Out reach at Christ Church has two primary focuses:
1. The Outreach Committee under the leadership of Chris Hamer Provides opportunities for participation and assistance in local needs and concerns.
2. The Millennium Development Goals: At the start of the new millennium, leaders from 191 nations, including the United States, agreed on a plan to cut extreme global poverty in half by 2015. Together, they created the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church in 2006 made the MDGs a top mission priority. Stephanie Schultz as the Episcopal Relief and Development Parish Representative raises awareness of these needs and concerns on a global basis.

THE OUTREACH COMMITTEE

The Outreach Committee of Christ Church is involved in many projects to assist the needy and less fortunate in our community, mostly gathering non-monetary contributions of things most needed from members of the Church. Projects have included monthly fresh fruit and vegetable Sundays, when parishioners are asked to bring fresh fruit and vegetables to Church, which the Committee takes to the St. Vincent de Paul homeless and needy dining program. Our Church is apparently the only source of fresh fruit and vegetables for the dining program, which feeds the hungry twice a day, 365 days a year, no questions asked.

The Committee has also maintained a “Sox Bank”, asking parishioners to bring clean dry socks for St. Vincent de Paul to distribute to the hungry who come to their dining program during times of wet, cold weather. The Committee also collects canned and non-perishable goods for Food Bank, collecting contributions from members of the Church every Sunday and taking them down to Food Bank. In addition, the Committee has had a can opener drive for Food Bank, reacting to Food Bank’s request, as the homeless and needy often do not have can openers.

The Committee has also collected disposable diapers, sheets, towels, and hygiene items for the residents at the County’s emergency winter homeless shelter, which has been at Serenity Inn the last several years. In addition, because emergency homeless shelter residents are primarily young children with a few adults and are often turned out of the shelter at or near Easter, the Committee has collected Easter baskets and toys and candy to fill them from the people of the church. During the last two years, we have gotten Dave Silverbrand of Channel 6 to don a bunny costume and be the Easter Bunny for a day for the children at the shelter, delivering our baskets.

The Committee has also supported Big Brothers Big Sisters Bowl for Kids’ Sake, with a team of enthusiastic bowlers from the church, (of varying levels of skill, but all having lots of fun.) The Committee has supported American Cancer Society as well, with our Relay for Life Team, which raised over $2,000 this year, and came in second in distance. These teams fill up quickly, and there was not enough room for everyone who wanted to participate on the teams this year. If we know early enough who wishes to participate, we can arrange for two teams. We would like everyone who wants to, to be able to participate.

Bowl for Kids Sake XXV:
SUPERHERO BOWL
March 14, 2009

Bowlers raised money for Big Brothers - Big Sisters and had a marvelous time in the process!

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QUILTERS' GUILD

The Quilters' Guild has been hard at work, producing many beautiful quilts for the residents at the MAC Center, which is the multiple assistance center for the homeless in Eureka. The residents are able to take the quilts with them when they graduate from the MAC Center and begin their new lives. Our Quilters range in skill from beginners to proficient, and they meet monthly to make tied quilts with patchwork tops and fleece backing. New quilters of any level, as well as donations of fabric and money are always welcome.

Outreach Committee also collects contributions from the church community to the MAC Center, which has ongoing needs for disposable diapers and hygiene items. The Church budget also contributes $100/month to St. Vincent de Paul Dining Program, the Eureka Rescue Mission, and Food for People (Food Bank.) In addition, the Bishop’s Blend Coffee which members purchase for coffee hour helps support Episcopal Relief and Development.

We always welcome new member to our committee, and our meetings are set up in such a manner to permit those who work outside the home to also participate. Meetings are brown bag, and generally take place in the Sander Room the third Monday of every month, at 12:30, except when the date is changed to accommodate members’ schedules. The next meeting is February 12, 2007 at 12:30. Quilt ers meet at 10:30 a.m. on the same date and location as the general Outreach meeting.