We are very close – can you make a donation?
Right now, climate change is causing extreme weather events throughout our country. Severe drought has dropped Lake Mead in Las Vegas to 28% of its capacity, while derechos and extreme heat are battering the Midwest. Wildfire season starts earlier and goes longer each year and every hurricane season is worse than the last. And the Supreme Court just ruled that the EPA can’t set regulations on carbon emissions, which we desperately need.
And yet. Monarch butterflies hatch on the swamp milkweed in pollinator gardens. Endangered species like the humpback whale and the mountain gorillas have been recovering, thanks to conservation efforts. Trees and community gardens are being planted in urban areas, and across America, more cities and towns are committing to climate action and creating sustainable communities every day. There is so much beauty left and so much that can be saved.
A generous donor has offered a wonderful $50,000 matching donation! Can you help us meet this match?
As a member and supporter, you know that Earth and its inhabitants are inherently sacred and loved. You know that every faith tradition requires us to speak for the planet and stand with anyone that is facing injustice. And you know that, more than ever, what we do here in Connecticut matters. We can and must lead the way.
In the next year, IREJN will:
- Engage houses of worship to do energy efficiency work in their buildings
- Hold a pilot program to assist ten houses of worship serving low-income communities with funding for energy efficiency measures
- Hold a pilot program to install gardens at houses of worship in communities that don’t have access to fresh produce
- Hold a pilot program to install pollinator gardens at houses of worship throughout Connecticut
- Help grow Green Teams through IREJN’s Green Houses of Worship program
- Provide high-quality educational opportunities both in-person and online
- Education for local and state policy that advances climate and environmentally-progressive measures
- Connect people of faith with environmental efforts, such as tree plantings or electric school bus initiatives
- Encourage and equip people of faith to divest from fossil fuels
There is something about nature that lets us take a bigger, deeper breath. In wild places that are both powerfully strong, yet delicately fragile, we sense our belonging and our responsibility. We are caretakers, but we are also being taken care of.
Together, we have made a promise to protect our planet and the most vulnerable, to lift up justice, and to listen and respond to the words of the ones most impacted. Together, we will continue our work to fight climate change, to end toxic pollution, and to stop species loss. Because of your actions today, your children and grandchildren will know the beauty and wonder of our precious planet.
To make a tax-deductible gift and help IREJN meet a $50,000 match, please mail a check to: IREJN c/o Terri Eickel, 8 Doolittle Road, Preston, CT 06365 or donate online here.
Thank you!
