Christ Church Outreach News: April 24, 2025
- Christ Episcopal Church
- Apr 24
- 5 min read
Last Call: Learn More About FISH and Meet Its Volunteers at a Potluck Dinner on Sunday, April 27 at 5PM in the Great Hall at Christ Church
Please accept an invitation from FISH of Howard County if you are among those who regularly shop for groceries to support the less fortunate. Learn how the goods we put into the altar basket or into the bin on the breezeway make their way to those in need.
FISH is holding its annual potluck dinner on Sunday, April 27, at 5 p.m. here at Christ Church in the Great Hall of New Brick. The all-volunteer organization is bringing together its volunteers to share camaraderie and a tasty meal. Parishioner Andy DeLong, who is FISH treasurer and a board member, extended the invitation for the second year in a row. We hope that you all will be able to attend and say hello.
Christ Church, acting through the Outreach Commission, has long supported FISH. The neighbor-to-neighbor nonprofit has a nearly five-decade history. Since its founding in 1976, FISH has helped county residents in crisis by providing emergency food, referral information, and limited financial assistance for needs such as eviction and utility turnoff prevention, as well as medicine. Food aid is typically a 7- to 10-day supply that is delivered directly to the home. It also offers hygiene, paper, and laundry supplies.
Here’s how FISH organizers describe the potluck gathering in its invitation: “All are welcome –phone volunteers, delivery volunteers, former volunteers, potential volunteers, plus spouses and friends….It’s a nice opportunity for new volunteers to meet the friends whose voices you hear on the phone and for everyone to get together, enjoy good food, and have a great time.” A meeting will be held after dinner for current volunteers and interested parties. Please RSVP by informing one of the two FISH organizers of the number of attendees and what you will be bringing. Email Kathy Raab at raab@umbc.edu or Nuala Lu Roberts, nuala4ney@aol.com.
Whether you can attend or not, please continue to place non-perishable foods and toiletries in the FISH basket at the altar or in the bin on the breezeway. The neighbors you help are grateful for all you do in their support.
DreamBuilders Chocolate, Tea, and Coffee, Just in Time for Mother’s Day!
We will be selling DreamBuilders goods after all three worship services this Sunday, April 27, and on Sunday, May 4. All proceeds will go to help fund the upcoming DreamBuilders disaster recovery mission in Kentucky. The chocolates, hot cocoa mix, coffee, and tea are all tasty and perfect for treating that special mom on her day, May 11.
Christ Church is one of five interfaith partners in DreamBuilders, which offers multi-generational experiences to the congregations’ youth groups and adults. The trip to Hazard, Ky., on June 15-21 will be the third blitz build in this part of flood-damaged Appalachia. Last summer the team included Christ Church Director of Youth & Family Ministries Kiona Lookingbill and Jasmine and Alex Opiri.
The Christ Church Outreach commission at its April meeting approved donating $750 to DreamBuilders to support the upcoming trip. These are Vestry-approved Outreach budget funds derived from parishioners’ donations to Christ church. On behalf of the soon-to-be new homeowners, please accept this expression of thanks!
Columbia Community Calls for Home-Delivery Volunteers to Meet Demand
Please consider helping Columbia Community Care (CCC) avoid another backlog in its home delivery service for families and individuals without transportation. Last week, the nonprofit organization resumed taking orders after a hiatus and was flooded with requests for groceries and necessities. CCC posted a plea on its Facebook page for volunteers to help with tasks, including translation and dispatch, as well as for “shoppers” who fulfill orders at the pantry and then deliver them to recipients’ homes.
“The demand is overwhelming,” wrote CCC Executive Director and Founder Erika Strauss Chavarria. To respond, go online to learn how to volunteer as a translator/dispatcher or shopper at its pantry, which is located at 8775 Cloudleap Ct. at the rear of the Long Reach Village Center.
Another alternative for would-be volunteers is to help distribute food on Saturdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at one of CCC’s distribution sites. Locations are Suite 107 in the front of Long Reach Village Center; The Barn at Oakland Mills Village Center, 5853 Robert Oliver Place; or Wilde Lake Interfaith Center, 10431 Twin Rivers Rd., all in Columbia.
Those who need groceries and other essentials can find information by visiting the “Get Help” section on CCC’s website.
CCC continues to request baby-care items and diapers, especially sizes 4-6. Place these items, along with sanitary and personal care supplies and adult diapers, in the yellow bin marked “CCC” inside the Parish Hall. Drop off items on weekdays when the church office is open or on Sundays. The Christ Church point of contact is Leigh Smith, who monitors the bin and delivers items.
Oakland Mills Middle School Academic Fundraiser
OMMS celebrates students who have worked hard during the 2024-2025 school year. Those who earned all A’s for the year are treated to a trip to a Baltimore Orioles baseball game at Camden Yards. This year, the MOCC's spring "Random Act of Kindness" is spearheading a fund-collecting drive to help sponsor this event, and you are invited to contribute to this worthy cause.
You can donate through the MOCC fund in Realm (write "RAK Orioles" in the MEMO line) or write a check to Christ Church (write "RAK Orioles" in the memo line). Either way, we appreciate your generous support!
Help a Christ Church Youth with Her Girl Scout Project
Christ Church youth parishioner Ainsley Couch is working to complete her Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor in Girl Scouting, by prioritizing the mental health of teachers at one of Howard County's oldest middle schools, Harper's Choice Middle School. This school is highly impacted by poverty (over 55% of the students qualify for free or reduced lunches), and she is working to transform the staff lounge into a relaxing area where staff can unwind during their free time.
She is accepting donations from this Amazon list and taking monetary donations to furnish the room. If you would like to donate in other ways, please don't hesitate to contact her mom at info@christchurchcolumbia.org, who can provide digital options for donation. Thank you for being so considerate as she works to finish this as soon as possible, and ensure that she earns the highest rank Girl Scouts can earn.
DreamBuilders Spring Fundraiser - May 28
Save the date - Wednesday, May 28th - for DreamBuilders' Spring Fundraiser at Bushel and A Peck Restaurant. We'll enjoy an evening of dining, refreshments, and fellowship supporting DreamBuilders! A portion of the proceeds from your meals and drinks will go directly toward funding the materials for DreamBuilders to build three homes in Hazard, Kentucky, this summer. More details to come!
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.
