Environmental Partnerships, Inc.

Urban and Suburban Congregations and Communities Need to Work Together to Solve Environmental Problems

Among our members and staffs, we include multiple sources of

knowledge about science, technology, community history, the law, public processes, and education
concern for community well-being
experience addressing justice issues
recognition of the important of values, and
experience talking about right and wrong.

Mission

The mission of Environmental Partnerships, Inc. is to assist faith communities and environmental groups to be effective partners working for environmental justice and stewardship.

To achieve this goal, EP:

• helps parishes address environmental issues of local concern,

• helps environmental groups develop programs with the faith community, and

• supports lay peoples' crucial role in discussing multifaceted scientific and technical issues.

EP supports parishes with educational material, speakers, access to training, partnerships, joint program development and fundraising. As EP members become knowledgeable and effective in addressing in-house environmental problems and concerns. In the long term, their knowledge and experience can also be shared with other congregations.

EP partnerships enable environmental organizations to work with congregations in ways that connect authentically with the missions of faith-based groups—in order to help potential and unexpected mutual interests to emerge.

EP links congregations and organizations experienced in environmental justice areas such as asthma, mercury exposure, urban community gardens, open space and agriculture, "green building," indoor air quality, solid waste management, and genetically modified food.

History

Environmental Partnerships, Inc., was founded in 1998. It became one of the first members of the Episcopal Diocese of MA's Urban-Suburban Linkages Program in 1999. EP helps churches find mission-based ways to collaborate with secular environmental groups. The goals are both to help churches find a voice on these crucial ethical issues and to help build their understanding of the ways different communities environmental problems are interrelated.

In 1997, EP got its start in advocacy work recruiting faith communities to the large, complex urban environmental issue of cleanup and redevelopment of abandoned, industrially contaminated urban land. Turning then to church gardens as an accessible version of the same justice, health, development, and land use issues, EP teamed and is still working with a Dorchester Pentecostal church with a 25 year old vegetable garden used for its feeding program.

EP has helped encourage and support 6 other urban churches' gardening efforts by holding garden seminars and linking them to secular community gardening programs and resources. EP has also succeeded in establishing a broader program base for diverse people to connect urban environmental issues to their own interests. It has developed a pilot program for including fresh food in urban church food pantries. It is in its second year of creating programs that expose high school youth to environmental justice issues as they satisfy community service learning requirements.