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Nando’s Night, Aug. 3

Nando’s Night, Aug. 3

Join us for a community fundraiser for MoCo Reconnect, the community’s new drop-in center for LGBTQ+ youth. Order in or take out at Nando’s in downtown Silver Spring. 40% of the proceeds will go to MoCo Reconnect! Pastor Matt will be dining in at 6 PM, if you want to stop in and say HI.
 
Excel Beyond the Bell

MoCo Reconnect provides services to youth ages 16-24 who are unstably housed, looking for a job, or just need a safe space to feel heard and valued.

MoCo Reconnect is here to help!

No appointment is necessary! Drop in anytime the center is open for any of our services

  • Street Outreach
  • Sexual health
  • Housing case management
  • Laundry
  • Meals at noon and 5:00 pm
  • Hygiene items
  • Mental health supports
  • Education and vocation case management and support
  • Mentoring
  • Rest and respite from this crazy world

Special UCC Offering

Special UCC Offering

UCC Strengthen the Church Offering 2022

Christ Congregational Church is part of the larger United Church of Christ (UCC) domination. During the months of May and June, the UCC will be welcoming donations to the Strengthen the Church offering. This UCC offering supports leadership development, new church starts, youth and young adult ministries, and innovation in existing congregations across the country. God calls our congregations to be the church in new ways. Your generosity will help start new churches, awaken new ideas in existing churches and develop the spiritual life of youth and young adults.

There are several ways to give to the UCC Strengthening the Church offering in May/June:

  1. Mail a check (made payable to Christ Congregational Church with Strengthen the Church offering in the memo line) to the church office at 9525 Colesville Rd Silver Spring, MD 20901,
  2. Click on the “donate “ button at cccsilverspring.org to give through Vanco,
  3. Give through Breeze at https://cccsilverspring.bresszechms.com/give/online, or
  4. Give directly at UCC.org by clicking on the donate button.

Thank you for your generosity. Trish Esposito

Immigration Circle Update 3/30/22

Immigration Circle Update 3/30/22

Leaders of the Immigration Circle recently met and wanted to share opportunities with CCC members to support refugees and immigrants in our area.  If you have other suggestions or want to join the Immigration Circle google groups to get information on urgent needs and ways to advocate, please contact Dayna Brown Majarowitz or Anna DeNicolo. 

 

  • NEW!!!  Some CCC members have established close connections with a family who fled Afghanistan last August. After 3 months in 3 camps, they are now settled in Riverdale. The mom, Zahra, is a work colleague of Jennifer Breads who grew up at CCC and currently works for JHPIEGO. The dad, Rohullah, was a surgeon in Kabul and is learning English. They have 3 young children, Amir Ali, Hania and Sarah. Zahra’s 21 year old niece, also named Zahra lives with them. They are being helped by the International Rescue Committee and Homes not Borders furnished their apartment. Our current opportunity is to help them with transportation costs associated with getting to work and medical appointments via public transportation, or via Lyft. We are collecting new and partially used Metro Fare cards to donate to them, as well as any gift cards for Uber or Lyft (available in retail stores).  Please contact Barbara Breads, 301-385-0595, bjbpt@aol.com, for details on donating or to help with other identified needs for this special family.

 

  • Food Justice DMV supports recent immigrants and refugees, and was the recipient of our Reverse Advent Calendar collection.  They have the following volunteer needs. If you are interested, contact Denise Woods at denise@foodjusticedmv.org or text 202-415-9757. Spanish is helpful, but not required. See www.foodjusticedmv.org 
    • Fundraising: fundraising support to continue to meet ongoing needs for food, etc. 
    • Delivery volunteers: every Tuesday 10-12 at Fairfax Circle Church or Saturday 10-12 at St Stephen’s in DC to pick up food, produce, diapers, formula, wipes, sanitary pads and masks and deliver to 5 to 15 families
    • Produce baggers: Thursday am in Hyattsville and evening in DC we need people to bag produce.
    • People with Trucks (PWT): People are needed to deliver furniture throughout the DMV on an as needed basis. 
    • Clothing/Home Good/Bag collectors: People are needed who can set up drop off zones on their porches for people to bring gently used clothes, home goods, furniture and used paper/plastic bags.
    • Research Coach:  Work with families to identify resources including rent support, utilities, medical insurance, etc. Many face obstacles navigating legal and bureaucratic systems, schools, courts etc.,and need help applying for government programs that they are eligible for, etc.  FJDMV does the research, then shares relevant information. 
    • Interpretation: Virtually “accompany” non-Spanish speaking volunteers who distribute food including calling the families that are scheduled to receive food get their specific needs (diaper size/formula type/mask type/otc meds, etc), give instructions to receive their order and coordinate the volunteer drop off.

