Christ Church Outreach News: November 9, 2023

Inviting You to Remotely Join Us on Monday, Nov. 13, at the Monthly Outreach Meeting

Learn many ways to help others by joining us remotely for the Outreach Commission meeting on Monday, Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m. Our mission has a local, national, and international scope. The Zoom link is here, the Meeting ID is 876 3365 4968 and the Passcode is Outreach!

Share your Bounty to Brighten Our Neighbors’ Thanksgiving Holiday

Please pitch in as Christ Church collects non-perishable groceries in our annual Thanksgiving Drive, which runs through Thursday, Nov. 16. Place goods on the harvest-decorated table in the Narthex. Or put them in the yellow bin marked “Thanksgiving Food Drive" near the door to Old Brick on the breezeway.

The Howard County Food Bank, operated by the Community Action Council of Howard County (CAC), expects to feed more than 1,000 people for Thanksgiving and another 1,000 around Christmas by distributing "Holiday Meal Kits." Christ Church supports this effort, both monetarily and with our non-perishable food items.

Please donate the usual sides: boxed mashed potatoes, stuffing mix, gravy, cranberry sauce, olives, pickles, and cans of fruit and vegetables (low-sodium preferred). What’s more, please add items such as soups, tuna, pasta and sauce, rice, and peanut butter to help replenish families’ bare cupboards this time of year.

The need is great for struggling households. Food insecurity is the topic of HoCo Community Chat October 2023, a podcast of the Howard County Department of Community Resources and Services (DCRS). It features Food Bank Director Carrie Ross and Kim Eisenreich, DCRS administrator of the Local Children’s Board. “The holidays can be a really stressful time for a lot of families and not the joyous celebration that many of us have the privilege to experience. And so, just by taking the food worries away can help a family breathe a little bit…and enjoy what the holidays are really meant to be,” says Eisenreich.

Christ Church Extends Extra Help to the Homeless at Grassroots’ DRC in Jessup, Where You Can Help Prepare or Serve a Meal on Monday, Nov. 13

Our homeless friends depend on the Day Resource Center (DRC) for more than its tasty meals. Once more, staff members called on Christ Church to help replenish resources at the DRC, which is operated by the Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center.

Responding to the latest need, Outreach member Dione Mahoney ordered 120 pairs of men’s crew socks to be sent with free shipping to the Leola Dorsey Community Resource Center. She bought 45 pairs of women’s underwear and 50 pairs of men’s underwear, which were gratefully received by DRC’s Melinda Becker. The items cost $239. Funds came from parishioners who donate through the church and mark their contributions to “General Outreach” or specifically to the center. Thank you!

Next up is our turn to provide DRC’s hot midday meal on the second Monday of each month. To join us on Monday, Nov. 13, please sign up by Sunday, Nov. 12. If you wish to volunteer or bring food for the midday meal, our DRC online signup form describes the procedure. We most recently took part on Oct. 9.

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 are gathering at that time to carpool to Jessup. Later, parishioners cook or shop for the evening meal for 50 residents of Grassroots’ Live-In Facility on Freetown Rd. arrive in the Old Brick parking lot between 3:15 and 3:30 p.m. Get details in our Grassroots online signup form.

Grassroots staff serves the evening meal. It’s efficient to provide for both venues on the same day. Your donations and Vestry-approved funds pay for the fried chicken entrees. Thank you! Grassroots has wider needs for its pantries, now located at three sites. It welcomes in-kind donations to be dropped off for delivery on the second Monday. Look for its list on church bulletin boards or see “Related Files” on each signup form.

Columbia Community Care Seeks Baby Care Items, More Volunteers

Please continue supporting Columbia Community Care (CCC) by giving essentials and with your time and talent. One task is sorting at the pantry building, 10750 Little Patuxent Parkway in Columbia. Go to the “I Can Help” portion of its website or check the CCC Facebook Group for updates. Please keep collecting diapers, baby wipes, sanitary and personal care items and adult diapers. Put any of these 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.

Seafarers Center Holiday Drive - Deadline is Next Monday

WOCC representatives will deliver donations to the International Seafarers Center in Baltimore in mid-November. The Seafarers Center helps seamen and women whose ships come into the Baltimore Harbor. The Center appreciates receiving any of the following items for the Seafarers: calendars for 2024; warm hats, gloves, and scarves; stationery; magazines (e.g., current affairs and sports magazines, National Geographic, Smithsonian, etc.). Donations should be placed in the designated bin in the Tower Room by this Monday, November 13th. This will be our last trip to the Center before Christmas. Let’s try to brighten the holidays for those who are so far from home. If you have any questions, please speak with Carolann Sawyer or Cindy Read.

Please Donate All Kinds of Grocery Non-Perishables and Toiletries to FISH

FISH of Howard County needs non-perishable foods and toiletries. FISH provides committed support to select families in need. Please put donations in the basket at the altar or in the marked yellow bin on the breezeway between Old Brick and Parish Hall. The neighbors you help give thanks for all you do in their 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.