Christ Church Outreach News: January 5, 2023
Inviting You to Remotely Join Us this Monday, Jan. 9 at the Monthly Outreach Meeting
As we look ahead to 2023, consider getting more involved in Outreach at Christ Church. Please join us remotely for the Outreach Commission’s 7:30 p.m. meeting on Monday, Jan. 9. You can help us to fulfill our mission, which has a local, national, and international scope. The Zoom link is HERE, Meeting ID is 876 3365 4968 and the Password is Outreach! See you on Zoom!
Volunteer to Serve a Meal or Add to the Menus Enjoyed by Our Homeless Friends at the DRC and Grassroots
Why not start out the New Year by helping others? Please take part in the Christ Church tradition of helping the homeless on the second Monday of each month. To join us on Jan. 9th, please sign up by Sunday, Jan 8.
If you wish to volunteer or bring food for the Day Resource Center (DRC) at the Dorsey Center, 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 also gather at that time to car-pool to Jessup.
Parishioners who cook or shop for the evening meal for 50 residents of a live-in center on Freetown Rd. make their drop-off later, arriving in the parking lot at 3:15 p.m. A volunteer transporting the food departs at 3:30 p.m. Get details in our Grassroots online signup form or, for more information, email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org.
We most recently took part in both on Dec. 12th (see photo above), when the desserts included cookies that parishioners decorated during First Wednesday Fellowship on Dec. 7th. Shahra Toth, with the continuing assistance of Dione Mahoney, is the new coordinator. She replaces Nancy Winchester, who will continue to acquire the fried chicken.
These facilities for the homeless are both operated by the Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center. It’s efficient to provide for groups at two separate venues on the same day. Your donations and Vestry-approved funds pay for the 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 under the words “Related Files” on each of the signup sites online.
CCC Expresses Gratitude for Participation During the Past Year
As we look back on 2022, Columbia Community Care (CCC) is expressing thanks for all who have helped. In a New Year’s message posted on the CCC Group on Facebook, leaders Erika Strauss-Chavarria and Meg Dacey-Feroli said the following:
“We wish we could personally hug and thank every person who has contributed to the success of CCC in 2022! The community that has grown from an idea to help people during COVID, to a mission of love that has grown bigger and better over the past year! Thank you for working the sites, in all kinds of weather. Thank you for helping us get our building in shape. Thank you for shopping, sorting and translating. Thank you for holding food, toy and personal item drives to stock our shelves. Thank you for your donations, food, diapers and money contributions large and small. You are the best of our community and we appreciate everything each of you do out of love and kindness. Here’s a little tribute to our amazing volunteers to thank you and wish you a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!!”
In looking ahead, CCC announced several new ways in which it will carry out its youth initiatives, such as a math program and a collaboration with the Youth & Teen Center in Oakland Mills. CCC’s teen program, Persevere Until Success Happens (PUSH) planned to meet regularly at the center starting Jan. 3.
The Oakland Mills site is already familiar to volunteers and recipients of CCC’s free food and essentials. The Oakland Mills Village Center’s Barn, 5851 Robert Oliver Place, is one of three distribution sites that operate on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon. The others are Long Reach Village Center, Suite 9, 8775 Cloudleap Ct., and Wilde Lake Interfaith Center, 10431 Twin Rivers Rd., all in Columbia
At Christ Church, Leigh Smith is our representative who takes parishioners’ donated items to CCC. Members of R.A.G.E and the Outreach Commission ask parishioners to continue supporting CCC by collecting diapers, baby wipes, sanitary and personal care items, and adult diapers. Put them in the yellow bin, marked “CCC,” inside the Parish Hall on weekdays when the church office is open or on Sunday.
FISH Continues to Ask for Snacks and Cookies
Pickups have resumed from the FISH yellow bin between Old Brick and the Parish Hall or, during cold weather, just inside the Parish Hall entry. Please continue donating cookies, crackers, and snacks to fulfill the shopping lists. 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.
