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Green Sanctuary

Needham Community Farm "Ready, Set, Go" Benefit Dinner

The Green Congregation Committee is co-sponsoring a benefit dinner for the Needham Community Farm at First Parish on Saturday, February 11, at 7 pm. The dinner will be catered by Sweet Basil, and there will be live music and silent and online auctions. Tickets to the dinner are $75 per person and can be purchased online at http://needhamfarm.eventbrite.com/ or by mail (checks payable to Needham Community Farm, PO Box 920877, Needham MA 02492) by February 1.

Support for the farm is part of First Parish's Green Sanctuary mission to promote environmental justice. The Needham Community Farm believes strongly that all members of the community should have access to fresh produce, and much of what they produce is given to the Needham Food Pantry. Last summer, the farm offered town residents the use of large raised beds and organic gardening instruction at the Nike site. The $200 fee was waived for families living in Needham's affordable housing. Eight of the 40 families who participated in the gardening project were low-income residents.

About Green Sanctuary

We did it! First Parish has been recognized by the UUA as a “Green Sanctuary.” We will be receiving a certificate to display and also will be recognized, along with other churches, at the 2011 General Assembly in Charlotte, North Carolina. The UUA praised not only our energy-efficient building renovations, but also our willingness to share this knowledge with others and act as a model. They were impressed with all our actions, but especially mentioned our Sharing the Harvest program, our partnerships with the Needham Community Farm and other community groups and Houses of Worship, and the inventiveness of the “Walking Church Bus.” Becoming a Green Sanctuary involved efforts from many individuals and church committees. Along the way, we adopted a Green Sanctuary Covenant. The Green Congregation Committee will continue to work with others to further First Parish’s commitment to care for the Earth. This is the beginning of a beautiful journey!

“Green Sanctuary,” is a recognition given by the Unitarian Universalist Association to churches which have demonstrated a deep and ongoing commitment to caring for the Earth. The process involves all aspects of congregational life – worship, religious education, social action, and sustainable lifestyles. Click here for more information about the Green Sanctuary program.

Also, in April 2010, First Parish received the EPA's Energy Star rating for our newly refurbished and rebuilt building. First Parish is the first house of worship in Massachusetts to receive the Energy Star, and only the sixth nationwide. To learn more about our energy efficient and environmentally friendly facilities, visit the Our Green Building page.

Green Sanctuary Environmental Justice Program

Sharing the Harvest is a new Green Sanctuary project which encourages congregants to share their backyard harvest with the Needham Food Pantry or donate labor to the Needham Community Farm. The goal is to provide needy local families with fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables by working with the Needham Community Council Food Pantry. For our church community, this project affords an opportunity for people of all ages to work together on fun, educational activities with a focus on helping others. There are 3 components to Sharing the Harvest:

  • Grow-a-Row: Participants will pledge to bring a portion of their homegrown fruits and vegetables to the Needham food pantry. Eleven gardens are signed up. We welcome more!
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  • Farm team: Participants will give some hours of labor to the Needham Community Farm, which donates a substantial portion of their harvest to the Needham food pantry.
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  • Sharing and Learning: experienced vegetable gardeners will advise and share their knowledge with beginners and veterans alike.

To sign up or to get more information, contact Jeanne Gerber at conscioushealth4you@yahoo.com.

Past Events

This past year, First Parish has had a wide variety of programming organized around the goal of becoming a greener people. Read more about these events at the Green Sanctuary Archive.

Vegetable Gardening Resources:

Other Green Sanctuary Resources:

Coming up
Check back soon for more Green Sanctuary events.