Christ Church Outreach News: March 6, 2025
Discover What’s New at Somos Amigos: Founder & CEO Frank Brightwell Will Deliver the Sermon and Lead Sunday Circle this Sunday, March 9
Plan to learn more about our ties to a rural village in the Dominican Republic on Sunday, March 9, when the founder and executive director of Somos Amigos Medical Missions makes an annual visit to Christ Church. Frank Brightwell will deliver the sermon at the 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. worship services and conduct Sunday Circle at 9:30 a.m. in Old Brick and on Zoom.
Get ready with your questions, such as: What became of Franci, who is now a teenager, after we helped fund surgery to fix a heart defect diagnosed by clinic doctors in boyhood? Who has been spared dire consequences from diabetes as a result of an innovative insulin program that we also support? How has Emilio thrived after gaining a job along with his hearing? The future is far brighter for this young man in his twenties – thanks to audiologists, high-tech hearing aids, and our monetary help.
Volunteers are a mainstay in our connection to Somos Amigos. Repeat travelers to rural Naranjito include Jim and Dione Mahoney, and her sister and brother-in-law. Read about their recent work during the quarterly clinics in the Outreach blog of Outreach Blog of Jan. 30, 2025 and the Outreach Blog of Nov. 14, 2025. In the past, Shahra Toth, former parishioners Mary and Ed Keath, and physicians Preethi Jackson and Ellen Boudreau Hoke also volunteered. Consider asking how you can make a future trip.
Inviting You to Join Our Monthly Outreach Meeting on Monday, March 10
Learn many ways to help others by joining us remotely for the Outreach Commission meeting on Monday, March 10, at 7:30 p.m. Our mission has a local, national, and international scope.
Email us for the Zoom details - outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org
Hope to see you on Zoom!
Columbia Community Care Needs Diapers, Recruits Volunteers of All Ages
Columbia Community Care (CCC) distributes groceries, diapers, and personal care items at three distribution sites on Saturday mornings and has resumed making home deliveries to those without transportation. A shopper fulfills their grocery lists at the pantry, and then delivers goods to the recipients’ homes. 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.
LEMS Kindness Pantry News
In February, Jenny Cecil, Jan DeBoissiere, Sara Fitzpatrick, and Maggie Thompson were at LEMS to help 38 families at the Kindness Pantry. Once again, most of the food was taken, and the can openers were snatched up quickly. It is not possible to adequately thank all of you who contribute each month to help put smiles on the faces of the family members.
In addition to the pantry, your contributions provided clothing for boys who had just started coming to LEMS. We also gave lollipops to the school for Valentine's Candy Grams. This activity raises money for the counselors to assist students in a variety of ways. The students buy the Dum Dums and write notes of kindness to their teachers and friends. I will forward Cindy Drummond's email from Lake Elkhorn that explains this activity as well as many other great things that are happening there.
The next Kindness Pantry is next Monday, March 10th, and you can sign up here. Please put your contributions in the blue bin in the narthex of New Brick anytime between now and March 9. The sooner, the better!
Help the Homeless on Monday, March 10: Bring a Dish for Grassroots’ Emergency Shelter or Serve a Meal at Its Day Resource Center
On the second Monday of each month, Christ Church provides a hot midday meal for the homeless at the Day Resource Center (DRC) and drops off dinner for 50 to 70 residents at its Emergency Shelter. We last participated on Feb. 10 (see photos). Both are operated by the Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center. A team led by Outreach member Shahra Toth makes side dishes and desserts that we serve in person after car-pooling to the DRC in Jessup.
To join us on Monday, March 10, please check our DRC online signup form, which describes the midday-meal procedure. Drop-off time is 12:45 p.m. in the parking lot near Old Brick for DRC’s side dishes. Later, parishioners who cook or shop for the evening meal at Grassroots’ shelter arrive in the Old Brick parking lot between 3:15 and 3:30 p.m. Get details in our Grassroots online signup form. Grassroots staff serves the evening meal. It’s efficient to provide for both venues on the same day. Your donations and Vestry-approved funds pay for the fried-chicken entrees. Thank you!
Your generosity recently helped ease the lives of our homeless neighbors, who rely on sundries from the DRC pantry. The staff requested our help replenishing its shelves, so the Outreach Commission approved spending $221 on 28 pairs of women’s underwear and 114 pairs of men’s underwear. These were purchased with funds donated to the church by parishioners who give to “General Outreach.” A hearty thanks!
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 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.
DreamBuilders Upcoming Events
DreamBuilders Annual Spaghetti Dinner and Silent Auction: This Saturday, March 8th - We need your help for our biggest fundraiser of the year. Come and enjoy a spaghetti dinner, bid on our extraordinary silent auction items, and participate in our raffle for a large-screen TV. We also need your donations for the silent auction, and in serving the spaghetti dinner. This is a fun event and all proceeds go to fund our 2025 projects. Contact Cathy Gold or Stacey Frith to learn more.
DreamBuilders Mission Trip: June 15-21 - 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.
