Earth Day is less than three weeks away, falling this year on Friday, April 22nd. Looking for a way to celebrate? I am reminded of what Saint Francis was reported to have said: “Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.” In other words, actions speak louder than words so why not perform an act on Earth Day weekend. Here’s a couple of ideas…
On Saturday, April 23rd, Suzanna and I will be volunteering and speaking at the Eco-Summit on the Ridge, a conference all about doing something about climate change. The summit’s keynote speaker is Jeff Renner, former Chief Meteorologist at King-5 TV. This will be an in-person event held at the Greenwood Senior Center and it starts at 8:30 am. Other speakers include Heather Trim from Zero Waste Washington, Scott Henson, Barbara Young, and Kathy Dawson from Drawdown Seattle, and Andrew Kidde from 350 Washington. The conference focuses on actionable solutions and working together to make a difference toward equity and positive change in the climate space.
In addition to breakout sessions on topics including Transportation and Eco-building, there will be a session focused on and run by youth. Learn more and register at https://community.works/ecosummit.
On the following day, Sunday, April 24th, Helen McClenahan and Joe Giampietro of our Saint Francis of Assisi ministry will be leading an Earth Day Neighborhood Cleanup starting at Noon. We will be meeting in St John’s church parking lot. Bring gloves, a garbage bag, and dress for the weather. We’ll pick up garbage rain or shine! All ages are welcome. This is a great opportunity to clock some volunteer hours! More details can be found at https://saintfrancisseattle.org/earthday2022.
Working together, we can help take care of our common home.
Paul Litwin
Saint Francis of Assisi at St John the Evangelist 