Community Engagement
The parishioners of Christ Church engage in multiple ongoing, short-term, and done-in-a-day ministries.
TEEG
Thompson Ecumenical Empowerment Group is a small grassroots non-profit social service agency in North Grosvenordale, Connecticut. What began in 1985 as a group of volunteers grew to be an incorporated 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization in 1988. Its vision is a “community that aspires to care for and support one another.” These are some of the ways Christ Church works with TEEG to serve the community.
Laundry Bliss
Is a once-a-month ministry aiding TEEG clients by providing funds, detergent, dryer sheets, and companionship while they do laundry. Without this program they would need to choose between buying food and doing laundry. The Faith In Action Vestry Committee needs continuing donations of cash, detergent, and dryer sheets.
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Sassy Soup Servers
Is a feeding program sustained by various groups of volunteers who prepare large quantities of soup once a week for a month. The soup is frozen for delivery to the church’s shut-ins and TEEG clients.
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Pomfret Power Packs
Is a ministry founded at Christ Church and now run out of the Pomfret School. Currently 24 students who are eligible for free lunches at school are given bags of nutritious foods, serving approximately 100 people, each week. Christ Church collects donations of foods that TEEG cannot secure from the Connecticut Food Bank, such as canned chicken, granola bars, kid friendly snacks such as gummies or fruit leather, Annie’s Mac ‘n’ Cheese, and cereal.
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Parishioners also participate in done-in-a-day such as school supply distribution—after participating in their collection—and distribution of Christmas gifts. The Community Social Outreach committee also staffs monthly food drives for TEEG as well as making monetary contributions.
Squash Hunger
Squash Hunger is an annual initiative of Interfaith Human Services of Putnam. This “hunger action event” asks participating businesses and congregations to collect non-perishables such as canned chicken and tuna, pasta, mac ‘n’ cheese, and soup. In 2023 the Christ Church community collected just shy of a half-ton of pasta and was awarded the 2023 Squash Hunger Pasta Challenge Champion Award seen here.
Run For Ryan
Ryan French was a high school junior and active youth at Christ Church when he lost
his life in a motor vehicle accident in January 2017. The grief-stricken community
planted a tree in his honor on the church grounds. Shortly after his passing, Ryan’s
parents started the “Ryan French Memorial Scholarship Fund” which is used to
award scholarships to KHS Ag-Ed Seniors who are going on to higher education.
Since 2018, Ryan’s parents have organized an annual 5K memorial race and walk, the
proceeds of which go directly into the Scholarship Fund. In 2023 a tree was planted
in memory of Ryan at Owen Bell Park in Killingly, Connecticut, where the race is held.
Mother Cosman began the 2023 race with a prayer, and later prayed an invocation at
the tree. As in past years, Christ Church parishioners personally donate to the
scholarship fund as well as participate in the 5K walk and run.
Access
The mission of Access is to build equitable access to opportunities that empower under-resourced individuals, families, and communities to achieve and sustain economic stability. Its programs include nutrition and food pantry programs; affordable house and home energy assistance programs;
and access to employment and Trauma Informed Care Training. Christ Church donates funds to this program and intends to become involved in its housing program that was recently launched in the former St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Danielson, Connecticut.
Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services (IRIS)
Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services is a non-profit agency whose mission is to help refugees and other displaced people establish new lives, strengthen hope, and contribute to the vitality of Connecticut’s communities. Welcoming persecuted people from other countries is America’s most noble tradition. IRIS helps newcomers on the road to self-sufficiency by providing lifesaving support during their transition to life in the United States.
In addition to providing monetary support to IRIS, the congregation has provided hands-on and in-kind support to families including helping a family move into a local apartment and stocking the kitchen with small appliances and cooking utensils.
Save The Children
Since its founding in 1919, Save the Children has changed the lives of more than one billion children in the United States and around the world. Christ Church has sponsored children through this program since 2018. Our most recent recipient is a girl from the Mississippi Delta, Kyla, whom we have sponsoring since 2021.
Additional Outreach Funding
In addition to these hands-on projects, Christ Church contributes financial support to:
Pomfret Fire Department and the Pomfret Fuel Bank
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Pomfret Food Pantry
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No Freeze Center
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Day Kimball Hospital’s Chaplaincy
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Missionaries in Chile through the Society of Anglican Missionaries and Senders
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United Services Dayville Opioid Crisis Center
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Veteran’s Base Camp Chaplain
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Episcopal Relief & Development
American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem.