Christ Church Outreach News: November 14, 2024
Please Pitch In! Bring Holiday Sides and Staples by Thursday, Nov. 21 for our Thanksgiving Drive for the Howard County Food Bank
Please make Thanksgiving special for those who utilize the Howard County Food Bank to feed their families. The Community Action Council of Howard County (CAC), which operates the food bank, is preparing to distribute "Holiday Meal Kits" to more than 1,000 people for Thanksgiving and another 1,000 around Christmas. Our annual collection ends on Thursday, Nov. 21 to help make this happen.
Complete the menu by bringing non-perishable sides: boxed mashed potatoes, stuffing mix, gravy, cranberry sauce, olives, pickles, and canned fruits and vegetables. Because household pantries often are bare this time of year, please add staples such as canned beans, soups, tuna, pasta and sauce, rice, peanut butter, and spices. Put items on the Narthex table or in a yellow bin marked “Thanksgiving Food Drive" on the breezeway near the door to Old Brick. NOTE: No pies, other desserts or rolls due to perishability.
A First-Hand Report: Our Gift of Hearing Aids Helps Somos Amigos’ Patient Emilio Find Work and Brighter Prospects for His Life in the Dominican Republic
A year ago, Christ Church came through for a young man impaired by congenital hearing loss. Emilio had been a patient of Somos Amigos Medical Missions (SA) since boyhood and, at age 23, needed high-quality hearing aids to lead a fulfilling life.
Christ Church has partnered with Somos Amigos when a patient such as Emilio requires advanced treatment. Audiologists recommended hearing aids, accessories, and fittings at a cost of $3,500. In response, the Outreach Commission donated $1,000 in vestry-approved budget funds and parishioners raised the balance. Thanks!
“You have been a blessing to Emilio,” said Outreach member Dione Mahoney, who met with him once more while volunteering last month at the quarterly clinic in the Dominican Republic (see photo). “I was able to easily converse with Emilio, and he shared with me the good news of having employment now! Those hearing aids made both things possible — communication and the ability to work for a living. Both priceless!”
Dione and her sister, Desiree, were translators during the Oct. 12-19 clinic in Naranjito, where Dominican and Haitian patients received dental and medical care. “On this trip, we had three emergencies: a young man in a motorcycle accident, a woman with dangerously high blood pressure, and a grandmother in severe pain after hitting a bump on the motorcycle transporting her. Our Dominican physician volunteer, who happened to be an ER doctor, tended to the young man’s lacerations, stabilized his fractured wrist, and sent him to the next town’s hospital for X-rays and evaluation,” she said. The other cases also were handled smoothly: “Three lives impacted in a few short hours.”
Somos Amigos Executive Director Frank Brightwell points out that the clinic continues to incorporate local healthcare providers into its teams. In October, physicians saw 362 patients, including 52 children; dentists saw 252, including 45 children. “These figures represent our working at nearly full capacity; that is, nearly every appointment slot was taken. Our goal with expansion is to accommodate many more patients than we are currently able,” he said.
Christ Church regularly supports Somos Amigos, in keeping with the Outreach mission statement, to help those in need through organizations that are local, national, and international. In September, we gave $1,000 in Vestry-approved funds to its insulin program, an initiative founded in memory of a patient, Tomasina.
With the recent addition of two more, the diabetes program has 26 patients. “I love to see how it continues to grow,” he said. Learn more about the insulin program and overall expansion plans when Brightwell next visits Christ Church on March 9, 2025. He delivered the sermon of Feb. 25, 2024 on his last visit.
Display Crafts or Shop at the Cedar Lane Holiday Bazaar on Saturday, Nov. 16
If you’re an artisan or a shopper looking for handmade crafts, please participate in the Holiday Bazaar & Indoor Yard Sale on Saturday, Nov. 16, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 11630 Scaggsville Rd., Fulton, MD, 20759. The event is being organized by Christ Church parishioner Amanda Cheong and sponsored by Cedar Lane School PTA. Find details for vendors and shoppers on its Facebook page events entry.
Help Families in Need by Filling the Altar Basket and our FISH Bin on the Breezeway
If you are concerned about people in our midst who are going hungry, please consider regularly donating non-perishables to FISH of Howard County. Put groceries and/or toiletries in the altar basket in New Brick or in a marked yellow bin on the breezeway between Old Brick and Parish Hall. FISH provides committed support to select families in need. The neighbors you help give thanks for all you do in their support.
Columbia Community Care Needs Diapers, Recruits Volunteers of All Ages
Columbia Community Care (CCC) keeps its pantry open each Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in hopes of attracting youth who earn community service credits at their public schools by sorting supplies. Also, teens can help at upcoming events. Find options on the CCC Facebook Group. Go online to learn how to volunteer.
Those who need groceries and other necessities can find information by going online to “Get Help” on CCC’s website.
CCC continues to request baby-care items and diapers, especially sizes 4-6. Put these along with sanitary and personal care items and adult diapers 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 items.
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.