 

  • The Washington Ethical Society is hosting an Afghan family in Silver Spring and is seeking English teachers/ tutors starting in April to teach the adults in their Georgia Ave apartment weekday mornings. If you are interested in teaching English but that timing doesn’t work for you,  there are  opportunities with other organizations supporting refugees as well. Please contact Anna DeNicolo amdenicolo@gmail.com if you are interested. 

 

  • Homes Not Borders provides the refugee, Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) and asylum-seeking population of the D.C. area with what they need to thrive and feel at home. They are in need of monetary donations,  as well as volunteers to help with moving furniture or help with administrative work. For more info, see https://www.homesnotborders.org/ or email laura@homesnotborders.org.

Resources for Friendly Gardens

Resources for Friendly Gardens

A March 3 explosion and fire devastated the Friendly Garden Apartments on Lyttonsville Road in Silver Spring, causing serious injuries, displacing more than 200 residents, and destroying multiple apartments. Many residents evacuated carrying very little or nothing. 100% of the donated funds will go to the families impacted by the fire. To those who would like to support recovery efforts, please consider contributing to the Montgomery Housing Partnership (MHP). You can donate by CLICKING HERE.

 

A Wider Circle is also involved in outreach to Families.

 
1. Purchase necessities ranging from drinking glasses to furniture using the Friendly Garden Apartments Amazon Wish List: http://ow.ly/JutJ50IaMFx
 
2. Bring donations of beds, bed frames, blankets, sheets, and new pillows to our Center for Community Service (9159 Brookville Road in Silver Spring) during drop-off hours (Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday: 9:00am-5:00pm; Sunday: 12:00pm-5:00pm)
 
3. Contribute funds to support these families as they get back on their feet. 100% of the funds raised through this page will go directly to supporting those who were displaced by the fire: http://ow.ly/q6km50IaMFy
 

Resources for Ukraine

Resources for Ukraine

The United Church of Christ is appealing for support for refugees and for elderly and other vulnerable people who are displaced within Ukraine and unable to leave

 

CLICK HERE to give online

 

All donations will be deposited into the International Disasters fund designated for “Ukraine Relief.” Your financial support will be used by partners in the areas of greatest need.

 

One can also mail a check made payable to the United Church of Christ PO BOX 71957 Cleveland, OH 44194. Please be sure to note “Ukraine Relief Fund” on your check in the memo section.

 

World Central Kitchen is serving thousands of fresh meals to Ukrainian families fleeing home as well as those who remain in the country. Working at a 24-hour pedestrian border crossing in southern Poland, WCK began serving hot, nourishing meals within hours of the initial invasion and are now set up at eight border crossings across the country.

 

Donate to WCK

 

Local friends from Ukraine are recommending:  https://www.UnitedHelpUkraine.org
 
Also, the St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Cathedral on New Hampshire Avenue in Silver Spring is collecting donations of medical supplies (bandages, neosporin, ibuprofen, etc.) and shipping them directly to places where they are needed.

Immigration Circle Update

Immigration Circle Update

Leaders of the Immigration Circle recently met and wanted to share opportunities with CCC members to support refugees and immigrants in our area. If you have other suggestions or want to join the Immigration Circle Google Group to get information on urgent needs and ways to advocate, please contact Dayna Brown Majarowitz or Anna DeNicolo. 

 

Food Justice DMV supports recent immigrants and refugees, and was the recipient of our Reverse Advent Calendar collection.  They have the following volunteer needs. If you are interested, contact Denise Woods at denise@foodjusticedmv.org or text 202- 415-9757. Spanish is helpful, but not required. See www.foodjusticedmv.org.

