St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee serves green breakfast at Grace House

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - The Savannah St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee is partnering with Union Mission to serve a hot breakfast to those at Grace House Monday morning.

Parade committee members, including this year’s Grand Marshal Marty Hogan, will serve green grits and other traditional breakfast foods beginning at 7 a.m. in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.

Union Mission President and CEO Michael Traynor says the green breakfast has been going on for approximately two decades. It’s an event that the parade committee and Union Mission clients look forward to every year.

“St. Patrick was in service to help the homeless, the enslaved, those that were in poverty, and this fits in perfectly with the mission,” said Traynor.

Hogan said his goal as Grand Marshal is to keep the saint in St. Patrick’s Day, and Monday’s event highlights the importance of supporting the entire Savannah community.

“I just think places like this, that give people a chance and hope, it really means a lot to me, and I just think that we should be giving more to our own American citizens,” said Hogan.

About Grace House

The meal is intended for the men at Grace House, Union Mission’s shelter for those experiencing homelessness. Grace House has 32 beds on site and 28 transitional housing units for graduates of its Emergency Housing Program.

Union Mission opened the Day Center at Grace House in 2022 to provide those living on the streets or in squares access to meals, support services and shelter. The program serves around 135 people daily Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Faith and heritage

General Chairman of the parade committee, Patrick Beytagh said the committee’s Catholic faith is central to the event during the Season of St. Patrick.

“Our faith and our Irish heritage compel us to serve,” Beytagh said. “Many of our Irish ancestors came to this country to escape hunger and seek better lives. Without the generosity of the Church and the people of Savannah, they would have found only hunger and homelessness rather than opportunity and prosperity in the new world.”

The parade committee is encouraging others to join in helping those in need.