CEC Outreach News: January 13, 2022
Fulfill a New Year’s Resolution to Help People in Need
There's no need to wait until Christ Church takes its turn feeding the hungry at one of the facilities operated by Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center. You are invited to provide the entree for the 50 residents of the Live-In Facility. Or go all in and cook – or order from a restaurant – to provide not only an entree but the side dishes and desserts for an evening meal.
The process is simple. Here is a link to the sign-up list that Grassroots keeps up to date, showing openings through Feb. 28. On it, the staff makes helpful suggestions for menu items (while discouraging lasagna or other pasta dishes).
Or you can take a look at what others are bringing. For example, one Christ Church parishioner signed up for the Martin Luther King holiday meal to provide 12 rotisserie chickens, no sides, no dessert. The poultry will arrive hot, purchased only minutes before from the Giant supermarket nearby on Freetown Road. Or food can be made ahead of time and arrive cold. For example, a donor has posted that a frozen entree of beef fried rice will be on the menu on Jan. 28.
Dinner is served at 5 p.m. and food should be brought no later than 3 to 3:15 p.m. for dishes that need to be reheated, or by 4:15 p.m. if delivered hot. You can bring frozen dishes in advance. The address is 6700 Freetown Road, Columbia 21044. For questions, contact Grassroots Food Services Manager Dorothy Howard at 410-531-6006 or dorothyh@grassrootscrisis.org.
Grassroots offers ideas on making a meal on its main website. It also welcomes monetary donations to cover the cost of a meal, with instructions on the signup form.
You’ll see that Christ Church Outreach has promised our group of parishioners will provide its next meal for the Live-In Facility on Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day. Please save the date, and look for reminders and separate sign-up instructions in the Gatherings next month.
For all those who have participated either individually or as part of the group, Grassroots expressed thanks: “As we move onward into 2022 we would like to express our deep gratitude to everyone for the outpouring of gifts and kindnesses you’ve shown us throughout the last year, particularly with our meals program – we couldn’t have made it through without your support! With a new year comes new beginnings and soon you will see information on how we are working to develop healthy eating lifestyles for our shelter residents. Stay tuned and thanks for all you do!”
Grassroots also operates the Day Resource Center (DRC) at the Dorsey Center in Jessup. Due to the surging omicron variant of the coronavirus, the DRC has suspended many indoor operations until further notice.
For questions about how Christ Church participates in supporting both of these Grassroots facilities, please email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org so we can put you in touch with co-coordinators Nancy Winchester and Shahra Toth.
Columbia Community Care Offers Volunteer Opportunities in the Community
If you are looking for a multi-generational way to volunteer in person, with coronavirus protocols in place, consider Columbia Community Care (CCC), the non-profit organization that sprang up in 2020 in response to the pandemic.
It succeeded last Saturday in moving all of its operations indoors for winter. Neighbors in need picked up groceries and items such as diapers at three locations: the Wilde Lake Interfaith Center, 10431 Twin Rivers Rd., the Barn/Teen Center indoor space in the Oakland Mills Village Center, 5851 Robert Oliver Place in Columbia, and Long Reach Village Center, Suite 9, 8775 Cloudleap Ct.
On Saturday, Jan. 8, organizers reported that Long Reach was the busiest of the three.
Recipients are welcomed from 10 a.m. to noon. For volunteers, donations and drop-offs begin at 9 a.m. You’ll find updates, such as requests for volunteers at specific sites, posted in the CCC Facebook Group.
At Christ Church, members of R.A.G.E and the Outreach Commission ask parishioners to continue supporting CCC by collecting diapers, baby wipes, sanitary and personal care items and adult diapers. Please put any of these items in the yellow bin, marked “CCC,” inside the Parish Hall. You can drop off items on weekdays when the church office is open or on Sunday.
The Christ Church point of contact is Violet Smith, who delivers the items to CCC for the Saturday distribution.
FISH Continues its Request for Cookies, Crackers, and Snacks
As winter continues, organizers for FISH of Howard County continue to ask for cookies, crackers, and snacks to fulfill shopping lists. They also say thanks to Christ Church for its response to their earlier needs, which produced an adequate inventory of household cleaning supplies and personal items. The bin is on the breezeway near the door to the Parish Hall.
In general, if you have suggestions about ways to help the community, if you want to get involved, or if you need assistance, please email Christ Church Outreach at outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org. Your help is greatly welcomed and appreciated. Thank you.
