A prayer for FACS and our country

As we head into the 4th of July weekend with our families, our hearts are heavy with the news of this week. One of the core tenets of our work at FACS is to take care of each other, as we face the climate crisis and all that must be done to leave our children a livable planet. We hope you will join us in this prayer for our Earth and our children and ourselves, offered by FACS co-founder and Loudoun Hub leader, Rev. Dr. Jean Wright:

Creator, in these days of lawless laws, may your justice roll down like rivers and right-doing like inexhaustible streams. In our grief for a hurting environment and anger at the injustice, transform our suffering into an empowering, active hope.

May we experience ourselves as one family, partners with all life, rather than as grasping competitors, even predators. Let us not be known as the sowers of greenhouse gas poisoning. Rather, acting from love, let our legacy be as healers of creation.

Buoyed by love, we pray that we fulfill our care-taking role by cleansing the air, healing the waters, restoring the soil, and protecting the well-being of all life.  We choose to be nurturers of life, both the visible and the invisible. We choose equitable justice over the cruelty of injustice.

Creator, open our eyes to see the golden spark in all things, let us be attentive to the sacred breath of life, bowing to the great mystery inherent in creation.  

Resting in this mystery, may we know peace and be comforted. Amen.

Summer of Action Bootcamp: Build your power!

Session 1 - Effective Grassroots Campaigning - Monday, July 25, 4-6pm

We'll cover topics like clear campaign goals, effectively influencing decision makers, and recruiting other to join you. Register here.

Session 2 - Power Communicating - Monday, August 15, 4-6pm

We'll do a deeper dive on writing opinion pieces and building access with decision makers and influencers through social media. Register here.

Session 3 - En-ROADS Climate Solutions Simulator - September 12, 4 - 6pm

Learn to use MIT and Climate Interactive's Climate Solutions Simulator. We'll also cover the current status of federal climate policies. Register here.

FACS Book Discussion: All We Can Save

*20s-30s friendly event -  All are welcome to attend, no matter how much of the book you read.

Join us via Zoom on July 20th at 12pm to discuss All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis. All We Can Save is an anthology of writings by 60 women at the forefront of the climate movement who are harnessing truth, courage, and solutions to lead humanity forward.

Join the FACS Board of Directors!

Nominations for the FACS Board of Directors for 2022 - 2023 are now open! Do you know someone who could make a difference for our impactful nonprofit? Maybe you!

Here is the nomination form. Please help us recruit a diverse Board of Directors to support our critical work together on local climate solutions.

Fairfax County Hub Updates

The Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) Board approved its FY23 budget that included new money and staff positions to begin carrying out recommendations made by the Joint Environmental Task Force (JET). The vote took place on May 26, 2022. For further details, check out our blog HERE!

The Fairfax Hub has had a busy month celebrating Juneteenth and the restoration of funding for the Park Authority. FACS Fairfax is also forming a Solid Waste Management Team to create a sorting program for multi-family homes.

The Fairfax Hub meets on the second Thursday of each month from 7:00-8:30 PM. Contact Kris Rosenthal for more information at kristin.rosenthal@gmail.com.

City of Alexandria Hub Updates

The hub appreciates the many years of service of City of Alexandria Sustainability Coordinator Ellen Eggerton to the city, Fairfax County, and sustainability across Virginia. We congratulate her on receiving a FACS Sustainability award last month!

Our hub will likely not meet during our regular monthly time slot during July and August, and will instead find alternate times to gather to accommodate summer vacations. Look for updates by email on our next meetings. We'll return to a regular meeting schedule in September.

If you're interested in joining this hub, please send an email to  info@faithforclimate.org, and we'll get you connected!

Northern Valley Hub Updates

We met with Enphase, a national leader on microinverters for solar systems, to explore the benefits of faith communities becoming Solar Sanctuaries. We are excited about the possibility of resilience hubs with solar and battery backup systems, especially in our rural areas where power outages can last a long time. 

If you're interested in joining this hub, please send an email to  info@faithforclimate.org, and we'll get you connected!

Loudoun County Hub Updates

The Loudoun Hub met with like-minded local groups this month, including Loudoun Climate Project and Piedmont Environmental Council. We did a tour of connectivity challenges for pedestrians and cyclists to the new Ashburn Metro station. We are analyzing and communicating with elected leaders around electrifying school and municipal buses.

We will formally launch our hub meetings in September. If you're interested in joining this hub, please send an email to  info@faithforclimate.org, and we'll get you connected!

Join a Local Advocacy Hub!

Stay connected with local news, meeting reminders, advocacy opportunities and action alerts, community wins, and more!