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Engaged Organizations: Catholic Diocese of Columbus, OH Facilities Team
Bruce Boyon, Facilities Director at the Columbus Catholic Diocese, began promoting light replacement with LED bulbs early on relative to other organizations in the area. The downtown cathedral lights had started to become old and dangerous over time, so Bruce found a replacement LED tube bulb that made economic sense and was convenient to use. These bulbs don’t need to be change as often because they are designed to last longer (5-year warranty) and generate less heat, so less is AC is needed. In total, there has been over $600,000 in savings since the start of the diocesan project. AEP had rolled out rebates for bulbs and other energy efficiency improvements, which provided for a favorable business model to prospective users. In accordance with principles from Laudato Si', the aim is to push for a larger movement to change over to more efficient sources of energy. -
Engaged Organizations: Stratford Ecological Center
The Stratford Ecological Center is an organic farm and nature preserve that provides education sessions, tours, and hiking trails to the public. They also offer various workshops and classes on an ongoing basis.
Trinity Catholic Elementary School 4th and 5th graders participation each year in a 5-day environmental camp "Messages of the Earth" at the Stratford Ecological Center. -
Engaged Organizations: Habitat for Humanity Restore
Habitat MidOhio Restores aims to reduce costs associated with affordable housing construction as well as reduce the amount of waste going into landfills. Restores accepts new or used household items and materials from individuals or businesses. The proceeds then assist with Habitat MidOhio's administrative costs in building affordable housing.
Recycling Inc. often donates there following their building deconstruction projects. -
Engaged Organizations: Kenyon College Brown Family Environmental Center
The Brown Environmental Center at Kenyon College offers both self-guided and educational sessions that showcase their diverse range of natural habitats that are maintained at the center.
St. Vincent de Paul in Mt. Vernon, Ohio makes annual trips for their K-6 students. -
Engaged Organizations: Green Tree Plastics - A Bench for Caps Program
Green Tree Plastics offers a children's program, ABC Cap and Lid program, for any children's organization. Children have the opportunity to collect, sort, and weigh caps and lids as part of their program contract. The children then receive a bench in which they are designated as the owner.
St. Vincent de Paul School in Mt. Vernon, Ohio has participated in the program and received three benches from students' effort with the program. -
Engaged Organizations: Orita's Cross Freedom School
The mission of Orita's Cross Freedom School is to cultivate student's natural sense of curiosity and skills to become agents of change within their community. They are a solution-oriented group, addressing pressing societal issues such as racism, gentrification, gender inequality, and the prison industrial complex. Some ways that the school promotes learning through doing includes civic engagement demonstrations, mentoring, and cultural awareness programs. -
Engaged Organizations: Black Church Food Security Network
The Black Church Food Security Network strives to provide fresh produce to historically Africa American churches within the Baltimore Metro area. Their popup farm stands provide convenience to the public as they are able to set up during times when congregation members typically gather. Ideally, members will either start their own gardens on site or expand ones that they currently maintain. Often, the farmers or urban growers will offer to lead bible studies and include food security issues as part of the sessions. -
Engaged Organizations: National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Programs
The National Council of Churches (NCC) discuss their work through their eco-justice programs on their website:
"The National Council of Churches has been a prophetic voice for justice and peace for its entire existence. In recent years, the NCC has been involved in a diverse range of issues such as poverty alleviation, protecting the environment, racial justice, and responding to the particular concerns of women. The NCC continues to remain engaged in these areas; however the primary program work in some cases has been spun off to new organizations that continue to bring the ecumenical community together to struggle for justice." -
Engaged Organizations: Web of Creation
The Web of Creation website discuss their organization aim and services that they provide:
"The Web of Creation was established to foster the movement for personal and social transformation to a just and sustainable world from religious perspectives. To that end, the information at this site will:
-Connect you with ideas, resources and strategies for doing eco-justice
-Inform, inspire, encourage, educate you about eco-justice
-Support you in your efforts to live, work and pray in ways that promote eco-justice
The Web of Creation has also been developed to provide information and connections for theology students interested in environmental ministry." -
Engaged Organizations: Wild Church Network
The Wild Church Network website describes their focus on spiritually re-connecting to the outdoors:
"We are a growing network of pastors and spiritual leaders, who have made bold moves to launch new expressions of church outside to re-acquaint, re-cover, and re-member our congregations as loving participants of a larger community. In this age of mass extinctions, we feel burdened by the love of Christ to invite people into direct relationship with some of the most vulnerable victims of our destructive culture: our land, our waters, the creatures with whom we share our homes.
And, there, people remember that they belong to a larger beloved community. Along the way, we have remembered that our Christian tradition of spiritual transformation has always been rooted in the actual local wilderness." -
Engaged Organizations: Scaling Up Nutrition
Scaling Up Nutrition discuss their vision and goals on their website:
"Since 2010, the SUN Movement has inspired a new way of working collaboratively to end malnutrition, in all its forms. With the governments of SUN Countries in the lead, it unites people—from civil society, the United Nations, donors, businesses and researchers—in a collective effort to improve nutrition. The SUN Movement Strategy and Roadmap (2016-2020) has helped illuminate the importance of nutrition as a universal agenda – and one which is integral to achieving the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
To realise the vision of a world without hunger and malnutrition, the SUN Movement Principles of Engagement guide actors as they work in a multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder space to effectively working together to end malnutrition, in all its forms. These principles ensure that the Movement is flexible while maintaining a common purpose and mutual accountability." -
Engaged Organizations: 1,000 Days
1,000 Days non-profit organization for women and children discuss the work that they do on their website:
"1,000 Days works to win support for investments in the nutrition and well-being of mothers, babies and toddlers in the U.S. and around the world. We make the case to policymakers, global leaders and those who influence them that brighter futures begin with ensuring mothers and children everywhere have a thriving first 1,000 days.
