Christ Church Outreach News: September 28, 2023
Please Tell Us How You’ll Help: Sign Up for a One-Hour Shift, 12-4 PM, on Saturday, Oct. 7, at Elkridge Giant Supermarket to Aid Two Food Pantries
On Saturday, Oct. 7, Christ Church will hold a food drive at a local Giant supermarket, engaging shoppers to collect hundreds of pounds of non-perishable groceries for the Howard County Food Bank and for its partner, SAFE Food Pantry (SAFE).
Several of you have already signed the clipboard to take a shift of an hour, or more. Choose a time between noon and 4 p.m. at Elkridge Giant, 6020 Marshalee Drive, Elkridge, Md., 21075, located off MD Rt. 103 and MD Rt 100. Walk-ins and children are welcome as Christ Church continues a hands-on, family-friendly activity that resumed last April after a pandemic hiatus (see photos). For information, email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org.
Groceries collected during the drive will go to the food bank, which is operated by the Community Action Council of Howard County (CAC) and to SAFE, which provides free gluten-free and allergy-safe foods to low-income families and individuals. The need is great among struggling households, due to inflation and to issues with federal assistance in the form of past cuts and future uncertainty.
You Did It! We Exceeded the $750 Target to Help Obtain Hearing Aids for Emilio, a Young Man Who Has Been a Somos Amigos Patient Since Boyhood
During a fund-raising effort conducted from Sept. 10 to Sept. 24, Christ Church parishioners generously responded to an appeal by the Outreach Commission to help a hearing-impaired patient of Somos Amigos Medical Missions. Emilio, 23, has been a patient since 2009 (see photos), when he was an 8-year-old boy diagnosed with congenital hearing loss.
Specialists earlier this year recommended hearing aids for both ears that with accessories and fittings would cost approximately $3,500. Of that amount, the Outreach Commission sought to raise $750 in parishioners’ donations. In an outpouring of selflessness, you gave $945, exceeding our goal by nearly $200. Thank You!
Somos Amigos volunteer, Dione Mahoney, launched the fundraising drive effort with her personal remarks at worship services. Both Dione and Jim Mahoney plan to depart Saturday, Oct. 7 for the Dominican Republic, where they’ll volunteer once more at Somos Amigos’ fall clinic. The Mahoneys will bring with them a check from Christ Church for $3,695. The balance of expenses for Emilo’s aids and audiology care comes from $1,000 in vestry-approved Outreach budget funds and $1,750 donated by Somos Amigos supporters at Christ Church.
“We learned from the audiologist that high-quality hearing aids could make a huge difference in the young man's life, allowing him to socialize in ways he has never experienced, and perhaps even more importantly, with corrected hearing, he might be able to find work to eventually support himself and a family,” said Somos Amigos Executive Director Frank Brightwell.
Thanks to you, Emilio can expect a far brighter future, and Christ Church will continue its long-term support for the clinic in rural Naranjito (above photo). That includes care for patients who sometimes require advanced treatment, such as Emilio and, before him, Franci, a boy diagnosed with a heart defect. Franci has grown into a thriving teenager after surgery made possible by Christ Church contributions.
Donate a Used Bike on Saturday, September 30 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. during Free Bikes 4 Kids Annual Collection Day at Howard County Fire Stations
Please help Free Bikes 4 Kidz Maryland (FB4K) on its annual collection day, Saturday, Sept. 30, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at every fire station in Howard County. No matter how dusty –or rusty – FB4K wants your used child- or adult-sized bikes. As the organization says on its Facebook page, “We take bikes in any condition--even if your bike can't be fixed, we'll take usable parts off of it and correctly recycle the rest.”
Volunteers for FB4K will refurbish the bikes and give them away to local children in need and nonprofit organizations in December. Since 2019, FB4K has given away 6,321 bikes, including one in 2022 to a college-bound youth with St. Luke’s Youth Center (SLYC) as described in the Outreach Blog of Sept. 22, 2022.
DreamBuilders Spaghetti Dinner & Auction is Back!
After three years without DreamBuilders spaghetti, we know you are eager to get a plate full! Spaghetti is back on the menu at Temple Isaiah on Saturday, October 14th, from 5-8 p.m. We’ll be hosting our silent auction at the same time, and we could use your participation. We’ve got two mission trips to fund, including blitz builds, and local projects, too. This is DB's biggest fundraiser, and we’re looking for both donations and help at the auction. And our favorite Christ Church band, Small Delusions, will perform the dinner music! Visit DreamBuildersmd.org for more information, or talk to Stacey Frith and Cathy Gold. See you at the dinner!
Columbia Community Care Seeks Baby Care Items, More Volunteers
Please continue supporting Columbia Community Care (CCC) by giving essentials and with your time and talent. People can choose tasks such as translating to enable home deliveries or stocking the shelves at the pantry building, 10750 Little Patuxent Parkway in Columbia. Check the CCC Facebook Group for updates or go to the “I Can Help” portion of its website.
Please keep collecting diapers, baby wipes, sanitary and personal care items and adult diapers. Put any of these in the yellow bin, marked “CCC,” inside the Parish Hall. Drop off items on weekdays when the church office is open or on Sunday. The Christ Church point of contact is Leigh Smith, who monitors the bins and delivers their contents.
Donate Snacks, Crackers, and Cookies to FISH in Bin on our Breezeway
Organizers for FISH of Howard County continue to ask for cookies, crackers, and snacks to fulfill their shopping lists. Please put items in a basket that has been returned to the altar. Or drop them in the yellow bin on the breezeway between Old Brick and the Parish Hall. Thanks for your contributions to our neighbors in need.
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.
