Wednesday, November 23, 2011

We are back!

Environment Hamilton and Faith and the Common Good are thrilled to announce that the Greening Sacred Spaces program has received funding from the  Ontario Trillium Foundation to continue in Hamilton for the next three years.

While the bulk of the project funding is to support the current green teams within our Hamilton faith community network and adding some new ones each year as well as maintain the steering committee that we have established, we will be focusing particularly on sustainable food and youth. We will work with your faith group on capacity-building within your network and help support the work you are doing towards these ends.

Of course, the Greening Sacred Spaces project will continue to encourage and support working towards more energy efficiency and solar for your faith building and other themes that your community decides on (non-polluting transportation, non toxic cleaning products etc).

Please get in touch with Beatrice at bekoko@faith-commongood.net.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Greening Sacred Spaces Awards-2011

Left: Representatives from the Eco Churches of West Hamilton (Eco-Wham) receive the Green Sacred Spaces Award 2011. Presenting the Award is Chief Energy Conservation Officer for Horizon Utilities Corp. Brian Smith. Bringing greetings from the City is Councilor McHattie.


Representatives from the Hill St. Garden Churches  receive the Green Sacred Spaces Award 2011. Presenting the Award is Chief Energy Conservation Officer for Horizon Utilities Corp. Brian Smith. Bringing greetings from the City is Councilor McHattie.




It was a day to celebrate.
While outside the sun shone soothingly and early summer displayed it's brilliant colours in all it's glory, inside Westdale United Church another celebration was taking place in keeping with the mood outdoors and in honor of the environment.

After years of working hard to green their places of worship and their practices, two community faith collaborations received the much coveted Green Sacred Spaces Awards for 2011.

Started in 2006-2007 in Ottawa, the Green Sacred Spaces awards recognize faith communities who have made great efforts to reduce the environmental impact that they have on the earth.

The awards are chosen by the facilitators of the Greening Sacred Spaces program-itself is a practical program designed by the interfaith network- Faith and the Common Good. Chapters of Greening Sacred Spaces can be found all over Ontario and in Hamilton, the program is rolled out by Environment Hamilton.

Greening Sacred Spaces works with faith communities, helping them make their buildings more energy-efficient, and their members more environmentally aware.

This year, Eco Churches of West Hamilton (Eco-WHAM) and The Hill St. Garden Churches received the awards at a reception organized by Greening Sacred Spaces/Environment Hamilton.

Partnering with the group was Horizon Utilities Corporation. Chief Conservation Officer, Brian Smith of the utility company was on hand to present the awards.

In order to win the GSS Award, there are 3 stringent criteria that must be met and they are as follows:

1. Practical actions such as completing an energy retrofit, microfit or community garden;

2. Engagement in numerous local sustainability and energy conservation educational events  3. Involvement in outreach programs in the community at large; educating and engaging other faith communities to take actions in their communities and households at large.

10 GSS awards are granted in areas across Ontario where Greening Sacred Spaces programs are active (Hamilton, Waterloo Region, Wellington County, Toronto, Ottawa and Eastern Ontario and Peterborough).

In past years, Green Sacred Spaces awards have been presented to faith communities in Ottawa, Toronto, Peterborough and Waterloo Region.  This year – for the first time – the GSS awards are being awarded in Hamilton.

Councillor Brian McHattie shared greetings from the City of Hamilton and the audience was rightly impressed by the presentations given by the award recipients.

The Eco Churches of West Hamilton (Eco-WHAM) Churches include Westdale United Church in Hamilton and Knox Presbyterian Church,Christian Life Assembly, St. Augustine’s Roman Catholic Church, St. James Anglican Church, St. Paul’s United Church in Dundas.

Their mission statement: To practice and advance ecological sustainability in keeping with Christian principles of stewardship.

The team meets regularly to learn, exchange ideas, plan public events, distribute newsletters, support local environmental events, and provide encouragement to like-minded community groups.
The congregations are doing energy audits, installing compact florescent lighting and LED lighting, weather-proofing, eco- film screenings, climate change action,eco-walks offering water and energy conservation workshops, using rain barrels, using programmable thermostats, green and blue carting, growing community gardens, using green cleaning products and more.

Since July 2008 they have produced newsletters for EcoWHam.

