Christ Church Outreach News: June 20, 2024
Travel to Uganda with Friends of Sabina this Sunday, June 23 as We Enjoy a Light Lunch and Watch Sabina’s Choir Perform Live on Zoom
The children in the choir at Sabina Boarding Primary School have been practicing to perform live on Zoom – just for you! So don’t miss the chance to hear their sweet voices soon after we begin our annual Zoom meetup at noon this Sunday, June 23rd.
Parishioners are invited to gather in the Great Hall of New Brick after the 10:30 worship concludes. Enjoy coffee, pastries, drinks, and a light lunch during our virtual trip to rural Uganda. Alternatively, you can Zoom in remotely to hear from leaders of the nonprofit, Friends of Sabina (FOS), which Christ Church supports through the Outreach Commission.
To get the Zoom details for this very special Outreach event, please email us at outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org.
The informative show-and-tell will be led by FOS Co-Director Ann Marie Davis, who will be on-site in Saanje, Uganda. She will be joined remotely by Co-Director Maria White and assisted in person by Sponsorship Coordinator Deborah Nakiduuli, Media Coordinator Megan Hehir, and Librarian Richard Tumusiime. However, the stars of the show will be Sabina’s choir and the individual sponsored students – Roger, Herbert, Purity, Geofrey, Lydia, and Sharon – who remain in primary grades and are eager to say, “Hello.”
The Zoom session will run from noon until 1:30 p.m., which allows time for a Q&A with the current sponsors of 13 students, many of whom have completed primary grades at Sabina and enrolled in secondary schools. Most parishioners began sponsoring individual students in 2020, and a photo collage of seven youngsters, pictured at that time, appears on the FOS page of the Christ Church website.
Teenage students Marvin, Jackson, Brian, and Patricia interacted with their sponsors, and other students gained new sponsors during and after our 2023 meetup (find a video recording online in “An Incredibly Heartwarming Zoom Recap with Friends of Sabina” ).
These deserving 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.
At our June meeting, the Outreach Commission 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.
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 Requests Diapers, Seeks Volunteer Translators and Shoppers
Columbia Community Care (CCC) continues to recruit volunteers to help it serve 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.
