Christ Church Outreach News: July 16, 2026

Grassroots Marks 18th Anniversary of Serving the Homeless in Jessup

On July 9, the Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center took note of a milestone and thanked Christ Church and other faith-based partners for their role in helping the homeless at the Day Resource Center (DRC) in Jessup.

“The DRC opened on July 9, 2008, in partnership with our faith communities, local government and foundations to serve homeless men and women who slept outside along Route One in Howard County. The homeless consumers were involved in determining the services, hours of operation and policies. The DRC provides hot meals, showers, laundry, access to social services, case management, a food and clothing pantry and other critical resources to anyone in need, no questions asked. In 2017, it moved to its current location at the Leola Dorsey Community Resource Center.”

Grassroots posted on its Facebook page: “We also want to thank some of our amazing faith partners who have been with us since the very beginning….” Among 12 Howard County congregations, Christ Church is one of four Episcopal parishes that are listed.

On the second Monday of each month, Christ Church provides a hot midday meal of fried chicken, side dishes and desserts that a team led by Outreach member Shahra Toth serves in person. On Monday, July 13, we had a total of nine volunteers at the DRC – including a mother and son duo (see photos). Many more parishioners helped behind the scenes in their own kitchens or by bringing fruit, paper goods, or pantry items such as hearty soups.

And thanks to you, the homeless and low-income residents who depend upon the DRC’s pantry could choose shelf-stable milk boxes in either plain or chocolate flavors that the team delivered on Monday. The Outreach Commission approved spending $170 for a total of 180 8-oz boxes of milk. These were purchased with funds donated to the church by parishioners who give to “General Outreach.” A hearty thanks!

In its post, Grassroots described the growing demand: “In Fiscal Year 2026 (which ended on June 30), the Day Resource Center served 1,616 individuals – more than any year since it opened and 4% more than last year! In fact, when we opened 18 years ago, we served just 30-50 people each year. In addition, we gave away more than 150,000 food items and nearly 25,000 articles of clothing, including shirts, shoes, jackets, and new underwear and socks. We were able to do this thanks to the support of our many, many donors, our dedicated team members, and 769 volunteers who gave 8,900 hours of time.”

Christ Church next provides meals for the homeless at the DRC and at Grassroots’ Emergency Shelter on Monday, Aug. 10. For details, please check our DRC online signup form or our Grassroots online signup form. For pantry needs, items can be brought ahead of time to the Parish Hall kitchen. Find Grassroots’ current needs list on our signups under “Related Files.”

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Kentucky Residents Praise DreamBuilders Crew, Including a Christ Church Teen

A team of more than 30 adults and youth – including Mikailu Sheriff, representing Christ Church – completed a blitz-build of three homes from June 21-27 on the most recent DreamBuilders’ trip to flood-damaged Hazard, Kentucky. Local broadcaster WYMT-TV featured their work in a June 22, 2026 video report that shows Mikailu in the center of a group of three teens, one of whom spoke for the group about helping the future homeowners. “Even if I don’t know them, I know I’m just improving their lives, and giving them kind of a fresh new start.”

The local nonprofit partner posted photos on its Facebook page of grateful homeowners along with dozens of photos of work in progress. The Housing Development Alliance (HDA) also expressed thanks: “DreamBuilders, thank you for coming back for the fourth year in a row to serve our community! Your work makes a real difference for families here, and we are grateful for your friendship, faithfulness, and hard work.”

The gratitude can be shared more widely as Christ Church supported the trip with $750 in Vestry-approved Outreach funds, parishioners’ individual support, and by sales of DreamBuilders goods (We will next sell coffee and tea at the Parish Festival on Aug. 30). Many thanks!

To learn more about DreamBuilders, visit https://dreambuildersmd.org

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Bring Items for FISH/CC, and Consider Volunteering to Take Calls from Home

FISH and  Columbia Community Care (CCC) partnered last year and merged pantries. CCC continues to hand out food by home delivery to Howard County residents and at three sites on Saturday mornings, except on holiday weekends. For information, go online to Get Help.

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”. Please bring baby wipes and diapers, especially large sizes.

FISH will continue to provide telephone support to Howard County residents to provide guidance and financial support because the personal touch is very important when people are in crisis. For information, ask parishioner and FISH treasurer Andy DeLong or email andydelong.fish@gmail.com.

You could be the one to lend a helping hand by lending an ear! As a phone volunteer, you can help from your home by giving just one day a month to assist those who could benefit from financial assistance from FISH. Training is provided. Thank you!

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Continue to Support the MOCC's Random Act of Kindness

The MOCC's current R.A.K. (Random Act of Kindness) is supporting Comfort Cases, and they continue to need donations. A Comfort Case is a small duffel bag or backpack designed to provide comfort to youth entering the local foster care system - many enter with nothing more than a simple trash bag - an item that provides no comfort or dignity at all.

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, compassion, and care for the youngest in our world is welcome. The MOCC is accepting donations throughout the summer, and you can find details and the 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 click the link above.

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Save the Date: ‘Birdies for Bridges’ Golf Tournament to be Held on Friday, Sept. 25 to Help Bridges to Housing Stability in Preventing Homelessness

It’s not too early to hit the practice greens. Bridges to Housing Stability will hold its annual Sheehy Toyota Birdies for Bridges Golf Tournament on Friday, Sept. 25, at The Timbers of Troy, 6100 Marshalee Dr., Elkridge, Md. Participants will help Bridges achieve its mission – advocating for affordable housing and helping individuals and families who struggle to keep a roof over their heads.

The tournament begins with a light breakfast, a shotgun start at 9 a.m., and a full day of golf, food, and awards. Check-in opens at 7:30 a.m. The cost for a single golfer is $200, or $800 for a foursome, which covers greens fees, unlimited range balls, food, and beverages.

The event is for a worthy cause. All proceeds from Birdies for Bridges will benefit Bridges and its work to provide a path to self-sufficiency to prevent and end homelessness through affordable housing solutions and advocacy in Howard County.

Christ Church has supported Bridges in various ways since 2019, most recently last fall, when a group of volunteers spent several workdays refurbishing a Columbia townhouse. Known as Guilford House, it is the residence of several returning citizens who have gotten their lives on track after incarceration. Bridges operates this transitional housing in partnership with the Howard County Department of Corrections.

Read about improvements – made indoors and out – by a team led by Vestry and Outreach member George Toth in the Outreach Blog of Dec.18, 2025. “The transformation is night and day!” said Sarah Hicks, Affordable Housing Program Manager at Bridges.

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Registration is Open for DreamBuilders' Mission Trip to Puerto Rico on October 18-24, 2026

Hurricane Maria, a category 5 hurricane, struck Puerto Rico in September of 2017 with sustained winds of 155 mph.  53% of all structures on the island suffered major damage.  Today, almost 9 years later, many families are still trying to repair their homes.  We will be helping one of those survivors, Maria del Carmen Rivera Nieves.  You can read about Maria and her project below.

We have worked with the nonprofit Apoyemos/One Hand Foundation of Puerto Rico, led by Kike Garcia, on a previous trip to the island.  They will supply the materials needed and supervise our project. Maria's home needs windows, interior doors, ceiling panels, flooring, and more that we can't complete in one week.  But we can make a big difference in moving her home closer to completion.

We will be staying at Posada Colonial Apartments in San Juan, where you can walk to an outstanding beach, and it is only 3 blocks from Calle Loiza, a street full of restaurants, cafes, and shops.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact Cathy Gold (heycathy@verizon.net).

Trip Dates:  October 18-24

Missioner Fee: $1100 (covers airfare, lodging, rental cars, and food)

Age Requirement: 18 or older

How Many? Maximum of 8 missioners

Partner Organization in Puerto Rico:  Apoyemos/One Hand Foundation of Puerto Rico

If you would like to join the trip, please find instructions and the registration form on their website: dreambuildersmd.org/puerto-rico-trip-october-2026. Registration closes on July 31st.

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.