Christ Church Outreach News: July 26, 2024
Get to Know SLYC - this Sunday at Christ Church and August 1 in Linthicum
Please join us this Sunday at 9:00 a.m. when leaders of St. Luke’s Youth Center (SLYC) visit Christ Church to update us on its work brightening lives in West Baltimore. Gather from 9:00 to 10:15 a.m. in the Great Hall. Coffee, drinks, and pastries will be served. You can also join us virtually via Zoom (email us for details).
SLYC is a collaborative of West Baltimore families who together provide youth with critical resources, life-enriching experiences, and a safety net of support. Executive Director Amanda Gardner Talbot and Engagement Coordinator Darlene Clark will speak during announcements at both worship services. Their presentation between services will feature a Scripture lesson, a slideshow, and a Q&A that includes volunteer options.
From July 1 to Aug. 2, SLYC holds Camp Imagination, a day program that takes place at a cooperating parish while SLYC’s historic campus is under renovation. The host is St. John Lutheran (& Episcopal) Church, 300 Maple Ave., Linthicum, MD. That’s where the campers will stage their showcase, to be held at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 1.
Please plan to attend the program, “Bridging the Gap,” at Camp Imagination. SLYC supporters and families will enjoy the performance of campers as they “travel through time and culture” via works of music, visual arts, dance, and drama. If you wish to carpool to Linthicum, please email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org.
SLYC ends the summer at Claggett Camp and Conference Center with a week at All God’s Children Sleepaway Camp, Aug. 4-9. Year-round, the programs include Moms on a Mission and SLYC After School. This Spring as Mother’s Day approached, leaders Talbot and Clark were interviewed during WYPR’s On the Record episode, “Moms on a Mission Makes a World of Difference in West Baltimore,” which aired on May 10, 2024.
Read about SLYC’s impressive results in a Fiscal 2023 Impact Report. Christ Church is among many supportive parishes in the diocese. The Episcopal Diocese of Maryland is a partner, and its reparations task force awarded a grant to SYLC in 2022.
Thanks for Helping Organize the LEMS School Supplies
Many thanks to those who came and helped us pack the LEMS school supplies and backpacks this week! We truly appreciate everyone's time and effort to help provide a solid foundation for our local students in need. We will deliver the items in August, so stay tuned for those details, coming soon.
You can still help, even if you cannot help deliver the items in person. Contributions can be made via check, online, or via text:
If you’d like to write a check, please make sure you indicate “LEMS School Supplies” on the memo line. You can send it to the church, or drop it at the office or in the collection plate.
If you would like to give online via Realm, please choose "LEMS" from the FUND dropdown, and write "School Supplies" in the MEMO line. You can also use the light blue "Support Christ Church" button at the top of every page on our website for that form.
To give via text: text CECGIVING to 73256 to give using your mobile device; you'll immediately receive a link to our form. Click the link, then choose "LEMS" from the FUND dropdown menu. Please also write "School Supplies" in the MEMO line so that your donation is used as you wish. (Note: This number will never send you unsolicited texts. To cancel further messages, simply text STOP. If you need assistance with text giving, text HELP. Standard text message and data rates may apply).
If you have questions about our LEMS partnership or would like to help, please speak with Cathy Whittaker at church or email lemssupplies@christchurchcolumbia.org. Thank you very much for your support.
Columbia Community Care Shuts One of Its Three Distribution Sites this Saturday
Columbia Community Care (CCC) will close its distribution site at the Wilde Lake Interfaith Center on Saturday, July 27, for that weekend only. For our neighbors in need, CCC’s other distribution sites remain open. They are located at Long Reach Village Center, Suite 107, 8775 Cloudleap Ct., and The Barn at Oakland Mills Village Center, 5853 Robert Oliver Place, both in Columbia. Volunteers arrive at 9 a.m., start distribution between 9:30 and 10 a.m., and close by 11:30 a.m.
Those who need groceries and other necessities can find information by going online to “Get Help” on CCC’s website. Or learn how to volunteer at distribution sites or as a translator or shopper at its pantry. Check for updates on the CCC Facebook Group.
CCC continues to request baby-care items and diapers, especially sizes 4-6, and pullups in sizes 3T, 4T, and 5T. 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.
Look for the FISH Bin on the Breezeway near the Parish Hall
FISH of Howard County requests non-perishable foods and toiletries, which we collect in the basket at the altar or in a marked yellow bin on the breezeway between the Parish Hall and Old Brick. FISH provides committed support to select families in need. The neighbors you help give thanks for all you do in their support.
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.
