Mission: In formation

2024-2025 Leadership and Members:

Highlights:
• Worship Service: Planned and conducted the 4/27/25 Sunday service “Joy in Activism” featuring environmentally-centered music, readings and reflections.
• First Forums (FF) & Roundtables: Conducted “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” FF on 3/30/25; “Don’t Poison Us,” a FF by Anne Holcomb of ETHOS on the southside Quantum Computing Campus on 4/13/25; and facilitated the “Environmental Poetry Reading” Roundtable emceed by Jim Proctor on 4/27/25.
• Activities: Led a hike in the Cook County Forest Preserves (CCFP) on 4/12/25 highlighting our nearby natural resources; co-sponsored a hike in the CCFP with the Women’s Group on 5/18/25; participated in the Chicago Park District clean-up of Jackson Park on 4/19/25.
• Advocacy: Advocated for fossil fuel divestment from public funds through letters to the editor and testimony submitted to legislative hearings.
• Awareness and Advocacy: Increased awareness of and participation in environmentally-related activities by promoting a variety of Earth month-long activities, including the above.

Thank You:
Thank you to Lisa Rogers who briefly provided leadership before her move out of state; and to committee members Ellen LaRue, Eleanor Hall, and Jennifer Orr, who provided themes of hope and joy for the Earth month Sunday service.

Plans:
• First Forums with the Sierra Club, Faith in Action, and Alliance for the Great Lakes and exploration of the feasibility of solar power initiatives through Illinois Solar for All.
• Continue to elevate environmental awareness and activism through year-round and Earth month 2026 activities.

Help Wanted & Opportunities for new friends & members:
• Would like to identify anyone with interest or expertise in evaluating & implementing solar energy usage.
• Would like to know of anyone interested in green-related initiatives to join and help shape the 2025-26 mission, objectives and activities.

Contact: Margie Gonwa, Margie.gonwa@gmail.com