Christ Church Outreach News: October 20, 2022
Seeking One or Two Volunteers to Help the Homeless on Saturday, Oct. 29th at Grassroots’ Day Resource Center at Dorsey Center
As winter approaches, a hot meal beckons the homeless people who live in a tent or in their vehicles within reach of the Day Resource Center (DRC) in Jessup. Typically, Christ Church serves a monthly meal at midday on Mondays, when many would-be volunteers are working. Now the DRC is giving one or two of us a chance to volunteer on a Saturday morning.
The time is 9:30 a.m. to noon on October 29th, when one or two volunteers from Christ Church are invited to join servers from other Howard County congregations to staff the breakfast meal. The location is the Leola Dorsey Community Resource Center, 10390 Guilford Rd., Jessup, MD 20794. The Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center operates the DRC on the ground floor of the center for homeless men, women, and, occasionally, their children.
A Christ Church family has already stepped forward to contribute scrambled eggs for that morning’s menu, so for the help we’re seeking, there’s no cooking involved. Instead, you might be asked to ladle the food as diners line up or to load plates in the dishwasher. A Grassroots staff member is always on hand to oversee the meal. If you want to sign up, please email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org no later than noon on Monday, Oct. 24.
Besides meals, Grassroots offers services such as laundry and showers three days a week at the DRC. But one of its most important offerings is a free medical clinic, where Dr. Joseph Gagliardi relies on Christ Church for over-the-counter supplies.
Thanks to the support of parishioners who donate through the church to “General Outreach,” or to the DRC explicitly, the Outreach Commission was recently able to spend $155 to replenish the clinic's medicine cabinet. Outreach member Dione Mahoney purchased and delivered antibiotic ointments, bathing wipes, antacids, and nutritional supplements for diabetics.
You may recall that in the summer we donated drinks to keep his patients hydrated. A hearty thanks for all these items goes to you from “Dr. G” and our DRC friends!
At Christ Church, Dione remains an assistant coordinator for the DRC along with Shahra Toth, who will become the coordinator as of our December meal on Monday, December 12th. (Thank you, Shahra and Dione!) After the midday meal on November 14th, Nancy Winchester will step down as coordinator while continuing to serve as a volunteer. (A hearty thanks to Nancy for her countless efforts over the years!) To reach any of them with questions, please email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org.
Columbia Community Care Announces Restaurant Week Oct. 23-30th, Continues Its Request for Diapers, Baby-Care Items, and Depends
Now’s the time to eat out or to take out, with seven restaurants planning to donate a portion of receipts on successive days next week to benefit Columbia Community Care (CCC). For the particular days and hours during which each restaurant participates, please take a look at the CCC Group on Facebook. The participants, such as Hudson Coastal in Fulton and Silver Diner in Elkridge, are being announced in a series of posts. A list of restaurants is found on CCC’s flier (shown here) and on the nonprofit organization’s website. Also check the site for information about how CCC helps people in the community with produce, staples, and other essentials at three distribution sites or by home deliveries.
At Christ Church, members of R.A.G.E and the Outreach Commission ask parishioners to continue supporting the primarily volunteer organization. Please collect diapers, baby wipes, sanitary and personal care items, and adult diapers. Place them in the yellow bin, marked “CCC,” inside the Parish Hall on weekdays when the church office is open or on Sunday. Thank you!
DreamBuilders Puerto Rico Mission Trip Registration is Open, but only until October 30th!
DreamBuilders is sending a team to Puerto Rico during January 8-14 to repair homes damaged by hurricanes. Some families have been waiting for home repairs since 2017 when Hurricane Maria devastated the island. This year, Hurricane Fiona knocked out their infrastructure again and caused more damage to Puerto Rican homes. This will be our third mission trip, working with SBP-Puerto Rico to help families get back into their homes. Registration is open now through October 30th through the DreamBuilders website: http://www.DreamBuildersmd.org/January-2023-trip-to-puerto-rico/. The $700 volunteer cost covers flights, housing, food, and rental vehicles. We have reserved excellent housing a few blocks from the beach and near restaurants and shops. The average temperature in January is 80-83 degrees. All training, safety instruction/gear, and supervision are provided. If you have any questions, please contact Cathy Gold at heycathy@verizon.net.
DreamBuilders Local Project for the ARC of Howard County: November 12 & 13
DreamBuilders will be renovating a group home in Columbia, replacing the kitchen floor and upgrading several damaged doorways. We need 10 volunteers each day to complete the work over a single weekend, as the residents will be relocated during the renovation. The workday will be 8:30-4:00 each day, and lunch will be provided. This project is open to youth in seventh grade and older, and adults. No experience is necessary, and all training and supervision will be provided. You can register for this project through the DreamBuilders website: DreamBuildersMD.org. If you have any questions, contact Cathy Gold or Stacey Frith.
Join Us for an Interfaith Vigil for Refugees - November 13th
Christ Church’s Refugee Ministry will host United We Pray: Interfaith Vigil for Refugees on Sunday, November 13th at 7:00 p.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church. This community service is open to people of all faiths and traditions, as we gather to show our unified support for those around the globe forced to leave their homes due to war, persecution, or disaster. We will pray particularly for our refugee neighbors who live, work, and attend school in our communities. The service, to be held in St. John’s historic church at 9120 Frederick Rd. in Ellicott City, will include readings, prayers, music, and reflections from the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Quaker faith traditions.* A light reception will follow in the adjoining All Saints Hall building immediately following the service, with the opportunity for refreshment and fellowship, and the chance to meet some of the refugee families in our area. We welcome all community members to this event, as united we pray for the plight of refugees around the world.
*Sponsored by St. John’s Episcopal Church, Columbia Jewish Congregation, Dar Al-Taqwa Mosque, Patapsco Friends Meeting (Quakers of Howard County), and Christ Episcopal Church.
FISH Asks Our Prayers Along with Snacks and Cookies
Our representative from FISH of Howard County recently had surgery. Paul Wisniewski is recovering; please pray for his good health. Pickups have resumed from our yellow bin between Old Brick and the Parish Hall. 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.
