Christ Church Outreach News: October 31, 2024
Thanksgiving Food Drive Begins Sunday, Nov. 3 to Collect Holiday Meal Sides & Non-perishables for the Howard County Food Bank
Once again, Christ Church will help those who depend upon the Howard County Food Bank by conducting a food drive in the weeks before Thanksgiving. This year the holiday falls on Nov. 28. The drive begins Sunday, Nov. 3 and ends Thursday, Nov. 21.
That deadline gives the Community Action Council of Howard County (CAC), which operates the food bank, sufficient time before Thanksgiving to prepare and distribute its "Holiday Meal Kits." In 2024, the Food Bank expects to feed more than 1,000 people for Thanksgiving and another 1,000 around Christmas. Families will have the opportunity to choose the protein and sides they need to have a warm holiday meal on their tables.
Please help by bringing non-perishable food items that complete the menu with the usual sides: boxed mashed potatoes, stuffing mix, gravy, cranberry sauce, olives, pickles, and canned fruits and vegetables (low-sodium preferred). Keep in mind that household pantries often are bare this time of year; please add items such as canned beans, soups, tuna, pasta and sauce, rice, peanut butter, and spices.
Put items on the designated table in the Narthex. Or put them in the latest yellow bin, which is marked “Thanksgiving Food Drive," to be found near the door to Old Brick on the breezeway. NOTE: No pies, other desserts, or rolls because of perishability.
After the onset of the pandemic, the Outreach Commission ended its previous practice of collecting turkeys at Thanksgiving. Instead, Christ Church again this year has helped to fund the protein component of holiday meal kits. Outreach members approved a $750 donation to the CAC for purchases such as roasting hens and plant-based entrees.
The holiday funding is our latest monetary donation to CAC. In August, the Outreach Commission approved sending $2,000, half for utility assistance and half for milk and eggs at the food bank, as described in the Outreach Blog of Aug. 29, 2024. Thanks to all whose contributions to Christ Church make this possible.
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.
Cedar Lane students are integral to the operations of Prepare for Success (PFS), the school supplies’ nonprofit and a CAC partner. PFS, which got its start at Christ Church, says on its website: “Some of our hardest workers are the students with special needs at Cedar Lane School in Fulton. The school is a one-of-a kind learning environment with the motto, “Learning is for everyone.” In September, PFS delivers a bulk order of elementary school supplies purchased with monetary donations and some of our August collections. As part of their work skills development, the students pack about 1,100 elementary school backpacks.” Parishioner Kristin Cheong is a Cedar Lane alum.
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 that CCC is sponsoring. Find options on the CCC Facebook Group.
Volunteers of all ages help at the pantry, located in the rear of the Long Reach distribution site at Long Reach Village Center, Suite 107, 8775 Cloudleap Ct. Also consider helping at that site on Saturdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. or at these sites: Wilde Lake Interfaith Center, 10431 Twin Rivers Rd., and The Barn at Oakland Mills Village Center, 5853 Robert Oliver Place. 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.
