Christ Church Outreach News: April 9, 2025
- Christ Episcopal Church
- Apr 9
- 4 min read
What a Blessing! Our Spring Food Drive at River Hill Giant Supermarket Collects More Than a Half Ton of Food for Two Howard County Pantries
A streamlined team of Christ Church volunteers succeeded during the Spring Food Drive on Saturday, April 5, in collecting more than a half-ton of items for the Howard County Food Bank. The collection filled the bed of the Bray family’s pickup truck and amounted to 1,166 pounds at the weigh-in. A ton weighs 2,000 pounds.
Volunteers working in shifts of two at any one time approached shoppers, who responded by purchasing hundreds of canned goods, bags of rice and beans, baby food, diapers, and more. Some customers preferred to give cash, contributing a total of $77 to the Community Action Council of Howard County (CAC).
CAC operates the Food Bank, which offers family-choice shopping at a grocery store to meet the needs of hungry residents. At the weigh-in on Tuesday, the staff especially welcomed the replenished jars of pasta sauce because the Food Bank had run out.
Its partner pantry, SAFE, provides free gluten-free and allergy-safe foods to low-income households. We collected four bins, weighing 126 pounds, of gluten-free food for SAFE. In response, a SAFE leader wrote: “These donations will make a difference to the many clients we serve. Please convey our appreciation to all…congregants who participated in the food drive on our behalf.”
Some Christ Church volunteers did their part beforehand or afterward. Others sorted and packed as the drive progressed. Some parishioners chose to stay from noon until 4 p.m. – all doing God’s work. Thanks to each and every one!
Inviting You to Join Our Monthly Outreach Meeting this Monday, April 14
Join us remotely for the Outreach Commission meeting on Monday, April 14, at 7:30 p.m. to learn how to help others. Our mission has a local, national, and international scope, and the more people helping, the better the world can be.
Everyone is encouraged to stop in and see how you can become an important part of our ministry - email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org for the Zoom link.
See you on Zoom!
Help the Homeless on Monday, April 14: 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 about 70 residents at its Emergency Shelter.
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 carpooling to the DRC in Jessup. To help this coming Monday, April 14, please check our DRC online signup form, which describes the 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!
Recently, your generosity helped ease life for our homeless neighbors, who rely on sundries from the DRC pantry. In response to a DRC request, the Outreach Commission approved spending $105 for 74 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 or in the bin on the breezeway. The neighbors you help are grateful for all you do in their support.
Columbia Community Care Turns 5, Continues to Request Our Support
When the pandemic hit and Maryland entered a lockdown in March 2020, many students were going hungry without the school meals that they had grown to depend upon. That’s when a local teacher founded Columbia Community Care (CCC) to collect and distribute essentials to families in need. After individual parishioners began helping, Christ Church became a regular supporter in June 2020.
CCC marked “5 Years of Community” this month with a post on its Facebook page. It distributes groceries, diapers, and personal care items at three sites on Saturday mornings and delivers to those without transportation. 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.
Oakland Mills Middle School Academic Fundraiser
OMMS celebrates students who have worked hard during the 2024-2025 school year. Those who earned all A’s for the year are treated to a trip to a Baltimore Orioles baseball game at Camden Yards. This year, the MOCC's spring "Random Act of Kindness" is spearheading a fund-collecting drive to help sponsor this event, and you are invited to contribute to this worthy cause.
You can donate through the MOCC fund in Realm (write "RAK Orioles" in the MEMO line) or write a check to Christ Church (write "RAK Orioles" in the memo line). Either way, we appreciate your generous support!
DreamBuilders Spring Fundraiser - May 28
Save the date - Wednesday, May 28th - for DreamBuilders' Spring Fundraiser at Bushel and A Peck Restaurant. We'll enjoy an evening of dining, refreshments, and fellowship supporting DreamBuilders! A portion of the proceeds from your meals and drinks will go directly toward funding the materials for DreamBuilders to build three homes in Hazard, Kentucky, this summer. More details to come!
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.