 

  • Fundraising: fundraising support to continue to meet ongoing needs for food, etc. 
  • Delivery volunteers: every Tuesday 10-12 at Fairfax Circle Church or Saturday 10-12 at St Stephen’s in DC to pick up food, produce, diapers, formula, wipes, sanitary pads and masks and deliver to 5 to 15 families
  • Produce baggers: Thursday am in Hyattsville and evening in DC we need people to bag produce.
  • People with Trucks (PWT): People are needed to deliver furniture throughout the DMV on an as needed basis. 
  • Clothing/Home Good/Bag collectors: People are needed who can set up drop off zones on their porches for people to bring gently used clothes, home goods, furniture and used paper/plastic bags.
  • Research Coach:  Work with families to identify resources including rent support, utilities, medical insurance, etc. Many face obstacles navigating legal and bureaucratic systems, schools, courts etc.,and need help applying for government programs that they are eligible for, etc.  FJDMV does the research, then shares relevant information. 
  • Interpretation: Virtually “accompany” non-Spanish speaking volunteers who distribute food including calling the families that are scheduled to receive food get their specific needs (diaper size/formula type/mask type/otc meds, etc), give instructions to receive their order and coordinate the volunteer drop off.

The Washington Ethical Society is hosting an Afghan family in Silver Spring and is seeking English teachers/ tutors starting in April to teach the adults in their Georgia Ave apartment weekday mornings. If you are interested in teaching English but that timing doesn’t work for you,  there are  opportunities with other organizations supporting refugees as well. Please contact Anna DeNicolo at amdenicolo@gmail.com if you are interested. 

 

Homes Not Borders provides the refugee, Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) and asylum-seeking population of the D.C. area with what they need to thrive and feel at home. They are in need of monetary donations,  as well as volunteers to help with moving furniture or help with administrative work. For more info, see https://www.homesnotborders.org or email laura@homesnotborders.org.

Deacons Fund

Deacons Fund

Pairing Communion and the Deacons Fund

The Deacons Fund is a separate fund from the Unified Budget. It is used to support members of the church in times of financial need and is dispersed at the discretion of the senior minister. A portion ($250 each month) is sent to Ministries United of Silver Spring – Takoma Park (MUSST) to help prevent residential evictions and utility cutoffs in the downtown Silver Spring and Takoma Park communities, and for lifesaving prescription assistance for individuals. Sue Dollins is the CCC’s representative to MUSST, which is made up of a coalition of the downtown churches. Feel free to contact Sue for more information.

Contributions to this fund has been down as a result of worshiping virtually, so this is a plea to help sustain this fund for now and for future months. Please consider each Communion Sunday as a reminder to support this fund. The yellow envelopes marked Deacons Fund are in the pew racks, or you may write “Deacons” on the memo line of your check. For the online giving platforms of Vanco or Breeze, there is an option for the Deacons Fund, in addition to the unified budget. 

One Great Hour of Sharing 2022

One Great Hour of Sharing 2022

Lenten Season – One Great Hour of Sharing Offering for the United Church of Christ. 

The theme for the 2022 United Church of Christ’s One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) offering is “Love Remains”. It is based on the scripture from 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NRSV) “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

As we enter the Lenten Season, once again people in the US and around the world have been impacted by devastating wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, wars, COVID19 pandemic, economic hardship and social injustice. Individuals have been left homeless, hungry, and jobless. Communities are waiting for disaster relief, and families are grieving from the loss of loved ones. Refugees and asylum seekers are left in limbo in temporary housing or languishing at borders.

When you share your monetary gifts with OGHS you deploy resources to people in need internationally, nationally and locally. Your gift allows the UCC to fulfill its commitment to help respond immediately and for the long haul. Your gift ensures that no matter how difficult the situation, love remains.

There are several ways to give to the UCC One Great Hour of Sharing Offering during March 2022:

1) with a check (made payable to Christ Congregational Church with OGHS offering in the memo line) mailed to the church office at 9525 Colesville Rd Silver Spring, MD 20901,

2) with a click on the “donate “ button at cccsilverspring.org to give through Vanco,

3) by giving through Breeze at https://cccsilverspring.bresszechms.com/give/online,

4) by texting the word “GIVE” to 1.301.867.7143, or

5) you can donate directly at UCC.org by clicking on the donate button for OGHS.

