Christ Church Outreach News: October 8, 2026
Inviting You to Join Our Monthly Outreach Meeting on Monday, Oct. 12
Learn many ways to help others by joining us remotely for the Outreach Commission meeting on Monday, Oct. 12, at 7:30 p.m. Our mission has a local, national, and international scope. Look for our Monday This Week on Zoom email, and join us. We hope to see you help make a difference in others' lives!
Help Feed the Homeless on Monday, Oct. 12 as Our Meal Team Continues to Provide Meals at Two Grassroots’ Venues
On the second Monday of each month, Christ Church serves a hot midday meal at the Day Resource Center (DRC) in Jessup and supplies the menu for an evening meal at the emergency shelter in Columbia. Both are operated by the Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center. We last participated on Sept. 14 (see photo).
A team led by Outreach member Shahra Toth serves the midday meal in person. Please check our DRC online signup form, which describes the procedure. To help on Monday, Oct. 12, bring your side dishes or items for the DRC pantry to the Parish Hall no later than 12:45 p.m. The group of servers will carpool to the Leola Dorsey Center, departing the Old Brick parking lot at 1 p.m.
To bring food for the shelter’s evening meal, check our Grassroots online signup form. Side dishes should be marked and placed in the Parish Hall kitchen by 12:45 p.m. or handed directly to the carpool. Please note the change in time. It’s efficient to provide for both venues on the same day, in total feeding more than 150 people. Your donations and Vestry-approved funds pay for the fried-chicken entrees. Thank you!
Our support of Grassroots is for a worthy cause, in multiple ways. Recently the Dorsey Center, which partners with Grassroots by housing the DRC, won national honors. Grassroots posted last week on its Facebook page that the National Association of Counties Achievement Award recognized Dorsey’s wraparound services. The diners who come for delicious meals also gain paths to greater stability.
Grassroots also is being honored this week as Dr. Mariana Izraelson, executive director, receives a 2026 Hispanic Leadership Award from The Daily Record. CBSNews Baltimore posted an Oct. 2 article, “Honoring a Hispanic Leader Helping Communities in Crisis in Howard County,” that includes a video showing Grassroots in action.
It's Christmas at Sea for the Seafarers, and You Can Help
Please join us in supporting the International Seafarers' Center's annual Christmas at Sea program by donating items through November 8. WOCC representatives will deliver all collected goods in mid-November, and we will announce the exact delivery date once it is confirmed.
Donation bins marked "Seafarers" are ready to receive your contributions. The Center is especially in need of the following items:
Warm Clothing: Watch caps (warm hats) and scarves without fringe or other trim.
Comfort & Care: Hand warmers and cookies (homemade if close to the delivery date, or store-bought otherwise).
Souvenirs & Reading Materials: Flat Baltimore souvenirs like postcards, magnets, or stickers, along with 2027 calendars and magazines such as Sports Illustrated, National Geographic, and Smithsonian.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Carolann Sawyer or Cindy Read. And thank you for your generosity!
Free Bikes 4 Kidz Collects 200 Used Bikes at Fire Stations, Offers Four Dropoff Spots If You Missed the Donation Day
Free Bikes 4 Kidz Maryland (FB4K) says thanks to all who brought their child- or adult-sized bikes to Howard County fire stations on Oct. 3 so volunteers can get ready to refurbish and give them away before Christmas. In a post on its Facebook page, FB4K offered four dropoff spots for those who missed the county-wide collection. They include two private residences, a shed at the county landfill, and a warehouse.
Go to:
5178 Downwest Ride, Columbia,
111 Starhill Lane, Catonsville,
Alpha Ridge Residents’ Convenience Center, 2350 Marriottsville Rd., Marriottsville (Look for the reusable bike shed and attach a note marked FB4K), and
6680 Business Parkway in Elkridge (lock the bikes to the railing on the right side of the warehouse using the locks provided).
Please Fill the Altar Basket and Parish Hall Bin with Goods for FISH/CCC
Since 1976, FISH, an all-volunteer organization has aided tens of thousands of Howard County residents facing hard times. Delivery of food, staples and hygiene supplies are handled by Columbia Community Care (CCC), which merged pantries with FISH last year. CCC delivers food to Howard County residents and distributes it at three sites on Saturday mornings, except on holiday weekends. For information, go online to Get Help.
FISH picks up donated goods from Christ Church and others. Please put non-perishable food and personal care products in the altar baskets 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, offering guidance and financial support because the personal touch matters when people are in crisis. For information, ask parishioner and FISH treasurer Andy DeLong or email andydelong.fish@gmail.com. You could 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!
Enjoy an Outing at Topgolf, Baltimore on Nov. 6 from 3 to 5 p.m. to Benefit the Baltimore International Seafarers’ Center
Pick up a golf club, have fun, and help mariners from around the world whose ships call at the Port of Baltimore on Friday, Nov. 6. The Baltimore International Seafarers' Center (BISC) will hold its annual golf event from 3 to 5 p.m. at Topgolf, Baltimore, 1411 Warner St., Baltimore, Md., 21230. Parking is in the nearby Horseshoe Casino garage.
Go here to see if you or your company would like to become a sponsor or to sign up as an individual player. For $100, a one-player ticket covers general admission, food, water, tea, soda, and one drink ticket.
Topgolf is a sports entertainment complex offering a high-tech golf game that everyone can enjoy. Players can experience the thrill of hitting golf balls at giant targets, with Toptracer technology tracking their drives for real-time feedback and scoring.
The outing is for a good cause. BISC provides spiritual care and hospitality to mariners working far from their homes and loved ones. You can get a feel for the ministry on the donation page of its Support Catalog, which lists services such as a month of Wifi and “snacks for one crew stuck on their ship.”
BISC is a program of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, supported by the Bishop’s Appeal.
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.
