Christ Church Outreach News: December 11, 2025
- Christ Episcopal Church
- 6 days ago
- 5 min read
Christ Church Sends Aid to Episcopal Relief & Development to Help Jamaica Cope in the Aftermath of Hurricane Melissa
After Hurricane Melissa struck the Caribbean in late October as a powerful Category 5 storm, Jamaica is facing a long recovery process. A report by NPR that aired on Dec. 1 describes a town where not a single house survived. At its December meeting, the Outreach Commission approved a donation of $200 to Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD), which said in an online post on Oct. 29 that it would be working with local dioceses and agencies to respond. Last month, Christ Church gave $500 to UNICEF, which had begun to aid families across the Caribbean who were displaced by the hurricane. These are Vestry-approved funds derived from your pledges and contributions. Thank you!
ERD also offers people seeking comfort and hope an online resource in the form of its Prayer Hub. You’ll find a link that provides meaningful prayers in a time of a disaster, amid crisis, and for other needs such as for mental health and mindfulness.
Our Deadline to Bring in Angel Tree Gifts is Noon this Friday, December 12
Parishioners have kept a long tradition by signing up to fulfill all the wishes of a dozen middle-school-aged children identified by the Central Maryland division of The Salvation Army. Instructions for bagging and tagging the items can be found on the Angel Tree signup list. The deadline to bring unwrapped gifts is noon on Friday, Dec. 12. Please put them in the Parish Hall Operations Room.
Any monetary gifts go toward the cost of purchasing a pair of shoes for each child. To help, consider a contribution to Christ Episcopal Church made online through Realm, by check, or by putting cash in a marked envelope in the collection plate. Please designate Outreach/Angel Tree in the memo section.
Thanks for lifting the hearts of the children and their families who turned to The Salvation Army for help, which conducts the original Angel Tree effort here and elsewhere.
Buy DreamBuilders Tea, Coffee, and Chocolates On Sundays before Christmas
Look for fair-trade coffee, tea, and chocolates being sold to benefit DreamBuilders after worship services on Sunday, December 14, and Sunday, December 21. It’s for a good cause, so teams can prepare to rebuild after disasters strike. Most recently, the group of volunteers, including Christ Church parishioners, traveled to Kentucky for the third year in a row to build homes after devastating floods. Purchases of these goods help teams complete these much-needed projects - and they taste great!
Community Action Council Raises Funds to Provide Holiday Gifts for Children of Disadvantaged Families in its Howard County Programs
The Community Action Council of Howard County (CAC), which operates multiple programs to help struggling Howard County families, is staging a fund drive to buy holiday gifts for children in these families. The Outreach Commission, at its December meeting, approved a $1,000 donation to CAC for its campaign. Parishioners who wish to donate individually may go online to CAC’s fund drive for clothing, books, and toys. Please spread the word among family, friends, and co-workers. CAC leaders hope to receive donations by Friday, Dec. 19, and expect to distribute gifts on Saturday, Dec. 20, at CAC’s Children's Learning Center at the Howard Community College location, which offers Early Head Start programming.
CAC is the county’s designated anti-poverty organization, providing multiple services as described in its 2024 Impact Report. As a partner of CAC, Christ Church is most familiar with the Howard County Food Bank, which benefits from our Thanksgiving Drive and our Fall and Spring Food Drives at Giant supermarkets. We have also supported CAC’s additional programs, including eviction prevention, utility assistance, weatherization, and early childhood education.
MOCC's Random Act of Kindness
The MOCC's current R.A.K. (Random Act of Kindness) is supporting Comfort Cases, and they can use your donations and assistance. A Comfort Case is a small duffel bag or backpack designed to provide comfort for youth as they enter the local foster care system.
In today's world, the number of kids entering the foster care system is rising, and so anything that can be done to help provide a level of comfort and care for the youngest is welcome. The MOCC is accepting donations from now through January 10th, and you can find details and a donation bin in the Narthex. You can also speak with Duane Smith, Ed Chrzanowski, or any MOCC member to get more information about Comfort Cases or upcoming MOCC gatherings.
CCC Holds Its Annual Toy and Gifts Giveaway to Help Howard County Kids
Columbia Community Care (CCC) plans holiday activities to help children and their families. Its annual giveaway of children’s toys and gifts for kids 2 to 16 will be held on Sunday, Dec. 14, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. during a celebration at Wilde Lake High School. The deadline is Friday, Dec. 12 to donate a new, unwrapped toy or new or gently used books at Owen Brown Interfaith Center, 7246 Cradlerock Way, or at CCC Pantry, 8775 Cloudleap Ct., Suite 107, both in Columbia. Find dropoff times on CCC’s Facebook page.
FISH and CCC partnered earlier this year and merged their pantries. CCC continues to hand out food at three sites on Saturday mornings and deliver it to Howard County residents. For information, visit Get Help online. FISH continues to pick up donated goods from Christ Church and others. Please put non-perishable food and personal care products in the altar basket or in a bin just inside the Parish Hall. Look for a combo label “FISH/CCC”. Bring baby wipes and diapers, especially large sizes.
Kindness Pantry Assistance Needed
Thanks to all of you who helped the students and families of Lake Elkhorn Middle School over the last month. To those of you who contributed funds this fall, some of your contributions helped to supply water, medals, and prizes for the annual one-mile Turkey Trot. All students in each grade compete to see who can be the fastest runners and the best athletes. Jan DeBoissiere and Cathy Whittaker were at the finish line to congratulate the 7th graders and hand out water. There were smiles on lots of faces, whether they ran or walked the course, because they were outside in the sunshine, having fun. And one of the staff dressed up like a turkey, so that added to the festive spirit.
Next Wednesday, December 17, is the next Kindness Pantry, so we are asking that you sign up for one or more items on the SignUpGenius form. As we reported recently, demand exceeds supply. This is a hectic time of year when you are asked to contribute to just about every worthy cause imaginable. One of the best things about giving to the LEMS Partnership is that ALL your contributions go directly to families in need of support. There are no administrative or advertising costs.
Please sign up for the Kindness Pantry here. We will need your contributions by this Sunday, December 14th, at the latest. Please put them in the blue bin in the New Brick Narthex.
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.
