Our neighbors who are in need of food, clothing, and shelter

If you are looking for ways to be involved, please contact Honey Harris (850-432-5115 or email) who can connect you with the ministry liaison or committee chair member.

Bridging the Gap

“Serving People in Need — Rain or Shine, All Year Round.”

People in dire need of a meal continue to join the line that forms every Thursday afternoon at the Lee Street bridge. They appear all year round no matter the weather conditions — heavy rain, cold and windy, or sweltering heat. Each week amid the crowd of 75 to 100 people are new faces and “regulars,” women, children, teens, and men.

Help support this year-round ministry by assisting with food preparation, assisting at Lee Street bridge with serving food on Thursdays at 5:00p.m, donating food or funds to Bridging the Gap. This ministry is coordinated by Christ Church parishioners, Dawn and Carol Cooper.

Feeding the Gulf Coast Mobile Food Pantry

Especially during COVID-19 and the increased need for food for our neighbors, Christ Church partnered with Feeding the Gulf Coast to become a Mobile Food Pantry and hand out 10,000lbs of food to over 500 hundred individuals every other week. Christ Church will continue to be a food distribution site. Volunteers help sort and distribute the food with some labor-intensive jobs (i.e., carrying boxes of food) and other jobs (i.e., people filling out forms for each car). Honey Harris coordinates these events and volunteer opportunities.

Epps Christian Center

The Epps Christian Center is a non-denominational church with a mission to reach out to the lost at any cost. One component of their ministry that Christ Church provides support is with food distribution. As Pastor Sylvia Tisdale describes, “Food justice is an important part of community justice.” The Outreach Committee coordinates volunteer dates for the summer.

Manna Food Pantry

Manna is a local grassroots organization fighting hunger in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. They believe every person has a right to live free of hunger and to be treated with respect and dignity.

Food drives for Manna are a tradition at Christ Church, called “Bag It For Manna.” We hold events in both the spring and fall, in which decorated bags from the Episcopal Day School are handed out after services and parishioner return them full of needed food donations. The Fall event is our largest during the year, culminating in a joint event with the Episcopal Day School to Fill the Mayflower. Additionally, a year-round box is kept at the church office to collect needed food items.

The people who are Christ Church, both teens and adults, also have the opportunity to further assist Manna at their warehouse. Our “Bag it for Manna” is coordinated by Honey Harris. The Outreach Committee also coordinates volunteer dates in the warehouse throughout the year.

Waterfront Rescue Mission

“No one dreams of being homeless.”

The staff and volunteers at Waterfront Rescue Mission strive to address the physical and spiritual needs of people who are hungry and homeless by providing tools and services that bring about positive and lasting life change. Many seeking help at Waterfront Mission have jobs, but struggle to keep their families together and several are military veterans.