Christ Church Outreach News: October 9, 2025
- Christ Episcopal Church
- Oct 9
- 4 min read
LEMS Kindness Pantry Needs
Many thanks to everyone who's signed up to bring items for the Lanke Elkhorn Middle School Kindness Pantry! We have most items covered, but we still need small bottles of dish soap and canola oil. You can find the sign-up list here and can bring all items to Christ Church by this Sunday, October 12th. Place them in the blue LEMS bin located in the New Brick Narthex, and we'll get them to the school.
Another way you can help our local students and families is by coming to LEMS on October 15 and assisting The Roving Radish in distributing boxes of food to those in need. Email us at LEMS@christchurchcolumbia.org and we'll send you more details.
Thank you for helping support the students and teachers of Lake Elkhorn Middle School!
YOU CAN HELP! Inviting You to Join Our Monthly Outreach Meeting this Monday
Learn many ways to help others by joining us remotely for the Outreach Commission meeting on Monday, Oct. 13, at 7:30 p.m. Our mission has a local, national, and international scope.
To join us on Monday, email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org and we'll send you the Zoom details.
Help Grassroots on Monday, Oct. 13, by Providing Food for the Homeless
On the second Monday of each month, Christ Church serves a hot midday meal at the Day Resource Center (DRC) and delivers dinner to residents of the Grassroots Emergency Shelter. The Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center operates both facilities.
A team led by Outreach member Shahra Toth makes side dishes and desserts that we serve in person after car-pooling to the DRC in Jessup. To help on Monday, Oct. 13, please check our DRC online signup form, which describes the procedure. Drop-off time is 12:45 p.m. in the parking lot near Old Brick for DRC’s side dishes. We last participated on Sept. 8.
Every second Monday, the parishioners who cook or shop for the evening meal arrive in the Old Brick parking lot between 3:15 and 3:30 p.m. Get details in our Grassroots online signup form. Grassroots handles serving that meal to shelter residents, who include numerous children. It’s efficient to provide for both venues on the same day, usually feeding a total of about 150 people. Your donations and Vestry-approved funds pay for the fried-chicken entrees. Thank you!
As you respond to a call to help the less fortunate, keep in mind the scripture that underpins our mission: And the King will answer them, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” Matthew 25:40
Did You Know? Grassroots Offers Crisis Services That Go Well Beyond Sheltering and Welcoming Our Homeless Neighbors
Parishioners are urged to spread the word about the array of mental health options available through Grassroots, which strengthened its resources as part of an expansion to a third site in 2023. The center’s staff at 8990 Old Annapolis Rd., Suite A, in Columbia provides behavioral health, substance use disorder, and suicide prevention help around the clock. Someone suffering a mental health crisis –or their loved ones– can walk in, call 410-531-6677, or chat, text, or phone 988 (which is modeled on 911).
Parishioners were updated by Anna Katz, director of grants and support at Grassroots, who spoke during our Sunday Circle series, Virtues of a Beloved Community: GENEROSITY, on September 21 (view her mental health overview on our Zoom recording here). While many of us are familiar with the operations at Grassroots’ two facilities for the homeless — such as meals, shelter, and pantry supplies — its counseling services are less well-known. You can watch the entire Sunday Circle presentation on our YouTube channel or above in this email.
In Howard County, clinicians on its mobile crisis team are dispatched to accompany police on psychiatric emergencies. Its outpatient mental health clinic offers free long-term therapy. Its substance use disorder stabilization program aims for treatment within 24 hours. Its behavioral health urgent care is the state’s only one that remains free, Katz said. Grassroots is a call center for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and a national backup for 988 chat and text. The Pew Charitable Trust’s Trend Magazine featured Grassroots in a 2023 article, “What Happens When You Call 988?”
Now’s the Time to Walk or Run in CAC’s ‘Steps Forward’ Fall Fundraiser
It’s not too late to participate in Steps Forward, a Walk/Run campaign to raise funds for the Community Action Council of Howard County (CAC). Individuals or teams are invited to accumulate miles during October while soliciting donations. Participants will receive a special T-shirt and discounted entry to the Run Through the Grapevine 8K, hosted by the Howard County Striders in Mt. Airy, Maryland, on Sunday, November 2. The annual cross-country/trail race takes place at Linganore Winecellars.
On race morning, a non-perishable food drive will benefit the Howard County Food Bank, which CAC operates. As the county’s designated anti-poverty organization, CAC provides multiple services as described in its 2024 Impact Report. These include early childhood education, eviction prevention, weatherization, and utility assistance.
FISH and CCC Have Combined Pantries, and FISH Needs Phone Volunteers
Recently, FISH and Columbia Community Care (CCC) partnered to provide food services for Howard County residents. The two organizations have merged their pantries. FISH will continue to pick up donated goods from Christ Church and others. CCC will continue making distributions at three sites on Saturday mornings and by home delivery. For information, go online to Get Help.
Please put non-perishable food and personal care products in the altar basket or in a bin just inside the Parish Hall. Look for a combo label “FISH/CCC”. Please keep bringing baby wipes and diapers, especially large sizes.
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! Consider volunteering from home by giving just one day a month to assist those who could benefit from financial assistance from FISH. Training is provided. For information, ask parishioner and FISH treasurer Andy DeLong or email andydelong.fish@gmail.com. Thanks 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.
