2025-2026 has been a busy year for the Ministry for Earth at UUCville! We are pleased to report that we are seeing more participation in MFE activities and events and more
members taking on leadership roles, which is really encouraging.
Here are some of the things we have accomplished:
We purchased 21 Carbon Offsets from Bonneville Environmental Foundation: Our purchase- the equivalent to the reduction of 46,297 lbs of carbon dioxide equal to 55,665 vehicle miles traveled – combined with that of other BEF partners, represents a significant funding source that helps ensure continued innovation in addressing greenhouse gas emissions reductions.
Our member Marguerite David researched the possibility of using UUCville grounds as a Community Supported Agriculture distribution site. As an outcome of this research, we coordinated with UVA’s Morven Kitchen Garden to host 2 Farmers Markets. In addition to bringing fresh produce to our church grounds, MKG surveyed the congregation and surrounding neighborhoods to gauge interest in having the church be a CSA distribution site in the future. We plan to host more farmers markets with them in the future.
We co-led the 2025 Earth Day Service which this year was focused on food, spirituality and sustainability. In conjunction with our theme, we offered Piedmont Environmental Council’s Buy Fresh Buy Local Guides to the congregation. We appreciated the positive feedback we received from that service.
We hosted both fall and spring Sustainable Eating Potluck events to encourage members to cook and eat more sustainably.
Our member Kara Menfi organized and hosted a Climate Future Film Festival in conjunction with Cville100 at the Northside Library attended by approximately 35 people. The Festival is a collection of award-winning drama, documentary, comedy, and animation short films that address our many possible climate futures. We helped plan and execute a Social Action Fair featuring local environmental and criminal justice organizations; we solicited and coordinated the environmental groups that participated in the Social Action Fair.
We coordinated the solicitation of local environmental groups for the Social Action Collection for May and then offered a survey to the congregation to help determine which group would be chosen.
We provided regular monthly newsletters to our 60 member MFE list outlining positive environmental actions being taken around the country and the world and alerting our members to actions that they can take to help save our environment, including calls to legislators and community workdays.
Our members Ann Salamini, Kara Menfi, Joan Kast, and Tamera Helms were responsible for the collection and disposal of compostable materials after every Social Hall event. We encouraged the use of cloth napkins at all social events to promote sustainability.
We are pleased and proud of this year’s accomplishments, and we look forward to
continued growth and action in 2026-2027!
Ellie Syverud & Kim Grover, co-chairs