Thank you for your generosity. Love remains. Trish Esposito

Reverse Advent Calendar

Reverse Advent Calendar

At this time of year, when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, let us remember that he, Mary, and Joseph were refugees.  Let us welcome the immigrants and refugees in our midst, as we prepare the way for our Lord Jesus Christ during Advent. Because of COVID-19 many area households do not have enough money for food, diapers, and other essentials, and local food pantries are stretched thin because of increased demand. Throughout Advent, the Immigration Circle is asking CCC members to follow a Reverse Advent Calendar for Food Justice DMV. This collective serves a large immigrant and marginalized – yet powerful – population struggling with the effects of the pandemic and resettlement.

Each day in Advent, please add the largest size possible of the requested items below to your Reverse Advent Calendar box, which you can bring to CCC on December 27th, 28th and 29th from 9am to noon. Whenever possible, please choose sustainably-made products.

December 1–Maseca (corn) flour 

December 2–Bagged beans (red and black)

December 3–White Rice

December 4–Cooking oil

December 5–Diapers (size 5+)

December 6–Baby wipes (scent-free)

December 7–Baby Formula (blue formula–Similac pro-advance or generic equivalent, orange formula–Similac sensitive or generic equivalent, Nido for infants, Nido Kinder 1-3)

December 8–Maseca (corn) flour

December 9–Bagged beans (red and black)

December 10—Can opener

December 11–Sanitary pads (heavy flow)

December 12–Tylenol or Ibuprofen (children and adults)

December 13 — Re-usable water bottles (not disposable)

December 14–Bars/bottles of soap

December 15–Shampoo

December 16–Toothpaste

December 17–Laundry detergent

December 18–Dish soap

December 19–Toilet Paper

December 20–Facemasks

December 21–Blankets (new or gently used)

December 22–Maseca (corn flour)

December 23–White Rice

December 24—Canned tuna

December 25–Gift cards (Aldi, H-Mart, Megamart, Giant, and Target preferred)

You can also make a financial donation in the following ways:

June 30, 2021 Deadline – Children of Kobulubulu

June 30, 2021 Deadline – Children of Kobulubulu

Backpacks, Knickers and Colored Pencils

Remembering the Children of Kobulubulu

The backpacks collected by CCC Sunday School children in 2020, and taken to Uganda by CCC member Lois Stovall were a BIG hit!  The backpacks were given as a reward for high attendance to the boys and girls at each of the four government-sponsored schools to which CCC’s Uganda Ministry has made a commitment.  Because so many CCC families directly purchased school supplies, we were also able to give each child in all four schools three colored pencils of their very own — the first colored pencils many of these children ever owned — as well as supplying classrooms with paper, protractor sets and calculators.  Our third very significant effort was to provide panties (or “knickers” as they are called in Uganda) to menstruating girls and women to use with their feminine hygiene supplies.  Many CCC women purchased packets of panties and those were also taken by Lois last year.

However, this year COVID has upset the plans of CCC’s Uganda Ministry Team.  Because Lois has not been able to travel to Uganda, it has not been possible to utilize items donated or purchased here in the United States and then carried in suitcases by Lois and her companion.  Purchasing items in Uganda instead of carrying donated ones is significantly more expensive and not provided for in the budget.

Registration for return of all grade levels is up in our four schools and we want to continue to encourage these children who face such obstacles as they try to get an education.  Failing to provide backpacks this year would be a significant setback to this concrete way in which we encourage children to get to school, one way or another.  And without the knickers to hold their feminine hygiene supplies in place, many girls will have to miss school several days each month.

If you are one of the faithful supporters of the CCC Uganda Ministry (including many parents of our Sunday School children) or someone who is newly interested, would you please consider a donation of money this year, online at www.krma-uspartners.org/donate, or by check made out to krma-USPartners and mailed to 11408 Symphony Woods Lane, Silver Spring, MD 2090.

The deadline for submitting donations is June 30, 2021.

As the children of Kobulubulu would sing to you if you visited, “Apwoyo sana!!” which means “Thank you very much!!”