Christ Church Outreach News: July 31, 2025
- Christ Episcopal Church
- Jul 31
- 4 min read
Zoom to Uganda with Friends of Sabina!
The stars have aligned for our annual meetup with leaders of the nonprofit, Friends of Sabina (FOS), which will be a completely virtual gathering on Tuesday, Aug. 5, from Noon to 2 p.m. In this case, the stars are the students at Sabina Boarding Primary School and four visitors from Christ Church. The Aribiah family is on a trip to Uganda, enabling Sonni, Teddy, Jonah, and Luke to see Sabina’s improvements in person. Much has changed since the Aribiahs’ previous visits, and we’re eager to hear about it.
You’re invited to log into Zoom as your schedule permits; there will be a recording if you must miss a portion and want to catch up later. The Zoom link will be in tomorrow’s This week on Zoom email.
FOS operates the primary school and a nursery program that together enroll 424 students in Sanje, Uganda. FOS Co-Director Ann Marie Davis, who is on site, will lead an informative show-and-tell during the Zoom. She will be joined remotely by Co-Director Maria White and assisted in person by Sponsorship Coordinator Deborah Nakiduuli, Librarian Richard Tumusiime, and Administrator Moses Nsubuga.
We’re anticipating another moving performance by the choir and keeping an eye out for sponsored students who remain at Sabina in primary grades: Roger, Herbert, Purity, Geofrey, Lydia and Sharon.
Nearly a dozen parishioners at Christ Church began sponsoring individual students in 2020. A photo collage of seven of the youngsters, pictured at that point in time, appears on the FOS page of the Christ Church website. By now, these students have completed primary grades at Sabina and enrolled in secondary schools.
All of these deserving 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 by encouraging an exchange of letters and occasional video calls. For information on becoming a sponsor, email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org.
Christ Church began supporting Sabina Primary School more than a decade ago by first establishing a library. Besides the Aribiahs, parishioners Steve and Linda Alpern and the late Charlie Hoke and Ellen Boudreau Hoke have traveled there. Consider making a future trip; you can inquire about it during the Q&A portion of next week’s Zoom meetup.
Sabina’s library has become a resource not just for the school but for the surrounding community. The Outreach Commission at our May meeting approved donating $3,300 to FOS to pay the librarian’s salary, periodical subscriptions, and a portion of internet service. Funds come from the Vestry-approved, 2025 Outreach budget derived from your pledges and contributions.
Thanks to all!
FISH and CCC Combine Pantries, Making it Easier for You to Help People in Need by Donating Staples in a Shared Bin and by Volunteering for FISH Phone Duty
Recently FISH and Columbia Community Care (CCC) partnered to provide food services for Howard County residents. The two organizations have merged their food pantries. CCC will distribute food, including by home delivery, from the groups’ newly combined pantry. FISH will continue to supply the pantry by picking up donated goods from Christ Church and other cooperating churches, schools, and civic organizations.
Keep putting non-perishable food and personal care products in the altar basket. Otherwise, there’s now just one convenient location for your donations: A bin just inside the Parish Hall. Look for a combo label “FISH/CCC”.
Please keep bringing baby wipes and diapers, especially sizes 5 and 6. These remain in great demand, according to CCC’s April Lee, manager of the combined pantry. CCC continues to distribute groceries, staples and baby supplies at three sites on Saturday mornings. For information go online to Get Help.
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. You could be the one to lend a helping hand, by lending an ear!
FISH of Howard County needs phone volunteers to help our Howard County neighbors in need. You can help from your home by giving just one day a month to assisting those who could benefit from financial assistance from FISH. Training is provided. For more information, ask parishioner and FISH treasurer Andy DeLong or email him at andydelong.fish@gmail.com. Thank you always for your support and for welcoming FISH at Christ Church.
Christ Church's LEMS Backpack Drive is Now Underway
The students and families at Lake Elkhorn Middle School rely on us each year to help provide assistance with school the best prices. We will then load the supplies into 125 backpacks after the second worship service on Sunday, August 17th, so come downstairs, have a sandwich, and help fill them.
If you can’t come that day, plan to visit New Brick on Friday, August 22, at 2:30 p.m. to help load the school supplies into cars and drive them to LEMS. That afternoon, they will have their Annual Back to School Block Party, where families will register their children and enjoy a picnic from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. You are welcome to stay to help distribute the backpacks to those appreciative students and families.
Please email us and let us know if you can come to either or both of these events by emailing Cathy Whittaker LEMS@christchurchcolumbia.org.
Each year, we ask for the congregation's support in providing these school supplies, and you always come through (thank you so much!). We don’t have a line in the church's annual budget for this, so we rely on and deeply appreciate your direct support. You can give to the LEMS campaign by writing a check to Christ Church with "LEMS" in the memo line, or you can give online at https://onrealm.org/christchurchcolumbia/give/lems. Either way, your gifts are very much appreciated.
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.
