Senior Citizen Picnic

Welcoming our senior neighbors and friends in 2026!

Volunteer sign ups are now open! Scroll down for more information and to sign up!

Picnic Date & Time: Saturday, Aug. 8, 11:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Location: St. Robert campus
This event is for seniors from Grand Rapids area nursing homes and senior centers that serve a low-income population. Guest participation is by invitation. Scroll down for the list of establishments that are included.

This annual picnic at SRN has been a tradition for over 35 years, started by Father Dave Hawley to connect St. Ann’s Parish in Baldwin with St. Robert’s. It has since expanded to include low-income seniors from local nursing homes and senior centers in the Grand Rapids area. For some of these seniors, it is their only outing for the entire year. The event features lunch, entertainment, games, and prizes. Volunteers are needed for decorating, food prep, serving, set-up, clean-up, and socializing. Donations for gifts and raffle prizes are welcome beginning in June until the event. It’s a great opportunity for families to volunteer together and make the day special.

This year’s event will take place on Saturday, August 8 in Newminster Hall! The theme for this year is “A Day at the Beach.” Please see below, or visit the picnic bulletin board in the narthex of the church to learn how you can get involved in welcoming our senior neighbors.

How can I get involved?

DONATE:
Wheels & Meals
Our biggest expenses each year are transportation and food. To help cover these costs, the picnic committee gladly accepts gift cards and monetary donations at any time. Gift cards of any amount to Meijer, Walgreens, Amazon, Aldi and Walmart are welcome and can be dropped off to Molly Reppuhn in the parish office weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. or given to one of our committee members (see below). Please note “Senior Citizen Picnic” on any monetary donations.

Raffle and game prizes
Every guest at our picnic gets to go home with a gift. To donate items to be given away as raffle and game prizes to our attendees, continue scrolling, (or click here) to view and order from our Amazon Wish List. Items ordered through Amazon are shipped directly to the parish office and picked up by our committee members to be organized for the event.

VOLUNTEER:
We need a small army of volunteers to carry off this event successfully and we encourage families, and adults of all ages to serve in this outreach ministry. There are many ways to get involved from setup, to donating baked goods, to serving our seniors during the event, to cleaning up afterward, and much more! Great on the grill? We’ve got a spot for you! Love hospitality and making folks feel welcome, there’s room for you! Enjoy decorating and transforming spaces into celebratory places? Come, join us! Click the button below to sign up online, or if you prefer, stop by the picnic bulletin board in the narthex of the church (near Door D) and sign up using the clip boards found there.

A Pork-fect Way to Give Back
We’re excited to share that we’ve received a generous donation of a pig for this year’s picnic! Thank you to our parishioner donors!
In the past, we’ve received a generous donation of a roasted pig for the picnic. If you, or someone you know would be willing to donate or offer a bargain price for a pig, please contact one of our committee members listed below.

Our parish will be serving senior citizens from these establishments:

• Gaylord House (only Section 8 housing in Ada)
• Grandview Apartments
• Holy Name of Jesus (Domestic Twin parish with SRN)
• Mission Point (formerly known as Metron)
• Salvation Army Senior Center
• St. Ann of Baldwin
• United Methodist Community House
• Veteran’s Home of GR
• Villa Maria

GET INVOLVED!

This year, 180 guests, along with their aides and drivers, will be invited to attend our Senior Citizen Picnic. A large party requires a healthy group of volunteers! From decorating to food prep and clean up – and everything in between, WE NEED YOU!

Volunteer
View our Sign Up Genius or stop by the table in the narthex (near Door D) to see which roles best suits the time you can serve and volunteer. Some roles can be done from the comfort of your own home! We encourage families, and adults of all ages to serve in this outreach ministry.

Amazon Wish List
Can’t volunteer your time, but still want to support the picnic? Donate an item from our Amazon Wishlist! These items will be given out as raffle and game prizes to our attendees. No guest will go home without a gift from SRN.