How To Serve During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Our mutual call to love and serve the world faces particular challenges in a time of sheltering at home.

Here are a variety of ways in which you can serve from home and in the community that are needed and permitted under the current directives from the Governor of Michigan and the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan. If you have questions, email Pastor Manisha or Kellie Herdade.

(page updated November 3,2020

1. PRAY!

While you are staying at home, praying for those affected by the pandemic is one of the most powerful ways you can serve.

Pray For Our Community Partners in Pontiac

We have asked our community partners for what may we pray. Here are their latest needs:

Baldwin Center:
- Pray for our staff, volunteers and clients that they may be safe and healthy as they continue to show up to help and in need of help.
- Pray for guidance and wisdom for our agency leadership as we continue to make decisions which impact a lot of people and families.
Bound Together:
- Pray for our families, and for all of the families in need and anxiety right now in Pontiac;
- Pray for our volunteers, who are willing to be vulnerable for the sake of those who are more vulnerable;
Care House
Micah 6:
- Pray thankfully that the M6 Community and its volunteers are COVID-free so far, and ask for God’s protection that they remain safely so.
Hope Warming Center:
- Pray for the 62 homeless people who have been given temporary shelter at Hope.
- Pray that the residents will not go stir crazy since they cannot go anywhere and this is not really a home.
- Pray the shelter remains COVID-19 free.

2. DONATE!

Our Community Partners are in dire need of items ranging from peanut butter and pasta to the ever-scarce toilet paper. You can also give to our COVID-19 RESPONSE FUND, which covers care for front-line workers, addresses food insecurities, gives the homeless stay-at-home shelter and offers financial assistance to those who are unemployed.

Donate to the COVID-19 RESPONSE FUND

Our current goal:

The COVID-19 Response Fund has been made possible by the generosity of church members and community members. With the Fund, we are able to address the following critical needs:

Caring For Those On the Front-Line: We have reached out to care for those fighting on the front- line of the pandemic by providing restaurant-made meals to hospital staff and providing hundreds of snack bags.
Food Insecurity: We have partnered with Metro Detroit organizations working with vulnerable populations to help those who are experiencing food insecurity and do not have the resources to feed themselves or their families.
Homeless During A Pandemic: We know it is impossible for people who are homeless to shelter-in-place and stay safe. We are helping 124 people in Pontiac and 150 people in Detroit’s Cass Community to have a temporary place to call home throughout this pandemic.
Financial Fallout: After the stay-at-home order is lifted, we anticipate some will find they do not have jobs and they will be in arrears for basic bills to be paid. We plan on expanding help to those who will experience critical financial insecurity.

Especially when times are troubled, Christ Church Cranbrook believes God’s steadfast care for the world can and should be found in the church’s work for the community.

To see all the partners and causes we are have supported so far, click here.

To give a tax-deductible donation, give here. Your funds are matched dollar-for-dollar by some generous contributors!

Questions? email Pastor Manisha.

NEW- Donate workbooks to schoolchildren

Bound Together, a tutoring center in Pontiac, has become a site to give out bags of food. They would love to hand out workbooks for kids of all ages as well. Use this Amazon Wish List to purchase books. They will be sent directly to Bound Together.

Donate Gift Cards to Sanctum House

Sanctum House needs your help

Sanctum House is a sanctuary for women survivors of Human Trafficking. It is a local safe house and a place of love and support but now, as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak and physical distancing, Sanctum House is in desperate need for food. They need donations of electronic giftcards from Walmart which will be used to purchase fresh food and staples for the 15 residents of the facility. Christ Church Cranbrook has responded with an initial donation. Won’t you join in this effort?

Please order an electronic giftcard for any amount from $5 – $50 online, and Walmart will email it to Sanctum House to be used to purchase essential grocery items.

Donate here: https://giftcards.walmart.com/ip/Basic-Blue-Walmart-eGift-Card/653984410

Recipient email: shannon@sanctumhouse.org

Recipient name: Sanctum House

Senders name: (donor name)

Message: (any message donor wants) plus Christ Church Cranbrook

For Questions? Contact Tim Miller at murphy2@bignet.net

3. DO!

Believe it or not, there are things you can do safely at home. There are also ways you can help that require venturing out. Governor Whitmer has made exceptions to allow people to volunteer at non-profits “that provide food, shelter, and other necessities of life for economically disadvantaged or otherwise needy individuals.”

NEW- Pack or Distribute Food Boxes for Forgotten Harvest

Volunteers 18 years or older are needed to help pack emergency food boxes in Royal Oak warehouse that will be distributed through Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb County.There will be a morning (8:00am-11:30am) opportunity and an afternoon (12:30pm-4:00pm) opportunity, Monday through Friday. Please CLICK HERE to sign up.
Pop-up Mobile Pantries need volunteers to distribute food boxes to clients. Please CLICK HERE to sign up.

Volunteer at Gleaners Food Bank

Volunteers are needed for limited positions in June to sort food and to distribute. To see all opportunities, click here.

Distribute Food for Lighthouse

Food Distribution – Clarkston & Southfield

Lighthouse will be distributing produce boxes to families in need in Clarkston (Wednesdays) and Southfield (Thursdays). Volunteers are needed to help distribute produce boxes to those in need. Jobs will include unloading/loading food and collecting client data

To volunteer at the Southfield Distribution Center, click here.

To volunteer at the Clarkston Distribution Center, click here.