Blog

Communities Inspired for Environmental Action Election Guide 

With the goal of creating a guide to help Saskatchewan voters make informed choices in the upcoming provincial elections, our volunteers contacted candidates with publicly available contact information in 28 ridings, to which we have a connection.

“Because all creatures are connected, each must be cherished with love and respect, for all of us as living creatures are dependent on one another. Each area is responsible for the care of this family.” 

Pope Francis, Laudato Si’ #42

Shaarei Shomayim Garden

By Nicole Toledano

What am amazing garden we have thanks to the funding we received! Our beautiful garden is located right under our Torah scroll design, a symbol of our religion and our faith.

We would like to thank TD Friends of the Environment Foundation and Scotts Canada, and Faith & the Common Good for introducing us to this beautiful and successful garden project.

Holy Cross Parish 2020 Community Garden

By Bibi Berger, EcoMinistry Group

2020 was a surprising year to all to say the least.

“Lockdowns and social distancing” of the COVID 19 severely put a damper on the plans that the ministry had for the pollinator garden project. We were excited to add more native wildflowers to the garden but were able to add fewer than expected, due to plant shortages. Fortunately, our new and existing plants grew very well and provided quite an attraction. It was a good pollinator year for the bees and the butterflies whose activities were not at all affected by the virus.

The Season of Creation ends but the journey continues…

The Season of Creation ends this Sunday on the October 4^th feast of St. Francis of Assisi. A Global Ecumenical Online Prayer Service will celebrate the Season of Creation as well as reflect with Christian leaders from around the world on next steps in caring for our common home. Find more information and register here for the prayer service on Sunday October 4^th at 10:00 am EDT.

Energy Benchmarking Program: Impact and Sustainability

by Donna Lang – September 24, 2020 

Faith & the Common Good’s (FCG) three-year-long Energy Benchmarking Program for the GTHA has come to an end. As Project Manager and Toronto Animator for the program, I greatly enjoyed working with our team of talented animators from Halton/Oakville, Hamilton, and York Region. Together, we surpassed our target of 100 faith communities (FC) for the grant period 2017-2020, with 103 participating congregations. 

  Site map of participating FC. 

Over 100 people registered for our Season of Creation webinar A JUST TRANSITION.

Thank you for participating! Read more about key take-away messages from both presentations and find resources that will support your efforts to address the Laudato Si’ Action Platform Goals. 

At Faith & the Common Good (FCG), our ongoing commitment is to provide tools and resources that enable faith communities to improve their carbon footprint and be more sustainable in their places of worship. To this end, we look for opportunities and partnerships that further this goal.

For example, along with our DIY Energy Audit Guide, we use the USA’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ENERGY STAR® resources, such as the Portfolio Manager software to help faith communities better understand their energy consumption patterns and empower them in making educated decisions on how to become more energy efficient. We are excited about our latest partnership with ENERGY STAR®. 

As the strange summer of 2020 winds to a close, our Grow Team is looking back fondly on the work that we’ve accomplished, the seeds that we’ve sown, and the community that we’ve built together in the gardens at Eglinton-St. George’s United Church. Over the past weeks and months, our team has been hard at work in the soil at ESG, working to foster the growth of not only fruits, vegetables, and flowers, but also of our own connections to our church, our faith, and our God.