The Church of the Transfiguration
Braddock Heights, MD
Rooted in Christ
Bound in Love
Called to Ministry
Food for the Poor: In 2017 COTT supported the Food for the Poor initiative with the building of a single unit home (with sanitation) in the Caribbean or Latin America. We learned about Food for the Poor from Reverend Holly when she visited us in April 2017. The cost to provide safe housing for a family is $3600 and what a difference it can make in the lives of children and their parents, currently living in hazardous makeshift housing conditions! To support this continuing project, donations of any size are welcome (designate 'Food for the Poor' on the memo line of your check or with a note accompanying cash donations. To learn more about Food for the Poor visit: www.foodforthepoor.org.
2017
The Outreach Committee has had another year of blessings in being able to help, in the name of COTT, many causes and people. Over $36,000 was disbursed to organizations and individuals near and far.
Who We Helped Many organizations and causes received funds to support their missions including:
*Nyakishenyi Africa Mission (NAM) for education of village children
*Religious Coalition for Emergency Human Needs (Frederick, MD)
*Episcopal Migration Ministries for refugee support efforts
*Food for the Poor to build a home with sanitation for a needy family.
*Episcopal Relief and Development for hurricane disaster relief
*Doctors without Borders
*Seed of Life for seeds and other farm supplies.
*Middletown Foodbank
*Frederick High School Model United Nations
*Rendezvous Haiti at Loyola University for work in Haiti
*International Rescue Committee for Rohingya refugee support
How We Did It
Much of the money sent was budgeted by vestry as a tithe from the Everhart Fund proceeds and pledges. Over $600 was contributed by parishioners for the Food for the Poor House and the Student Homelessness Initiative Partnership (SHIP). In addition to ongoing donations to the Middletown Foodbank, 406 food items were donated to support the Department of Social Services (DSS) food drive for their senior citizen clients. DSS reported that over 140 vulnerable seniors were helped. In October and December, respectively, the congregation generously contributed socks and 277 personal care items in support SHIP’s effort to help homeless Frederick County Public School students.
2018
The Outreach Committee has had another year of blessings in being able to help, in the name of COTT, many causes and people. Over $36,000 was disbursed to organizations and individuals near and far.
Who We Helped Many organizations and causes received funds to support their missions including:
*NAM for education of village children
*Religious Coalition for Emergency Human Needs
*Interfaith Power and Light for environmental stewardship
*Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake for environmental stewardship
*Food for the Poor to build a second home following our 2017 contribution.
*Episcopal Relief and Development for hurricane disaster relief
*UNICEF for Indonesian disaster relief
*Seed of Life for seeds and other farm supplies.
*SUDS to support disabled veteran rehabilitation through scuba diving.
*Middletown Foodbank to buy Easter hams and Thanksgiving turkeys.
*Mental Health Association of Frederick County
*Children of Incarcerated Parents Project (COIPP)
*International Rescue Committee for Rohingya refugee support
*SHIP to the general fund
*Camp Amazing Grace at the Claggett Center for camp scholarships
*St. Peter’s Ellicott City for flood relief
*American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem
How We Did It
Much of the money sent was budgeted by vestry as a tithe from the Everhart Fund proceeds and pledges. Our ongoing ministry to the Middletown Food Bank resulted in a collection of 527 food items, and $2360 in personal donations.
Our Christmas Giving Tree benefitted COIPP. In addition to donations of many packs of diapers and wipes, and hats and mittens-including several hand-knitted ones, $400 was donated to help with COIPP’s bulk purchase of books used in their programs.
Outreach Committee members: Ruth Wallace, Sue Wirths, Bernadette Roche, Fr. Gordon, or Linda Myers (chair).
Outreach
Outreach News 2020
As with many aspects of life in 2020, the Outreach Committee was challenged by the pandemic. The February meeting was held as usual. Then the changes began. Thanks to Zoom, we were able to continue meeting and identifying organizations with needs we could support financially. Unfortunately, events for the congregation’s participation were curtailed by pandemic restrictions. The Giving Tree project during Advent was the exception.
The Giving Tree project was a great success. Ten local children received clothing and gifts requested on their wish lists because of the love and generosity of our members. The requested gifts along with several gift cards for groceries and gas were delivered to the Religious Coalition on December 22 so the children could have their gifts for Christmas Day. Many thanks to everyone who contributed. Many thanks also to Sue Wirths and Ruth Wallace for setting up the tree and collection bins in the narthex, to Jasmine Malcolm for helping to sort and label the gifts and to Jasmine and Mary Belcher for encouraging us to continue our tradition despite the challenges of the pandemic and shipping delays.
We continued support for NAM for education of village children, Religious Coalition for Emergency Human Needs for various needs, Episcopal Relief and Development for hurricane relief in Puerto Rico, Middletown Foodbank to buy Easter hams and Thanksgiving turkeys, Sutton Scholars and SHIP.
