crayons. The cafeteria will be decorated for the season, with a festive backdrop for Santa and Christmas music playing throughout the morning.
Behind the scenes, the men participating in Good Friends' residential treatment program help prepare and serve the breakfast, playing an important role in bringing the annual event to life.
“Our clients love volunteering at this event and all of them participate,” said Brian Gadinski, executive director of Good Friends. “Being part of the community is important to them because addiction is a very lonely disease. Community connection and connection with other people, like helping out during this holiday event, is such a huge benefit.”
Good Friends is a 25-bed, long-term residential treatment facility in Morrisville established in 1977. The organization serves adult men recovering from substance use disorders, including those with co-occurring psychiatric disorders. Residents typically stay about 90 days, although the length of treatment varies.
During their stay, residents receive individual counseling, small-group counseling, life skills instruction and relapse prevention services. Staff members also help them find employment and arrange transportation to work.
“Almost every guy who comes through here does find work,” Gadinski said.
The program's goal is to help residents rebuild their lives and prepare to become productive members of society. For Gadinski, who has been in recovery for more than 18 years, opportunities to help others and become involved in the community are an important part of that process.
“I’m in recovery myself. I’ve been sober for more than 18 years, so I understand how helping people and giving back to others really helps,” he said. “Community service is super important to their recovery.”
The breakfast gives residents an opportunity to put those principles into practice. They work alongside Megan, Good Friends' cook, who prepares the food for the event. Good Friends board member John Hermann also contributes to the breakfast, continuing a tradition of making muffins that he has maintained for decades.
“Some people come just for these muffins,” Gadinski said.
The event also helps Good Friends’ residents interact with people outside the treatment facility in a welcoming environment. Gadinski said those connections can be particularly valuable for men who may have become isolated because of addiction or who lack strong family support.
He hopes the public will recognize that people recovering from addiction should not be defined by their past.
“I think the stigma of addiction has decreased a bit over the years, but it is still there,” Gadinski said. “Sometimes we have guys here who are doing well, but they can’t get to the next level because of their criminal record or things in the past they did.”
“Just because someone has a history of addiction doesn't mean they can't change; it doesn't mean they can't live a better life. It doesn't mean they have to carry a scarlet letter with them for their whole life,” he said. “People do recover. People do get better. People change.”
Breakfast with Santa also provides an opportunity for local families to learn about the organization and its services. Good Friends distributes informational materials at the event, and Gadinski is available to answer questions about the residential program and the work being done there.
He said the organization has developed strong relationships with Morrisville-area residents and businesses over the years. Those relationships can make a difference when residents seek employment, particularly when employers are familiar with Good Friends and the work its clients are doing.
“We are well known in the community, and when our guys go to try to find jobs in the area and they tell people they live here, generally that helps them get jobs,” Gadinski said. “We have a lot of companies that have worked with us for many years.”
The breakfast also brings together current residents and former clients who return to show their support. Some alumni volunteer, while others attend with their families. Their presence offers a glimpse of the lasting impact recovery can have.
Some former residents have maintained their sobriety for decades.
“We get alumni who stop in all the time. They tell us they were a client here 40 years ago and they are still sober, they are doing great,” he said. “It's just a cool thing. This event really brings so many people from all different walks of life together.”
For many families, the breakfast itself has become a holiday tradition passed from one generation to the next. Gadinski said people regularly tell him they attended as children and now bring their own children.
“It's really become an annual holiday tradition for so many people,” he said.
Although the breakfast is designed primarily as an affordable family event, it also serves as an important fundraiser for Good Friends. Gadinski estimates the event raised approximately $5,000 to $6,000 last year through admission fees, business sponsorships and donations.
Much of the money helps maintain the organization's historic facility on Snipes Farm. The building originally dates to 1675 and requires ongoing maintenance to remain in good condition and meet current codes.
Good Friends is also preparing to transition to an electronic health records system, which Gadinski hopes to implement early next year. The project is expected to cost between $6,000 and $10,000, and additional fundraising proceeds will help offset that expense.
The organization holds two major fundraisers annually, with a bingo fundraiser scheduled for June or July. Community donations and fundraising help supplement the services provided to residents.
Good Friends also assists people experiencing food insecurity through a community food pantry. The organization is contracted with Philabundance and can prepare boxes of food for individuals and families who need assistance.
Gadinski said the holiday season can be particularly challenging for people struggling financially, as well as for those in recovery who may not have family support. Good Friends makes an effort to provide additional encouragement for its residents during the season by hosting a holiday party for them with food and prizes for clients, alumni and staff.
For Breakfast with Santa, the organization is still seeking business sponsors and volunteers to help make the event successful.
“Please come out and support us,” Gadinski said. “It's a really great event.”
No advance registration for attendance is required. Families can arrive anytime between 8 a.m. and noon Sunday, Dec. 6, at Morrisville High School. Payment at the door is accepted by cash, Venmo or check; credit cards are not accepted. Free parking is available in the school parking lot.
Businesses interested in sponsoring the breakfast or individuals interested in volunteering can contact Good Friends at info@goodfriendsinc.org.
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