FACS March 2024 Newsletter

Local climate solutions powered by faith communities.

Staff Spotlight: Claudia Saunders Joins FACS

FACS is excited to welcome Claudia Saunders as our new Community Engagement Manager! Claudia joined our team in March 2024 as the third full-time staff member, tasked with leading our Power OF Faith program. Before joining FACS, Claudia dedicated her career to serving underprivileged youth, both locally and globally, within the non-profit sector. Her professional journey also includes valuable experiences in the legal and professional sports spaces. She holds a dual bachelor's degree in International Relations, focusing on human rights, and Spanish from Stanford University. Claudia's commitment to human rights and its interconnectedness with climate change has brought her to FACS, where she is eager to make a meaningful impact.

Nominate a Sustainability Champion

The call for Sustainability Champion nominations is still open! Our annual Sustainability Champions Awards celebrate and recognize the contributions of individuals, faith communities, elected officials/public sector employees, and businesses in Northern Virginia. These individuals and organizations work tirelessly toward improving the environment, and contributing to a healthy, livable climate, in our community! Nominations are due by Friday, April 26. And please save the date Thursday, June 6 from 7 - 8 pm for the celebration!!

Nominate

Share Your Earth Day Photos!

Celebrate Earth Month by sharing photos of your faith community's Earth Day activities, such as planting native trees and plants, removing invasive species, composting, or conducting comprehensive assessments of your grounds through the Audubon At Home (AAH) program. Submit up to three photos, along with a brief description of the activity and the name of your faith community, to info@faithforclimate.org by May 15th. Don't forget to share your photos on social media using #EveryoneEarthDay.

The best photos will be selected and showcased at our annual Sustainability Champions Awards on June 6, where winners will receive gift certificates to Earth Sangha! Winning photos will also be featured in the FACS newsletter and our social media. Join us in recognizing and promoting sustainable practices within our faith communities!

Conference for Spanish-Speaking Landscapers and Gardeners a Success

Approximately 150 landscape workers, six speakers, and a dozen volunteers gathered at the Fairfax County Government Center on March 8 for the second annual conference focusing on beneficial environmental practices. The event was conducted in Spanish and was low-waste, featuring plant-based food, washable plates, cups, and napkins, as well as composting of food scraps. The feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive, prompting us to begin planning for the third annual conference next winter. The conference featured several notable contributors, including FACS. The event was sponsored by Plant NOVA Natives, Audubon-at-Home, Fairfax County Park Authority, Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District, and Fairfax Department of Public Works and Environmental Services.

Spring into Action

As we embark on the month dedicated to celebrating our Earth, let us, as people of faith and our friends, draw inspiration from our moral values to lead the way in creating a more just and healthy world.

Be sure to visit our online calendar to see when Hub monthly meetings happen, what FACS events are on the horizon, and what community events are being planned by other groups.

City of Alexandria Hub Updates

The Alexandria Hub engaged in a joint session with the Arlington Hub on “How to Find Joy in Climate Action.” The process was drawn from the work of Anaya Elizabeth Johnson (see her TED talk) and aimed at helping with personal goal clarification in our climate work as well as considering the approach to engage others to work collectively to increase our impact. Hub members received a template of the work we did to enable them to carry the process forward to their congregations and community groups. Our Alexandria Hub also continued meeting with city council members and testified at the budget hearing on climate priorities. Check out the City of Alexandria's many Earth Month activities and fun events. Our Hub meets the first Wednesday of each month at 7 pm.

Arlington County Hub Updates

The Alexandria and Arlington Hubs combined for an interactive session to help us identify how we, individually, pursue climate action. Our insights help us advance work by our congregations and our communities. We developed a Template for Engaging People in "How to Find Joy in Climate Action" which we're happy to share with others. The program was inspired by Anaya Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine Hayhoe.

Arlington Students for Climate Action, group co-sponsored by FACS, hosted a successful Clothing Swap. The students identified waste as a key concern, organized the event and attracted peers to participate in future climate actions.

Hub advocates continue working with our County and public school leaders, pressing them to factor climate considerations into their 2025 budget processes. Our Hub meets virtually on the first Wednesday of each month, at 7 pm.

Fairfax County Hub Updates

FACS advocacy teams have been engaging with County Supervisors and promoting new solutions. They're looking to the future, emphasizing green space needs and the preservation of land for parks. They're proposing creating a Green Bond so that the school system can upgrade their HVAC systems using Federal funds available until 2032; creating a task force to bring County and civic groups together to combat the invasive species that degrade our mature trees; cooling the heat islands with cool pavement and roofs; and reducing energy use by getting the Green Bank functioning, which can loan money to low-to-moderate income households to use the Federal dollars for heat pumps.

It’s complicated to re-design existing infrastructures and older housing stock. It’s complicated when VDOT owns the asphalt but Fairfax is responsible for sidewalks and stormwater removal. And speaking up takes a bit of effort. The payoff? It works! Read how this hub is putting Faith in Action.

Loudoun Hub Updates

FACS played a pivotal role in the historic data center vote in Loudoun County. Prior to the March 13 Board of Supervisors meeting, we sent letters to BOS members urging them to vote "no" on the Belmont Innovation Campus Application. This application sought to expand the data center to 2.9 million square feet on 112 acres, effectively doubling its by-right size and requiring an additional second substation to power the data center. FACS participated in a rally prior to the BOS meeting. Jean Wright was #21 of the 50+ speakers. We thank the Piedmont Environmental Council for organizing the meeting and the several other environmental and community groups represented. There was a moment of cheering following the 5-4 vote denying the application.

Central Valley Hub Updates

Approximately eight churches in Harrisonburg are coming together for a special Ecumenical Earth Day worship service on Sunday morning, April 21, hosted at a downtown pavilion. Our hub is actively engaged in coordinating a Green Teams mixer, bringing together the various Green Congregations and Creation Care groups from these churches. Additionally, we are working on making a DVD of the Common Grounds film on regenerative agriculture accessible to local churches, schools, and other community groups.

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FACS' Monthly Sustainability Tip

Nearly half of the energy used in your home goes to heating and cooling. Replace your HVAC filters every three months. Your heater or air conditioning will blow more efficiently and draw less power.