Christ Church Outreach News: June 13, 2024
Save the Date: On Sunday, June 23, Enjoy a Light Lunch While Zoom Takes Us to Uganda with Friends of Sabina
What’s life like in rural Uganda? Find the answer and hear why opportunities are greater for 434 students at Sabina Boarding Primary School, which Christ Church supports through the nonprofit, Friends of Sabina (FOS).
At noon on Sunday, June 23, parishioners are invited to join our annual Zoom meetup with FOS leaders Maria White and Ann Marie Davis for an update and question-and-answer session. Because Ann Marie will be on-site in Saanje, Uganda, it’s likely Sabina students will take part. Maria will join remotely from the United States.
Don’t miss the informative show-and-tell – or the light lunch – that you can enjoy downstairs in the Great Hall of New Brick after the conclusion of the 10:30 Worship Service. Outreach members will offer coffee, tea, beverages, and pastries during an approximately 20-minute actual coffee hour for parishioners and any others whom you wish to invite to the presentation. At noon, we'll gather at the projector and laptop and Zoom to Uganda. Or people can log on from a device remotely.
The Zoom session will run from noon until 1:30 p.m., which allows time for a Q&A with parishioners who began sponsoring individual students in 2020. A photo collage of seven of the youngsters, pictured at that point in time, appears on the FOS page of the Christ Church website. Several of those students interacted with sponsors, and other students gained new sponsors during the 2023 meetup (find a video recording online in “An Incredibly Heartwarming Zoom Recap with Friends of Sabina”.
The youngsters come from families who otherwise cannot afford their schooling, and sponsors commit to fund an annual scholarship and to keep in touch. One aim is to form relationships, like family across the miles. FOS helps accomplish that goal by encouraging an exchange of letters and occasional video calls.
Christ Church became a supporter of Sabina Primary School more than a decade ago when parishioners helped establish a library. Since then, several have traveled there, including the Hokes, Alperns, and Aribiahs – whose personal ties go back to Teddy Aribiah’s childhood. The library has become a resource not just for Sabina students but for nearby residents, and Christ Church continues to support it.
The Outreach Commission at our June meeting approved spending $3,100 to pay the librarian’s salary, periodical subscriptions, and a portion of internet service. Funds come from the Vestry-approved, 2024 Outreach budget derived from your pledges and contributions. Thanks to all! And see the progress on Zoom during our meetup.
Buy DreamBuilders Goods In Time for Father’s Day
Look for goods on sale to benefit DreamBuilders after both services this Sunday, June 16th. It’s first-come-first-serve for the remaining chocolates after high demand during a recent restaurant fundraiser. But we’ll have plenty of fair-trade coffee and tea at our table in the Narthex. Buy a treat for Dad and help a good cause! A multi-generational team will build three homes in flood-damaged Hazard, Ky. Christ Church will be represented by Director of Youth & Family Ministries Kiona Lookingbill and Jasmine and Alex Opiri during the Kentucky trip from June 16 to June 22.
Do You Have an Infant Car Seat You Can Donate?
Our Refugee Ministry recently received a fourth family to the area. They have come from Afghanistan, and have a 17-month-old child. If anyone has an infant car seat you can donate so they can safely transport them, please speak with Paula Rees at church or email info@christchurchcolumbia.org and we will connect her with you. Thank you!
The 2024 Lake Elkhorn Middle School Supply Drive has Begun
Our parish has had a partnership with Lake Elkhorn Middle School (LEMS) for over eight years. Just over a mile away, LEMS is truly our neighboring school, and at Christ Church, we believe that we should love our neighbors and continue to have this partnership because many LEMS families are financially stressed. Over 50% of LEMS students qualify for free and reduced meals, the highest percentage amongst the middle schools in Howard County.
This year, Tracy Williams, the counselor at LEMS, has asked for the support of Christ Church parishioners to provide school supplies for 125 children for the upcoming school year. In addition, she would be thrilled if we could supply backpacks for 50 students. It costs over $60 to buy the school-required supplies for one child and the backpacks will add to that amount. Therefore, we need over $7,500 to reach this goal.
You can learn more about this initiative and our needs on our website and can donate either online or via check. Those links are also on our website, and every donation helps a great deal.
CCC Resumes Home Deliveries, Seeks Volunteer Translators and Shoppers
After a month-long hiatus to clear a backlog in requests for home deliveries, Columbia Community Care (CCC) resumed taking new orders from individuals and families who lack transportation to CCC’s sites. On June 4, a CCC leader posted this plea: “Please consider signing up as a volunteer dispatch translator or shopper to help us keep up with requests. Thank you in advance!! “ Spanish translators are most in demand. Go online to sign up here. Please check for updates on the CCC Facebook Group.
CCC also needs volunteer “shoppers” who fulfill the grocery lists at its pantry, located at 10750 Little Patuxent Parkway in Columbia, and then deliver goods to the recipients’ homes. To volunteer, go online to sign up here. If you, or someone whom you know, is in need and lacks transportation, go online here to request a home delivery.
Please continue to support CCC by donating baby-care items and diapers. Sizes 4-6 are in the greatest demand. Collect these along with sanitary and personal care items and adult diapers. Put them 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 its contents.
Look for the FISH Bin on the Breezeway near the Parish Hall
FISH of Howard County requests non-perishable foods and toiletries, which we collect in the basket at the altar or in a marked yellow bin on the breezeway between the Parish Hall and Old Brick. FISH provides committed support to select families in need. The neighbors you help give thanks for all you do in their 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.