From advocating for evidence-based dietary guidelines for pregnant women and young children to providing parents with educational resources and content on baby and toddler feeding, 1,000 Days is committed to nourishing healthy beginnings. " -
Engaged Organizations: Lutheran Outdoor Ministries in Ohio
Lutheran Outdoor Ministries in Ohio discuss their camp facilities, their mission, and their vision on their website:
"Lutheran Outdoor Ministries in Ohio owns and operates 2 camp facilities, Camp Luther and Lutheran, Memorial Camp with support and direction from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.
Mission: Bringing people together to experience Christ through natural settings and programs.
Vision: Connecting all people to faith and nature for a changing world."
The 5th graders at St. Vincent de Paul in Mt. Vernon, OH participate annually in the summer camp program at Lutheran Memorial Camp. -
Engaged Organizations: Caretakers of God’s Creation
Caretakers of God’s Creation is a grassroots community of the United Methodist Church General Board of Global Ministries. Part of their central belief is the scriptural and Wesleyan theology that the earth belongs to God, not us, and we are given the responsibility to be good stewards of it. The caretakers are on a mission to reveal God to others through creation and motivate people to act on behalf of environmental wholeness and justice. Their website shares more of who they are and what they’ve done.
The General Board of Global Ministries recently launched their new Earthkeeper Program (or brochure) where individuals can engage the movement to face ecological challenges in their congregations and communities. The caretakers share their stewardship stories and encourage others to share their story about protecting and caring for God’s creation. They also provide films, books, information about other faith-based environmental organizations and other resources about how to care for the earth on their website.
Caretakers of God’s Creation will be having their Annual Caring for God’s Creation Conference on April 28/29, which will be folded into the People’s Climate Movement March. -
The Little Minyan Kehilah/Sukkat Shalom
The Little Minyan is a Reconstructionist/Jewish Renewal congregation located in the Clintonville neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio. In this article, Rabbi Jessica K. Shimberg, the congregation’s spiritual leader, discusses the recent name change to Sukkat Shalom. She offers that the congregation has grown to the extent that they chose a new name that does not include the word "little" in it. The congregation is heavily involved in community outreach and provides an outlet for community service and spirituality. It is committed to sharing resources to help the planet. -
Dharma Gaia
Dharma Gaia is an organization that aims to nurture awareness of the relation between Buddhism and ecology. They generate funds for Buddhist-inspired ecological projects in Asia and the developing world, motivate Buddhist communities to actively engage in the ecological challenges of the time, and publicize the efforts of engaged Buddhists working on environmental projects. -
Earth Day Network
The Earth Day Network is an organization with a mission to diversify, educate, and activate the environmental movement. As they continue forward with their mission of building the world’s largest environmental movement, they recognize that faith leaders have been a driving force behind some of the most important social movements. They provide a plethora of resources to guide faith leaders and faith communities in their efforts of stewardship of the planet. -
Faith in Water
Faith in Water is an online resource that helps involve faith communities with water problems all over the world. Faith communities are excellent at creating support for the needs of the poor and people in need. Faith in Water is helping these faith communities focus their efforts on providing clean drinking water to people as well as information on sanitation or hygiene. -
WATERSHED: Replenishing Water Values for a Thirsty World
This site highlights the reports and videos and resources gathered to address world water resources, sponsored by the Vatican and many other partners. -
Episcopal Diocese of Ohio: Bellwether Farm
Bellwether farm is a new camp and education center of the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio. It is meant to provide leadership development and teachings through sustainable farming, food production, and care of the environment. It is located in Wakeman Ohio, with the goals of informing, inspiring, and empowering leaders for a sustainable future. The buildings are models of green technology featuring passive buildings, renewable energy, and water reclamation systems. -
Faith in Place
Faith in Place is an Illinois based organization that empowers people of all faiths to be leaders in caring for the Earth. They strive to make their programs diverse and relevant to faithful people of any religion, race, age, and socio-economic class. They design their programs to be adaptable and engaging so that they can inspire action in as many people as possible. To read more about their work, click below -
Global Faith Leaders Unite to Restore our Earth’s Balance
A campaign by Religions for Peace, worldwide religious leaders call on heads of state to respond urgently to the threats of climate change, commit to 100% renewable energy by 2050, and build a more flourishing, inclusive, and balanced world. Leaders of the Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Indigenous, Islamic, Jain, Jewish, Shinto, Sikh, Taoist, and Zoroastrian faiths pledge to do their part by embracing the moral responsibility to care for our world. -
CreatureKind
CreatureKind is an organization that engages churches in new ways of thinking about animals. They encourage Christians to consider what they—as members of the body of Christ—believe about God’s creatures and how they might move toward living out those beliefs more fully. They also provide information, prompt discussion, share stories, and offer recommendations for flourishing as humans creatures without denying the flourishing of animal creatures. They work to inspire vegans, vegetarians, omnivores, farmers, fishers, and friends to learn from each other about how each to be the church that follows Christ into the reconciliation of all creatures. -
EarthCare
EarthCare is a Christian organization that exists to promote stewardship of creation within the Christian community. They seek to raise environmental awareness and participation through various education programs and by modeling creation care values in their daily lives. They also seek to provide a medium for fellowship, interaction, and inspiration for Christians concerned with the biblical mandate to be stewards of God’s creation. The organization was created to be an educational segment of a concert, but became its own non-profit organization.