The entire collection can be found on the website: http://www.knoxdundas.com/newsletters.html

The Hill St. Garden Churches include First Hamilton Christian Reformed church, New City Church, St. John the Evangelist Anglican, Central Presbyterian and First Unitarian.

The garden has well over 40 different households utilizing the space. They built the raised beds in mid April 2010 with over 100 volunteers, including nearly all the gardeners, their friends & family, and volunteers from the partnering churches.

Besides the community garden the faith groups are doing energy upgrades, getting to worsEco Churches of West Hamilton (Eco-Wham)hip without vehicles, canning workshops, hosting meetings for the Green West Hamilton Group, using fair trade products, xeriscaping, hosting many green community events, putting up solar panels and retrofitting their buildings.

Showing great leadership, hard work and perseverance, our award winners the Eco Churches of West Hamilton and the Hill St. Garden Faith group are making a difference in the communities where they live. We will be watching these faith communities as they continue to inspire and lead by example.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Greening Sacred Spaces Awards-2011

Eco Churches of West Hamilton (Eco-WHAM) and The Hill St. Garden Faith Groups win
Green Sacred Spaces Awards 2011


Hamilton– On Tuesday June 14th, Eco-Churches of West Hamilton and The Hill St. Garden Faith Groups will be presented with Green Sacred Spaces (GSS) Awards held at Westdale United Church.

Greening Sacred Spaces Award partner Horizon Utilities Corporation, will be presenting the award on June 14th joined by representatives from Greening Sacred Spaces/Environment Hamilton. Brian Smith, Chief Conservation Officer for Horizon Utilities will give a short presentation sharing his cutting edge knowledge and information on the latest programs.

Award winners will give short presentations on the greening that they have been doing in their places of worship.

The Green Sacred Spaces Award recognizes the contributions that faith communities have made toward making our environment more sustainable. In order to win the GSS Award, there are 3 stringent criteria that must be met and they are as follows:

1. Practical actions such as completing an energy retrofit, microfit or community garden; 2. Engagement in numerous local sustainability and energy conservation educational events  3. Involvement in outreach programs in the community at large; educating and engaging other faith communities to take actions in their communities and households at large.

Greening Sacred Spaces works with faith communities to create environmentally-friendly places of worship, and to educate members of their community about environmental issues. Currently the GSS Network comprises more than 130 faith communities in Hamilton area. Network members are invited to quarterly training meetings, have access to free downloadable resources, receive information about energy-efficiency and energy audits, funding opportunities and upcoming environmental events.

10 GSS awards are granted in areas across Ontario where Greening Sacred Spaces programs are active (Hamilton, Waterloo Region, Wellington County, Toronto, Ottawa and Eastern Ontario and Peterborough).

Event takes place at Westdale United Church. All welcome!
99 North Oval,
Hamilton
1-2.30pm
For more information contact:

Beatrice Ekwa Ekoko 905 549 0900 and 905 529 7408

-30-


Background Information for 2011 GSS Hamilton Area Award Winners

Eco Churches Of West Hamilton (EcoWHam)

Some 3 years ago several churches in the Dundas area and neighbouring West Hamilton came together to pool resources to become more effective in bringing the message of environmental responsibility to their constituent congregations.

A team drawn from participating Anglican, Catholic, Presbyterian, and 2 United Church congregations meets regularly to learn, exchange ideas, plan public events, distribute newsletters, support local environmental events, and provide encouragement to like-minded community groups. The congregations are doing energy audits, installing compact florescent lighting and LED lighting, weather-proofing, eco- film screenings, climate change action, offering water and energy conservation workshops, using rain barrels, using programmable thermostats, green and blue carting, growing community gardens, using green cleaning products and more. One member of Eco-WHAM (Westdale United) will be installing solar panels.

Worship at Eco WHAM includes constant environmental messages. Their mission statement: To practice and advance ecological sustainability in keeping with Christian principles of stewardship.

Eco-WHAM congregants are encouraged to take the environmental message home through e-newsletters.
Since July 2008 they have produced newsletters for EcoWHam.
The entire collection can be found on the website: http://www.knoxdundas.com/newsletters.html


Participating Churches
Christian Life Assembly, Dundas
Knox Presbyterian Church, Dundas
St. Augustine’s Roman Catholic Church, Dundas
St. James Anglican Church, Dundas
St. Paul’s United Church, Dundas
Westdale United Church, Hamilton


The Hill St. Community Garden Faith Groups

They have over 40 different households in the garden. They built the raised beds in mid April 2010 with over 100 volunteers, including nearly all the gardeners, their friends & family, and volunteers from the partnering churches.

