Green Sanctuary

HUP is now an Accredited Green Sanctuary recognized by the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, Office of Congregational Stewardship Services. We will also be recognized as an Accredited Green Sanctuary at General Assembly 2011 in Charlotte, NC. Hopedale Unitarian Parish’s Social Action Committee began the process of becoming a candidate for the UUA’s Green Sanctuary Program in the spring of 2008. The environment is a social justice issue that many people in the congregation care deeply about, so it was a natural focus for the Social Action Committee, and has enjoyed broad support from the congregation and Parish Board. Just a few of our recent accomplishments include switching to mostly environmentally friendly cleaning and kitchen products, an Earth Day tree planting ceremony and potluck lunch for the entire congregation, increased recycling in the church, enclosing the stairway to the choir loft for reduced heat loss, and the recent installation of a new energy-efficient heating system and water heater. We have achieved some great things as part of the Green Sanctuary program, and we hope to continue our efforts at good environmental stewardship as part of the life of the church going forward.

Green Sanctuary Accomplishments

· Had an energy assessment performed on the church building to identify areas needing improvement

· Led the effort to have the heating system replaced with a new, energy efficient gas boiler system, programmable thermostats, and new hot water tank. This new system change has created a significant 40% in savings in fuel costs.

· Helped identify and replace light bulbs in the church with CFL’s where possible.

· Gave away 30 reusable shopping bags to members of the congregation to encourage conservation.

· Enclosed the stairway up to the choir loft in order to reduce heat loss.

· Led the annual Earth Day services and coordinated with the Garden Committee for the tree plantings.

· Led numerous adult RE classes and workshops, including a popular vegetarian cooking class sponsored by Whole Foods.

· Assisted the children’s RE program in the Everything Seed curriculum 2 springs ago focusing on the environment.

· Increased recycling throughout the church and at all events held in the church. At recent potlucks, we’ve gone from an average of 4 bags of trash down to just 1. We also achieved a completely trash-free event last year at the Wine and Cheese Tasting night.

· Switched to all-natural cleaning products and the bulk purchase of recycled paper products throughout the church. Most of the paper dishes we use are made of biodegradable wheat husk.

· Updated the Church Use Policy to better reflect our congregation’s commitment to recycling and sustainability. Anyone looking to use our space now signs a form stating that they understand our expectations for recycling, limited use of disposable products such as Styrofoam, and the use of natural and safe cleaning products.

· Helped coordinate the biannual social justice project with the children of our church and the Union Church assembling water hygiene kits to be sent to people all over the world without access to clean water.

· Started an organic vegetable garden and donated the bounty to the Daily Bread Food Pantry. The garden is watered mainly by the use of a rain barrel to conserve water.

· Started a book swap table to encourage the “recycling” of books.

· Participated in 350.org’s International Day of Climate Action last fall by ringing the church bells 350 times at 3:50 pm to raise awareness about global warming.

Did you know??....Hopedale Unitarian Parish is a contributing member of Massachusetts Interfaith Power and Light, a non-profit organization which promotes environmental stewardship among houses of worship throughout the state. Check out their website www.mipandl.org for great information on home energy assessments, improving your home's energy efficiency, saving money on your utility bills, upcoming workshops, and more.