St. Stephen’s Transfiguration Sunday Hymn Raffle on August 6th raised a breathtaking $1,066 for the Choir’s adopted charity: The Christ Child Society of Baltimore. The fundraising effort was all the more remarkable because only some 20 diehards attended the event—a reflection of summer vacation season.
Despite the relatively small numbers—far fewer attendees than we usually attract during our program of choral evensongs—the congregation was in extraordinarily good voice. Their singing raised the roof and the bidding for and against the chosen hymns was exuberant, not to say combative.
At the conclusion, even Adric, the choirmaster and organist, was impressed not only by the singing but also by the generosity displayed.
He congratulated the participants, telling them: “This is one of the very few churches where one could hold an event like this. Unlike so many others, St Stephen’s is a parish where the congregation really enjoys singing.”
The Christ Child Society of Baltimore, Maryland, is a non-denominational, non-profit group of involved volunteers who have come together to try to meet the contemporary needs of children and families in the Baltimore community in practical ways.
Rather than create another service entity, the society augments the work of the existing organizations in the area in need of both volunteers and resources.
Members help students weekly with their homework. They read monthly to pre-K students at a school and organize and develop wellness program resources for schools. They also collect, sort, and distribute gently used books to the various organizations.
Volunteers participate on a monthly rota to cook casseroles at home for soup kitchens. They knit items such as baby clothes, scarves, hats, mittens, etc., and assemble items for layettes, school supplies, and “My Stuff” bags. They meet monthly at St Stephen’s Church and are always ready to accept donations from the public.
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