Christ Church Outreach News: July 20, 2023
Attend our In-Person or Virtual Coffee Hour While Zoom Takes Us to Uganda with Friends of Sabina at Noon on Sunday, July 23
It’s almost time to join in on a virtual trip to Africa with leaders of the nonprofit, Friends of Sabina (FOS). You’ll learn why students at Sabina Boarding Primary School have excelled in their studies and get a chance to interact with students who are sponsored by parishioners at Christ Church. Two more youngsters are now available for sponsorship.
Please plan to attend an in-person coffee hour after the second worship service on Sunday, July 23. At noon, everyone is invited to join our annual Zoom session with FOS leaders Maria White and Ann Marie Davis. You can log in from home, or elsewhere; the details will be in Saturday's This Sunday at Christ Church email. Or, you can simply remain in the Great Hall of New Brick while enjoying the homemade baked goods, snacks, coffee, and tea to be provided by the Outreach Commission.
Ann Marie is on-site in Sanje, Uganda, where she will be accompanied by Sabina students. Maria will join the informative show-and-tell remotely from the United States. The session will run until 1:30 p.m., which allows time for a Q&A with parishioners who began sponsoring individual students at Sabina in 2020. Find a photo collage of seven of the nine children, pictured at that point in time, on the FOS page of the Christ Church website.
FOS is currently seeking sponsors for 10-year-old Roger, whose favorite subject is literacy and whose favorite hobby is soccer, and for 15-year-old Phionah, whose favorite subject is biology and whose hobbies include netball and choir. For information, please email Christ Church Outreach at outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org.
The youngsters come from families who otherwise cannot afford their schooling, and sponsors commit to fund an annual scholarship and to keep in touch. One aim is to form relationships, like family across the miles. FOS helps accomplish that goal through its newsletters and by encouraging an exchange of letters and occasional video calls.
In a newsletter entitled “Breaking Records and Building Dreams,” FOS shared the impressive accomplishments of the class (See photo) that completed its schooling in December. Students in the uppermost grade level, called P7, performed exceedingly well on a test that determines their academic futures in the Ugandan education system. “Our P7 class of 2022 has set a new record, after 20 years, with all students achieving First Grades or Division One in the Primary Leaving Exam. This incredible feat is a testament to the hard work of our students and teachers, the non-teaching staff, and the unwavering support of our friends of Sabina.”
Christ Church became a supporter of Sabina Primary School more than a decade ago when parishioners helped establish a library. Since then several have traveled there, including the Alperns, the Hokes, and the Aribiahs. In fact, the Aribiah household’s ties go back to Teddy’s childhood. Through the Outreach Commission, the church continues to help fund the library, which also serves as a resource center for nearby residents.
CCC Will Co-Host a Summer Essential Resources Day on Saturday, July 29, at Wilde Lake Interfaith Center
Please spread the word: Columbia Community Care (CCC) will help sponsor a community event on Saturday, July 29 that includes a panel discussion and a free expungement clinic. Co-sponsors are the Howard County Office of Human Rights and Equity (OHRE) and OhanaHC. The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Wilde Lake Interfaith Center, 10431 Twin Rivers Rd., in Columbia.
The panelists, who speak at 10:20 a.m. on a theme of healing and liberation, are Dr. Denise Boston, OHRE equity and restorative practices manager; Dr. W. Henry Gregory, Jr., clinical psychologist; Jason Downs, an attorney with Brownstein, Hyatt, Farber, Schreck; and Misty Nace, outreach specialist, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. More information will be posted on the CCC Facebook Group.
Please continue to support CCC by volunteering and by collecting baby supplies. To volunteer, go to the “I Can Help” portion of its website. As for items, the group has a persistent need for wipes and large-size diapers (4,5, and 6) and pull-ups (3T-4T, 4T-5T). Please keep collecting these, in addition to sanitary and personal care items and adult diapers. Put them in the yellow bin, marked “CCC,” inside the Parish Hall. Drop off items on weekdays when the church office is open or on Sunday. The Christ Church point of contact is Leigh Smith, who monitors the bins and delivers their contents.
Donate Snacks, Crackers, and Cookies to FISH in Bin on our Breezeway
Organizers for FISH of Howard County are continuing to ask for cookies, crackers, and snacks to fulfill its shopping lists. You can 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.
Lake Elkhorn Middle School Supplies
Our parish enjoys an ongoing partnership with Lake Elkhorn Middle School (LEMS). Just over a mile away, LEMS is truly our neighboring school, and at Christ Episcopal Church we believe we should love our neighbors. We established this partnership because many LEMS families are financially stressed.
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.
To help alleviate the financial hardship of parents having to buy school-required supplies (at a cost of $50 per child), Christ Church will once again provide school supplies for 125 children for the 2023-2024 school year. We are requesting your generous financial support now to reach this important goal. Please join us to pack the supplies in the Parish Hall on Wednesday, August 16 at 9:00 am. The school will distribute the supplies the week of Aug 21st, so we also will need your help delivering the supplies that week. Strong arms and larger vehicles are helpful.
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, please contact Cathy Whittaker (catharinewhittaker@gmail.com) or Mary Vail (mevail@verizon.net). Thank you for your support!
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.
