CEC Outreach News: November 6, 2020
Calling on Christ Church to Make Thanksgiving Dinner Special for 30 Families
It’s time to help feed families at Thanksgiving, but with important changes due to the pandemic. FISH of Howard County is counting on Christ Church once again to provide the menu items for turkey or roast chicken dinners for 30 households. This year we’ll order the frozen poultry directly from suppliers; for non-perishables, one collection bin will be set up outside. For those who want to participate but remain totally hands off, you can donate toward the costs.
Here’s what you need to know:
▪The Thanksgiving Dinner Drive begins at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8 and ends at noon on Sunday, Nov. 22. Those who attend worship services during that time period will find a bin in the narthex where you can drop off items on Nov. 8, Nov. 15, and Nov. 22 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
▪Those who wish to drop off items in the outdoor bin may do so curbside, near the entrance to the Parish Hall. You should not need to enter the building unless you encounter a problem with the bin, such as an overflow of items.
▪Needed non-perishables include: boxes of stuffing; jars or cartons of gravy; instant or fresh potatoes; canned or fresh yams; canned vegetables such as peas, carrots, green beans; applesauce; canned fruits such as peaches, pears, fruit cocktail; jars of pickles and olives; cans of cranberry sauce.
▪You are invited to bring dessert items, but, given their perishable nature, please do so only on the final collection day, Sunday, Nov. 22 until noon. Needed desserts include pies, pound cake, cookies, donuts, and brownies.
▪If you wish to donate toward the cost of the dinners, please designate Outreach/turkey dinner online in Realm, put a check in the Offering, or mail a check to the office with Outreach/turkey dinner in the memo line. We anticipate the cost of a frozen turkey to be approximately $20. The cost of side dishes for one family’s meal is about $26.00.
If we need particular items or have an oversupply of others, we will update everyone in the Gatherings email on Thursday, Nov. 19th.
Once again, Shahra and George Toth of the Outreach Commission are leading the drive, but if you have questions, email us at outreach@christchurchcolumbia.com. The goods will be assembled at the FISH pantry by its volunteers, who also handle deliveries to the families. Thanks to everyone for considering a donation of food or funds to help make this a special Thanksgiving holiday for our neighbors in need.
Outreach Invites Parishioners to a County Presentation at the Nov. 9th Zoom Meeting
Natalie Hall, who is the CAREAPP Engagement Coordinator with the Howard County Health Department, will give a presentation at the Outreach Commission meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 9. Learn more about CAREAPP, which is a Howard County-wide initiative that assists residents with accessing social services and resources. The county is encouraging Christ Episcopal Church to join the CAREAPP network. Information on how to join the meeting by Zoom or by phone will be provided in the Church notices about online activities next Monday. For more information about CAREAPP powered by Healthify and participating community partners, visit www.hccareapp.org.
Springfield Hospital Christmas Gifts
We will once again be collecting Christmas gifts for our friends at Springfield Hospital. This has been a particularly difficult year for them, as they have been unable to have visits due to the pandemic. Though we haven’t been able to make our usual visits, we will be gathering gifts for them to bring a little Christmas Joy. If you would like to contribute, we have placed a large container in the Tower Room to accept your unwrapped donations, before December 14th. If that’s inconvenient, please contact Cathy Gold and we will find a way. heycathy@verizon.net or (410) 440-4178.
Baltimore International Seafarers' Center Donations
The Seafarers charity is again requesting donations from Christ Episcopal Church. The group is looking for warm hats for men, 2021 calendars, and copies of the following magazines: Time; People; Sports Illustrated; National Geographic. These items may be placed in the bin marked 'Seafarers' in the vestibule of New Brick. Thank you for your attention to this important community outreach. Please have your donations in by November 30th. To learn more, click here.