Staffing the storefront where Seven Sorrows Parish in Middletown sells its luscious chocolate candy eggs six days a week, no one would be surprised if volunteers Sue Dussinger and Nancy Brought purchased a few of the confectionary treats to satisfy their temptation after selling them to the public.
But the duo is resilient, considering the enticements they work with several hours a day in the weeks leading up to Easter.
“We’ve eaten two eggs between us so far,” Dussinger said during The Witness’ visit to the parish’s Egg Store on March 3. “We split a butter cream the first day the store opened – which was February 10 – and then we split a coconut egg after a bag containing one of those eggs fell on the floor. I bought it and we ate it.”
And while the ladies’ resistance to the candy egg temptation is admirable in itself, what’s even more impressive is their longstanding volunteer efforts that reach beyond the popular fundraiser.
Dussinger and Brought have been friends for 40 years, forming a bond during a camping trip in 1985 after the two had become acquainted through the Cursillo Movement. Brought was joining her daughter, Sister Dani Brought, ASC, on a camp-out with other young Sisters at the Creation festival and she invited Dussinger on the trip in support of the young women.
Dussinger, who had joined the Catholic Church in 1981, found a friend and even a mentor in Brought, who was readily involved at Seven Sorrows. “Nancy was coming to Mass regularly and I was able to follow her and have that friendship connection,” Dussinger said.
When Brought retired in 1998, she expanded her volunteer efforts, helping to clean the church, making deliveries for Meals on Wheels and serving at funeral luncheons.
“My parents and Sue’s parents were also big volunteers in their day. My dad was in the Knights, and my mom was active in the parish,” Brought said. “It’s been part of what we came from, so when Sue retired in 2007, I said, ‘You’re not going to sit around all day. You’re going to come with me and volunteer.’’
“And I love it!” Dussinger exclaimed. “Volunteering really makes a difference for us, keeping us active and happy.”
Dussinger is 76 and Brought is 88.
“I don’t mind telling people my age at all,” Brought said. “It lets people know that when you’re old, you can still do things for enjoyment and for the community. Sometimes my kids tell me not to overdo it, but I just really enjoy helping out. Sue and I have had a lot of good experiences as volunteers.”
The ladies are involved in maintaining the parish schedule of altar servers, lectors and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion; a request made by the late and former pastor, Father Louis Ogden. They coordinate the parish flea market, for which they wash, clean and shine items, place them strategically for sale, and research pricing for antique items. And, they schedule the parish cleaning crews, where Brought started out as a volunteer decades ago.
They’ve been involved in the egg sale since its start 15 years ago and have worked in every aspect of the annual fundraiser that’s become popular in the community and beyond.
“We used to help make the eggs, and then it was a little easier on both of us at that point 15 years ago. Being in the store now is a little safer; we don’t’ have to worry about getting chocolate spilled on us or getting powdered sugar all over ourselves. It’s a busy world where they make eggs, and things move fast,” Dussinger said.
The Egg Store is open every day through Easter, except Sunday, and you can find Dussinger and Brought behind the tables most days. The store is accessible from the parish parking lot, located up a few steps in a small annex that once was the entry for the old church.
“I enjoy working the store, especially getting to greet so many people every day,” Brought said. Most days, they sell several hundred dollars’ worth of eggs; at $2 apiece, they’re moving a lot of inventory.
When they need to restock, the ladies push a cart to the egg storage room in the school – an air-conditioned room filled with dozens of bins holding the freshest candy eggs. Their walk to restock leads them through the school gym next to the store, which stops students in their tracks.
“I laugh when the students shout, ‘Here come the egg ladies!’” Dussinger said. “They look at us like we’re going to bring them some during gym class. I get a kick out of that.”
“We also thought it was quite amusing when we sold eggs to some contractors or estimators who were working on the church portico last year. There we were, giving handfuls and bags of candy eggs to the workers. We thought that was pretty neat for us two old ladies,” she said.
The candy egg sale is a significant fundraiser for the parish. Last year’s sale raised more than $76,000, with nearly $44,000 from Egg Store sales. Buyers come from the parish and the local community as well as the greater Lancaster area, York County, the West Shore and Reading. The eggs are also sold at several local businesses.
“People love the variety. They’ll come in and say, ‘Give me two peanut butter – oh, wait, you have coconut and butter cream, too. Well, now wait a minute while I think.’ Next thing you know, they’re buying $30 or $50 worth of eggs to get some of everything,” Dussinger said.
“There are many days when we have more non-parishioners than parishioners coming in to buy eggs,” said Brought, who recognized their work as volunteers is more than bagging eggs, taking money and making change. “We’re the face of the parish at that moment. We want people to think well of the parish,” she said.
“And that’s why we want to make their experience the best it can be, even it’s just for the few minutes they’re here,” Dussinger added.
“We do this because we love the parish. It’s a matter of pride for us to help the Church look good in the community and be part of the community,” she said. “And if we get a little nibble of chocolate, that’s good too.”
The Egg Store is located at 280 N. Race Street, adjacent to the church parking lot. Eggs are $2 each, available in peanut butter, coconut or butter cream, coated in either milk or dark chocolate. The store is open through Easter, on Mondays from 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Tuesdays from 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 4:30-6:30 p.m.; Wednesdays from 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 4:30-8 p.m.; Thursdays from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; Fridays from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., and Saturdays from 1:30-3:30 p.m. Visit https://www.ssbvm.org/eggs for more details.
(Photos by Jen Reed, The Catholic Witness.)
By Jen Reed, The Catholic Witness
