| A project of The Center for Neighborhood
Technology, which is a nonprofit organization working
to create sustainable cities, Faith in Place aims
to mobilize the diverse religious community of
the Chicago region around environmental issues.
Through its seven local Sustainability Circles
and other projects, Faith in Place seeks to build
relationships between different religious congregations
around the shared aspiration to become better stewards
of creation. Sustainability Circles have formed
in Austin, County Line, Evanston, Humboldt Park,
Hyde Park, Naperville, and Oak Park, each with
a somewhat different focus. Projects run by the
Circles
include a neighborhood food cooperative linking
local organic farmers with underserved African
Americans on Chicago’s west side; an urban
agriculture program; a butterfly garden; Voluntary
Simplicity courses; ecologically responsible landscaping;
energy-efficient and star-friendly outdoor night
lighting; sustainable energy use; and public transportation
expansion. In addition to the various projects
initiated by the Sustainability Circles, Faith
in Place currently runs three general programs
for congregations in the wider metropolitan area:
The Light Bulb Project, which provides participating
congregations with compact fluorescent light bulbs
for eco-friendly fundraising efforts; Eco-Halal,
which seeks to involve the Muslim community and
local organic farmers in producing zabeeha meat
that has been organically and humanely raised under
fair labor conditions; and Twenty Percent for Creation,
a clean energy project in which participating congregations
help subsidize the first wind energy facility in
the state through the purchase of “green
tags.” Faith in Place publishes a quarterly
newsletter called One Creation and holds
annual celebratory gatherings for all of its program
participants
and Sustainability Circle members. At present,
Faith in Place is run by Circle volunteers and
five paid staff members, works with seventy-five
congregations representing fourteen different religious
traditions,
and has approximately 150 regular, active participants. |
| Inter-religious: Christianity |
United States of America
(Chicago, Illinois) |
| 1999–Present |
Faith in Place was founded in 1999 by Steve
Perkins (current Co-Director) and Clare Butterfield
(current
Director) out of the idea that religions organizing
around environmental issues should foster transformation
on both personal and collective levels. The Evanston
Circle was formed as the pilot Sustainability
Circle for Faith in Place, with Perkins serving
as Director
and Butterfield as Project Organizer. The other
six Circles formed between May and December of
1999, and in 2001, Butterfield became Director
of Faith in Place. In 2002, Faith in Place decided
to initiate over-arching, non-geographical projects,
such as Eco-Halal, in order to expand and complement
the efforts of the individual Circles. Faith
in Place’s newest project, Twenty Percent
for Creation, began in 2003. At present,
Faith
in Place is seeking to expand its work in the
area of sustainable food systems through a new
project
called Food of Faith, which aims to produce food
in a manner that adheres to the dietary requirements
of religious groups while supporting local, organic
farmers and promoting just and equitable employment
opportunities.
|
“There are two great responsibilities
common to all faiths: to love one another and
to care for Creation. Faith in Place cultivates
hopeful
and welcoming spaces for people of all faiths
to fulfill these two responsibilities as we:
- Reflect
deeply on our own faiths
- Integrate the teachings
of these faiths into our economic and ecological
practices
- Work together for a shared
future which is economically just and ecologically
sustainable.”
|
The Chicago Community Trust
The Ford Foundation
Heifer International
The Institute for Community
Resource Development
The International Dark Skies
Association
The Nathan Cummings Foundation
The
Northwest Earth Institute
The United States
Department
of Agriculture |
| None Listed |
| None Listed |
| None Listed |
Rev. Clare Butterfield, Director
Faith in Place
Center for Neighborhood Technology
2125 W. North Ave.
Chicago, IL 60647
Ph: 773.278.4800
ext. 125
Email: clare@cnt.org |
