Christ Church Outreach News: September 10, 2026
Do You Have a Green Thumb? Help Columbia Community Care to Harvest and Tend Its Garden Plot at Freetown Farm as Long-Term Plans Take Shape
Columbia Community Care (CCC) invites volunteers to join in cultivating its garden plot at Freetown Farm, 8000 Harriet Tubman Lane, Columbia, Md., 21044, in partnership with Community Ecology Institute (CEI).
Volunteers are encouraged to sign up in advance for slots on Tuesdays from 9 to 11 a.m., on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to noon, and on Fridays and Saturdays from 9 to 11 a.m. Go online to this CEI signup page to register for a slot.
CCC encourages both novice and experienced gardeners to help “plant, weed, and maintain this source of fresh, nutritious food for local Howard County families.” So far the harvest has been bountiful: 170 pounds of fresh produce for local families.
“Now we need your help to keep the garden growing for all seasons! Make a donation to help us purchase supplies OR volunteer to get your hands dirty prepping, planting, and harvesting with us!” CCC Executive Director Erika Strauss Chavarria posted Sept. 7 on CCC’s Facebook page. She linked to a Sept. 2 blog post that outlines a fundraising campaign to buy tools, seeds and other gardening supplies for next season and to hire a facilitator to be known as a land steward.
“CCC has always believed that access to food is a human right, and that how we provide that food matters just as much as what we provide. A garden is one of the clearest ways we can put that belief into practice,” CCC posted.
Please Fill the Altar Basket and Parish Hall Bin with Goods for FISH/CCC
It’s been more than a year since CCC and FISH partnered and merged pantries. CCC delivers food to Howard County residents and distributes it at three sites on Saturday mornings, except on holiday weekends. For information, visit Get Help online. FISH picks up donated goods from Christ Church and others. 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 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 is very important when people are in crisis. For information, ask Christ Church parishioner and FISH treasurer Andy DeLong, or email andydelong.fish@gmail.com. You could be the one to 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!
Inviting You to Join Our Monthly Outreach Meeting on Monday, Sept. 14
Learn many ways to help others by joining us remotely for the Outreach Commission meeting on Monday, Sept. 14, at 7:30 p.m. Our mission has a local, national, and international scope. Look for our Monday This Week on Zoom email, or visit this link next Monday evening. See you on Zoom!
Help Feed the Homeless this Monday, 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 Aug. 10.
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, Sept. 14, 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 parking lot near Old Brick at 1 p.m.
To bring food for the shelter’s evening meal, check our Grassroots online signup form. Please mark side dishes and place them in the Parish Hall kitchen by 12:45 p.m., or hand them directly to the carpool - and 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!
Your generosity has again helped ease life for our homeless neighbors, who rely on the DRC for pantry items that include food, sundries, and more. The Outreach Commission approved spending $132 for 90 cans of Spam, delivered last month. Thanks to parishioners’ contributions to Christ Church, Outreach can draw upon Vestry-approved funds to help those in need – locally, nationally, and internationally.
‘Birdies for Bridges’ Golf Tournament to be Held on Friday, Sept. 25
It’s not too early to hit the practice greens. Bridges to Housing Stability will hold its annual Sheehy Toyota Birdies for Bridges Golf Tournament on Friday, Sept. 25, at The Timbers of Troy, 6100 Marshalee Dr., Elkridge, MD. Participants will help Bridges achieve its mission – advocating for affordable housing and helping individuals and families who struggle to keep a roof over their heads.
The tournament begins with a light breakfast, a shotgun start at 9 a.m., and a full day of golf, food, and awards. Check-in opens at 7:30 a.m. The cost for a single golfer is $200, or $800 for a foursome, which covers greens fees, unlimited range balls, food, and beverages.
The event is for a worthy cause. All proceeds from Birdies for Bridges will benefit Bridges and its work to provide a path to self-sufficiency to prevent and end homelessness through affordable housing solutions and advocacy in Howard County.
Christ Church has supported Bridges in various ways since 2019, most recently last fall, when a group of volunteers spent several workdays refurbishing a Columbia townhouse. Known as Guilford House, it is the residence of several returning citizens who have gotten their lives on track after incarceration. Bridges operates this transitional housing in partnership with the Howard County Department of Corrections.
Read about improvements – made indoors and out – by a team led by Vestry and Outreach member George Toth in the Outreach Blog of Dec.18, 2025. “The transformation is night and day!” said Sarah Hicks, Affordable Housing Program Manager at Bridges.
Join Us for a Bike Ride that Supports a Great Cause - October 2
Ride4Refuge Columbia is a community bike ride on Friday, October 2, 2026 (Rain Date: October 9), where neighbors, congregations, and Global Refuge supporters will come together to ride 10, 20, or 30 miles in support of the Baltimore Welcome Center. In honor of Global Refuge’s 87th anniversary, riders are working together to raise $87,000 to welcome immigrant and refugee families with compassion, dignity, and practical support.
WHERE IS IT?
The ride starts at 10:00 a.m. at Christ Episcopal Church - 6800 Oakland Mills Drive, Columbia, 21045. Sign-in starts at 9:30. This is an out-and-back ride, mostly on Columbia's safe and beautiful bike paths, though riders may choose shorter distances on the day of the ride. There will be a celebration and lunch at the end of the ride, back at the church.
HOW CAN I REGISTER?
Riders can register for the ride using the rider registration form link here. Please share this with your riding friends! All riders must wear a helmet, bring their own water bottles, and sign a waiver on the day of the ride. All riders are expected to fundraise toward the $87,000 goal and mobilize folks who aren't riding to donate to Global Refuge to support this effort.
YOU CAN CREATE YOUR OWN FUNDRAISING PAGE!
Riders may create their own fundraising page to invite their friends and family to help turn every mile into a meaningful welcome to new neighbors. If you'd prefer not to ride, we hope you'll consider donating to support this important work. The general fundraising page is here, and this YouTube video shows how to create your own. If you can’t ride with us on the day of the ride, we can provide you with the ride map and directions for you to ride any time from September 26 to October 9. Please register with the link above and use the comment/question box to let us know when you plan to ride so you can receive the cue sheet.
VOLUNTEERS ARE WELCOME, TOO!
If you are interested in volunteering the day of the ride, please use this link.
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.
