| 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: Islam |
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 religious
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,
was started 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 |