The pandemic and other events prompted some funding decisions to organizations for specific needs. These included American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem in support of victims of the Beruit bombing, Mission of Mercy to support COVID-related medical needs, Mental Health Association for increased crisis services required by the pandemic, the Frederick Community Action Agency and the Middletown Foodbank for increased food needs for those affected by the pandemic and MarLu Ridge for support of homeless families displaced by job loss.
Sue Wirths, Ruth Wallace and Mary Belcher continued their faithful service to the committee. We welcomed Jasmine Malcolm who brought new ideas. And we thanked Bernadette Roche for her contributions, especially in making us aware of environmental justice initiatives, as she departed to tend to professional pursuits.
Outreach News 2019
The Outreach Committee had another year of blessings helping, in the name of COTT, many causes and people. Over $36,000 was disbursed to organizations and individuals near and far.
Who We Helped Many organizations and causes received funds to support their missions including:
*NAM (Uganda Mission) for education of village children
*Religious Coalition for Emergency Human Needs for various needs
*Food for the Poor to build a home for the third consecutive year.
*Episcopal Relief and Development
*South End Baptist Church in Frederick for families who lost their homes in a fire in that neighborhood
*Seed of Life for seeds and other farm supplies.
*Middletown Foodbank to buy Easter hams and Thanksgiving turkeys
*Rendezvous Haiti
*Middletown People Helping People
*Children of Incarcerated Parents Project (COIPP)
*SHIP to purchase much needed winter coats and clothing for a family of six children
How We Did It
Much of the money sent was budgeted by vestry as a tithe from the Everhart Fund proceeds and our individual pledges. Our ongoing ministry to the Middletown Food Bank resulted in a collection of 802 food items, and $4324 in contributions.
In September we hosted The Frederick Chorale’s concert “Mystic Fire” which was a fundraiser for the Children of Incarcerated Parents Partnership. Over $900 was donated by audience members. Added to the COTT Outreach contribution of $1000, the funds helped COIPP reach their goal in the Unity campaign and they were eligible for additional matching grants.
In October we became aware of a family of six children, served by SHIP, who needed winter coats and clothing. Such a large request was difficult to fill, especially considering a larger than usual number of requests overall for SHIP this school year. Several COTT members became “SHIP Shoppers” and purchased the requested items for all the children in the family. The clothes were delivered on a warm and sunny Veterans Day. The next day, temperatures dropped, and snow fell, but those children were warm and comfortable. God’s perfect timing.
Our Christmas Giving Tree benefitted the Religious Coalition. Congregational contributions of useful items such as toiletries, baby supplies, laundry products and non-perishable food benefitted clients of the emergency shelter, the emergency family shelter and the personal hygiene pantry. A collection of 1245 items was delivered to the Religious Coalition on December 23. Upon arrival we learned that pantry staff had run out of some of the very items we delivered so they were very glad for our gifts.
Looking Ahead
Stay tuned for more outreach news after the committee resumes meetings in February. We would like to expand on the SHIP Shopper idea. If you have ideas or questions for the Outreach Committee, please share them with any member: Ruth Wallace, Sue Wirths, Bernadette Roche, Mary Belcher, Fr. Gordon, or Linda Myers, Chair.
2016
The Church of the Transfiguration Outreach Committee sent $1000 to support Rendez-vous Haiti, a non-profit organization created by Loyola Modern Languages French instructor, Catherine Savell, in the wake of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. This year, Loyola student volunteers accompanied Dr. Savell to the Village Notre Dame de Lourdes, to contribute to the ongoing construction of this village that houses a community of 96 orphans, street children, and rescued “restavek” children and adolescents so devastated by the earthquake and its aftermath. Students in this “spring break outreach” program funded their own trips, and worked to create a more sustainable future for the people of this village. Many others have contributed to Rondez-vous Haiti this year, and a full report of the fruits of that funding can be found in the report hanging on the bulletin board in the COTT narthex. Specifically, Dr. Savell and the sisters that run the orphanage earmarked the $1000 funding to rebuild the damaged home for a widowed mother of 3, pictured here (I can only imagine the smile must have been this big when she learned of this great news). Nadege and her children have been living in a tent, so repairs to their home must be a huge relief. Mother Theresa once said, “we have forgotten that we belong to one another” when explaining why peace is so difficult to achieve. This can act as a great reminder that “it takes a village” and how connected we are to all people.
2015
The Outreach Committee closed 2015 with a meeting on Dec. 14. Ongoing ministries of foodbank collections and bread and produce sales continued. The UTO collection taken throughout November resulted in $380 collected, not counting boxes turned in since funds were sent to the diocese. Those late arriving funds will be held for later submission to the diocese. The Frederick Chorale concert in appreciation of SHIP’s efforts to support homeless students in Frederick County yielded a donation to SHIP of $700 from the Chorale and $100 from a person attending the concert. The Chorale is very appreciative of the use of the sanctuary for the concert.
End of year funds will go to:
Friends of Pine Ridge Reservation, $2000, to supplement Giving Tree contributions which will be used for food, toiletry and firewood boxes.
To address refugee resettlement needs within the diocese, $5000 will be sent to Episcopal Refugee & Immigrant Center Alliance (ERICA).