Christ Church Outreach News: August 10, 2023
Inviting You to Join Us Next Monday, August 14th, for Outreach's Zoom Meeting
Do you want to wind up your summer days by helping others? Learn the best ways to do that by joining us remotely for the Outreach Commission meeting next Monday, Aug. 14th at 7:30 p.m. Our mission has a local, national, and international scope. Email us for the Zoom details - outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org
Christ Church Extends Extra Help to the Homeless in July and Invites You to Join on Monday, Aug. 14, by Serving a Meal or Bringing Menu Items
Imagine living in your vehicle or in a tent during the heat of summer. For our homeless friends at the Day Resource Center, the DRC becomes an oasis as well as a source of tasty, nourishing meals and resources such as hydrating drinks.
Last month, the center was in need of sports drinks and another essential: underwear. In response to a DRC staff request, Outreach member Dione Mahoney bought eight cases of sports drinks and 10 six-count packages of men’s underwear. Taking delivery was DRC Community Resource Specialist Kathy Piet and her husband (below photo). The needed items cost $228. Funds came from parishioners who donate through the church and mark their contributions to “General Outreach” or specifically to the center. Thank you!
The Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center operates the DRC, located at the Leola Dorsey Center in Jessup where Christ Church provides a hot midday meal on the second Monday of each month. We most recently took part on July 10, when our team served 65 diners, including a child and several young people. Shahra Toth, with the continuing assistance of Dione Mahoney, is our coordinator.
To join us next Monday, Aug. 14, please sign up by this Sunday, Aug. 13. If you wish to volunteer or bring food for the midday meal, our DRC online signup form describes the procedure. The drop-off time for side dishes, desserts, and fruit is 12:45 p.m. in the Christ Church parking lot near Old Brick. In-person volunteers are gathering at that time to carpool to Jessup.
Later, parishioners will cook or shop for the evening meal for 50 residents of a live-in center on Freetown Rd. and make a different drop-off. Please arrive in the Old Brick parking lot between 3:15 and 3:30 p.m. Get details in our Grassroots online signup form about the evening meal, which is served by Grassroots staff. It’s efficient to provide for diners at two venues on the same day. Your donations and Vestry-approved funds pay for the fried chicken entrees. Thank you!
The DRC and the Live-In Facility have wider needs for their pantries and welcome in-kind donations to be dropped off for delivery on the second Mondays. Look for the latest needs list on bulletin boards at church or online, under the words “Related Files,” on each signup form.
If you wish to do more, parishioners are encouraged to sign up individually to provide the evening meal at the Live-In facility. Pick a date to provide an entree and side dishes, or just the entree, for the 50 adults and children. Grassroots suggests an order of 12 pizzas -- four with cheese and the rest with meat (any kind), or rotisserie chickens (12 to make a meal), but discourages lasagna or other pasta entrees. Here is a link to the sign-up list, which is maintained by Grassroots and has multiple open slots through Sept. 30.
SLYC Camp Imagination Concludes in a Performance and Display of Artwork
Two members of the Outreach Commission represented Christ Church on Aug. 3 as St. Luke’s Youth Center (SLYC) concluded its Camp Imagination in a performance and a display of artwork. The event was held in Towson, Md., at the Church of the Good Shepherd, which had hosted sessions of the day camp while SLYC’s West Baltimore campus was being renovated.
Children and counselors were going next to the Claggett Camp and Conference Center for one week of sleep-away camp. They include counselor Ty Hawkins, a rising college sophomore. Parishioners met Hawkins in 2022 when SLYC visited Christ Church and its founder, Amanda Gardner Talbot, delivered the Aug. 7 sermon.
The Outreach Commission in May donated $1,000 to SLYC for camp expenses, drawing from funds derived from your pledges and contributions. In a July 27 invitation to the event, Talbot expressed gratitude: “Thank you all and Christ Church for the continued support that has made this year's SLYC programming possible. Your generosity has helped us employ West Baltimore caregivers to lead the way in providing youth with critical resources, life-enriching experiences, and a very strong safety net of support.”
Columbia Community Care Seeks Volunteers to Garden, Translate, and More
Please continue supporting Columbia Community Care (CCC) by giving essentials and with your time and talent. Check the CCC Facebook Group for updates or go to the “I Can Help” portion of its website. People can choose tasks to suit them; try gardening, translating, or stocking the shelves at the pantry building, 10750 Little Patuxent Parkway in Columbia.
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 Sundays. The Christ Church point of contact is Leigh Smith, who monitors the bins and delivers their contents.
Help Pack the LEMS Supplies - August 16
Please join us to pack the supplies in the Parish Hall on Wednesday, August 16th at 9:00 a.m. The school will distribute the supplies the week of August 21st, so we also will need your help delivering the supplies that week. Strong arms and larger vehicles are helpful.
If you can't help us that day, there are other ways to assist. One measure of whether a student lives in a family that is financially challenged is if they meet the federal guidelines for free and reduced meals (FARMS). In Howard County overall, about 14% of students qualify for free and reduced meals. However, at LEMS over 48.5% of LEMS students qualify for FARMS, the highest percentage amongst the middle schools in the county.
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. If you’d like to give online, please also write "School Supplies" in the Memo line. If you have questions about our LEMS partnership or would like to help on August 16th, please contact Cathy Whittaker (catharinewhittaker@gmail.com) or Mary Vail (mevail@verizon.net). Thank you for your support!
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.
