Christ Church Outreach News: March 13, 2025
Save the Date: Spring Food Drive on Saturday, April 5, 12-4 PM, at River Hill Giant Supermarket in Clarksville to Help Feed Hungry Families
Be a part of one of the most rewarding ways to help feed the hungry in Howard County. Please sign up for a shift during the Spring Food Drive on Saturday, April 5, from noon to 4 p.m., at River Hill Giant, 6050 Daybreak Circle, Clarksville, Md., 21075.
Walk-ins and children are welcome as Christ Church continues a hands-on, family friendly activity that occurs twice a year, in spring and fall (see photos). Look for a signup sheet in the Narthex or in Old Brick, starting on Sunday. You can volunteer for a one-hour shift or stay longer. To learn more, email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org.
Groceries collected from shoppers will go to two food pantries. One is the Howard County Food Bank, which is operated by the Community Action Council of Howard County (CAC). The other is SAFE, its partner pantry that provides free gluten-free and allergy-safe foods to low-income families and individuals.
The number of struggling households has grown due to inflation and the new administration’s mass firing of federal workers. In response, the CAC posted: “Terminated federal employees living in Howard County may visit the Howard County Food Bank to receive a bag of shelf staples twice a month for up to three months.”
Somos Amigos’ Executive Director Expresses Gratitude, Shares Future Plans During Annual visit to Christ Church this Past Sunday
“Thank you,” said Frank Brightwell, who founded Somos Amigos Medical Missions in the Dominican Republic more than 25 years ago. For many of those years, Christ Church has been a supporter and, more recently, has welcomed Executive Director Brightwell for an annual visit. On March 9, he delivered the sermon at the 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. worship services and met with volunteers.
Brightwell conducted Sunday Circle (video here), where he thanked participants in person and on Zoom on behalf of some of the patients who have benefited most directly from our help.
They include Emilio, a young man in his twenties who gained a job along with his hearing – thanks to the funds we raised to pay for audiologists’ care and high-tech hearing aids. Before that, we enabled a boy named Franci to grow into a healthy teenager after undergoing surgery to fix a heart defect. Others are patients whose diabetes is closely monitored in an insulin program that we’ve supported.
Brightwell said Somos Amigos wants to expand medical and dental services beyond the current model of quarterly clinics by carrying out a plan for new construction and remodeling of existing structures. The plan also continues an increased reliance on Dominican staff and health-care providers that has been successful since the pandemic.
At the same time, volunteers remain a mainstay. Repeat travelers to rural Naranjito include parishioners Jim and Dione Mahoney, and her sister and brother-in-law, Desiree and Jorge Arce, who came from Virginia to hear Brightwell. Former parishioners Mary and Ed Keath, who first established ties to Somos Amigos, were alerted to attend virtually from their home in Oregon. Other past volunteers at Christ Church include physicians Preethi Jackson and Ellen Boudreau Hoke and Outreach member Shahra Toth. Feel free to ask them for information. To learn more about making a trip, go to “Become a Volunteer” on the Somos Amigos website.
FISH Asks for Volunteers As Well as Groceries and Toiletries in its Bin and Basket
FISH of Howard County is calling for new volunteers. If you are interested, ask parishioner Andy DeLong, who is the FISH treasurer and a board member of the nonprofit, which provides committed support to Howard County residents.
Please continue to put non-perishable foods and toiletries in the FISH basket at the altar. While the weather is frigid, avoid putting items in the bin on the breezeway that could be harmed if frozen. Instead, put them on the marked section of the counter in the Parish Hall kitchen. The neighbors you help are grateful for all you do in their support
Columbia Community Care Turns 5, Continues to Request Our Support
When the pandemic hit and Maryland entered a lockdown in March 2020, many students were going hungry without the school meals that they had grown to depend upon. That’s when a local teacher founded Columbia Community Care (CCC) to collect and distribute essentials to families in need. After individual parishioners began helping, Christ Church became a regular supporter in June 2020.
CCC marked “5 Years of Community” with a March 11 post on its Facebook page. It distributes groceries, diapers, and personal care items at three sites on Saturday mornings and delivers to those without transportation. To volunteer, go to “Volunteer Opportunities.” Those who need help are urged to go to “Get Help” on CCC’s website.
Please keep collecting diapers, baby wipes, sanitary and personal care items and adult diapers. Put them in the yellow bin, marked “CCC,” inside the Parish Hall. Our point of contact is Leigh Smith, who monitors the bin and delivers its contents.
A Kindness Pantry Update
The cafeteria at LEMS was a bustling place from 1:30 to 4:00 p.m. this past Monday. Students carried in 100 bright blue bags and boxes of food from the Roving Radish, and Sara Fitzpatrick, Jenny Cecil, and I rolled in bags of contributions from Christ Church and organized them into easily accessible rows. We have become known as "The church ladies."
Social workers and counselors busily unloaded cleaning supplies provided by the district, and Cindy Drummond, the Community School Site Coordinator, arrived with about 10 bags of used clothing that had been donated. Staff from the Judy Center Early Learning Hub delivered supplies from their closets and welcomed the families that they support. Other staff spoke to parents in their native language of Spanish to help them sign up for gift cards from the Roving Radish.
By 4:00 pm there was very little to put back in the closets for the next pantry.
Sixty-three families came in empty handed and left with multiple bags of food, cleaners, personal care products, and clothing. They all had smiles on their faces and said, "thank you" to everyone by the doorway as they left.
I hope it puts a smile on your face to know that you are a big source of encouragement for families in our neighborhood.
With gratitude,
Cathy Whittaker
DreamBuilders Mission Trip: Signup Deadline is this Sunday
Registration is now open for our summer mission trip to build three homes in one week. Hazard lost about 10,000 homes in the flood of July 28, 2022. DreamBuilders have built 5 homes for them in the past two years, working with the Housing Development Alliance teams. No experience is required. Youth must have completed 9th grade to participate. Cost is $750 per missioner, and some funding is available.
Registration closes on March 16th, so check out our website (dreambuildersmd.org) for more details, or ask Cathy Gold or Stacey Frith.
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.
