Christ Church Outreach News: July 6, 2023
Inviting You to Remotely Join Us on Monday, July 10, at the Monthly Outreach Meeting
Do you want to make your summer days more meaningful by helping others? Learn the best ways to do that by joining us remotely for the Outreach Commission meeting on Monday, July 10 at 7:30 p.m. Our mission has a local, national, and international scope. Email us at outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org if you'd like the Zoom details.
Help Feed the Hungry on July 10, In Person or by Dropping Off Menu Items
The homeless neighbors who depend on the Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center appreciate how Christ Church parishioners brighten their lives on the second Monday of each month.
To join us on July 10, please sign up by Sunday, July 9. We most recently took part (see photos) on June 12, when Grassroots’ Day Resource Center welcomed 74 people, nearly twice what had been a typical group of about 40 diners.
If you wish to volunteer or bring food for the midday meal, our DRC online signup form describes the procedure. The drop-off time for side dishes, desserts, and fruit is 12:45 p.m. in the Christ Church parking lot near Old Brick. In-person volunteers are gathering at that time to carpool to Jessup
Later, parishioners who cook or shop for the evening meal for 50 residents of a live-in center on Freetown Rd. make a different drop-off. Please arrive in the Old Brick parking lot between 3:15 and 3:30 p.m. Get details in our Grassroots online signup form or, for more information, email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org.
Shahra Toth, with the continuing assistance of Dione Mahoney, is the coordinator. Grassroots operates both facilities, and it’s efficient to provide for groups at two separate venues on the same day. Your donations and Vestry-approved funds pay for the fried-chicken entrees. Thank you!
The DRC and the Live-In Facility have wider needs for their pantries and welcome in-kind donations to be dropped off for delivery on the second Mondays. Look for the latest needs list online, under the words “Related Files,” on each signup form. We also post the list on bulletin boards at church. This week, when Grassroots shared its July list, a resources coordinator commented: “Pantry items are flying off the shelves, and with fewer donations over the summer, it’s hard to keep them in stock, thanks for your help!”
Columbia Community Care Seeks Volunteers to Garden, Translate, and More
Please continue supporting Columbia Community Care (CCC) by giving essentials and with your time and talent. People can choose tasks to suit them; try gardening, translating, or stocking the pantry. Here’s a CCC volunteer signup form for translators.
The Spanish translators are a key part of a team who arranges home deliveries for those lacking transportation to obtain free groceries. Other volunteers make the deliveries or sort and stock items at the CCC pantry building, 10750 Little Patuxent Parkway in Columbia. Look for updates posted in the CCC Facebook Group or on the “I Can Help” portion of its website.
Please keep collecting diapers, baby wipes, sanitary and personal care items and adult diapers. Put any of these in the yellow bin, marked “CCC,” inside the Parish Hall. Drop off items on weekdays when the church office is open or on Sunday. The Christ Church point of contact is Leigh Smith, who monitors the bins and delivers their contents.
Mark Your Calendars: Zoom to Uganda at Noon on Sunday, July 23
Parishioners are invited to join our annual Zoom Coffee Hour with Friends of Sabina (FOS) leaders Maria White and Ann Marie Davis. Take a virtual trip to see the latest progress at Sabina Primary School. Plan to gather in the Great Hall of New Brick after the conclusion of the 10:30 Worship Service on July 23. Outreach members will offer coffee, tea, beverages and snacks during an approximately 30-minute actual coffee hour. At noon, we'll gather at the projector and laptop and Zoom to Uganda. Or people can log on from a device remotely.
The session will run from noon until 1:30 p.m. For more details about Christ Church’s longtime support of the school, its library, and its individual students, read the Outreach Blog of June 29, 2023. Or check out the FOS page of the Christ Church website.
Donate Snacks, Crackers, and Cookies to FISH in Bin on our Breezeway
Organizers for FISH of Howard County are continuing to ask for cookies, crackers, and snacks to fulfill its shopping lists. You can put items in a basket that has been returned to the altar. Or drop them in the yellow bin on the breezeway between Old Brick and the Parish Hall. Thanks for your contributions to our neighbors in need.
Lake Elkhorn Middle School Supplies
Our parish enjoys an ongoing partnership with Lake Elkhorn Middle School (LEMS). Just over a mile away, LEMS is truly our neighboring school, and at Christ Episcopal Church we believe we should love our neighbors. We established this partnership because many LEMS families are financially stressed.
One measure of whether a student lives in a family that is financially challenged is if they meet the federal guidelines for free and reduced meals (FARMS). In Howard County overall, about 14% of students qualify for free and reduced meals. However, at LEMS over 48.5% of LEMS students qualify for FARMS, the highest percentage amongst the middle schools in the county.
To help alleviate the financial hardship of parents having to buy school-required supplies (at a cost of $50 per child), Christ Church will once again provide school supplies for 125 children for the 2023-2024 school year. We are requesting your generous financial support now to reach this important goal. Please join us to pack the supplies in the Parish Hall on Wednesday, August 16 at 9:00 am. The school will distribute the supplies the week of Aug 21st, so we also will need your help delivering the supplies that week. Strong arms and larger vehicles are helpful.
Contributions can be made via check, online, or via text. If you’d like to write a check, please make sure you indicate “LEMS School Supplies” on the memo line. If you’d like to give online, please also write "School Supplies" in the Memo line. If you have questions about our LEMS partnership or would like to help, please contact Cathy Whittaker (catharinewhittaker@gmail.com) or Mary Vail (mevail@verizon.net). Thank you for your support!
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.