The HSCG has been very blessed by the partnership of these churches, the approx. $8000 in gift-in-kind donations received to built the gardens and the shed, a grant, the many volunteers who have put their backs into it, and the fantastic group of gardeners. The gardeners all live within walking distance of the garden, and about half are affiliated with the partnering churches. It is a very diverse group of singles, couple & families with very different lifestyles,
incomes, and backgrounds.

Besides the community garden the faith groups are doing energy upgrades, getting to worship without vehicles, canning workshops, hosting meetings for the Green West Hamilton Group, using fair trade products, xeriscaping, hosting many green community events, putting up solar panels and retrofitting their buildings.

Churches include:
First Hamilton Christian Reformed church
New City Church
St. John the Evangelist Anglican
Central Presbyterian
First Unitarian

Thursday, April 7, 2011

More Non Toxic Cleaning Products


We delivered a workshop on making your own cleaning products this past Tuesday April 5th at St Luke's Roman Catholic Church on Mount Albion road.
40 women from the Women Catholic League  learned a little about the history of toxic cleaning products and also got a chance to make their very own all purpose cleaner (see below for receipe).



Many common household cleaners contain alcohol, ammonia, bleach, formaldehyde and lye,
substances that can cause nausea, headaches, dizziness, vomiting, inflammation and burning of
the eyes and throat.
Some of these ingredients have been linked to neurological, liver and kidney damage, asthma and cancer.There are hundreds of homegrown recipes for green cleaning; here are some of the basic
ingredients you can find in your kitchen or bathroom.

Basic Ingredients
Any of these ingredients can be safely mixed together. Experiment and find out what works best
for you. Store mixtures in spray bottles and label them.

White Vinegar: Mix with water and you can clean windows, any glass, countertops and tile.

Distilled white vinegar is an acidic liquid. It contains acetic acid which kills viruses, germs,
bacteria and mold and so it is a natural disinfectant. It also dissolves tough mineral deposits and
stains like those found in sinks, toilets and tubs.

A 50/50 mix of vinegar and water in a repurposed spray bottle is a great way to clean glass,
cutting boards and other surfaces -- but don't use it on marble or other polished stone, as it can
leave an indelible mark. It's also useful as a deodorizing green cleaner for mildewed bathroom
surfaces; the smell of vinegar dissipates quickly, leaving a clean, fresh bathroom behind. And
vinegar diluted with hot water can clean most hardwood floors quickly and easily.

Baking Soda: Mixed with water this becomes an all purpose cleaner. Scour sinks, tubs and even
sprinkle over carpets as a deodorizer.

Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is an abrasive cleaner and deodorizer with dozens of
uses. It scours sinks, pots, pans, tile surfaces, stainless steel, fiberglass and more. It may take
more "elbow grease" to scrub with baking soda than with bleach-based commercial scrubs, but
it's a safe green cleaner. Because it's an alkaline, baking soda reacts with acids like lemon juice
or vinegar; use this to your advantage if your drain needs unclogging -- pour some baking soda
down the drain, add a few splashes of vinegar, then cover the drain to let the foaming action push
out the clog. If your carpet needs deodorizing, sprinkle baking soda on it before vacuuming.

Salt: great as an abrasive for cleaning pots and pans.

Lemon Juice: use as bleach in laundry and on kitchen surfaces. Combine with vinegar and water
and you have a nice de-clogger.

Lemon juice and fresh cut lemons are a good way to clean with a strong acid that leaves a fresh
scent behind. Cut a lemon in half and rub it on a barbecue grill, or dip in salt to remove stains
from metal surfaces like copper and brass. Use to clean cutting boards. It also breaks up soap
residue and mineral deposits from hard water. A natural deodorizer and green cleaner, use it
anywhere you need an acid that smells better than vinegar.

Olive oil: Mix with vinegar and use as furniture polish.

Plain olive oil is great for cleaning and polishing wood surfaces, though you can use a cheaper
grade than what's used for cooking. Most green cleaning recipes call for some combination of
olive oil and lemon or vinegar (yes, you're cleaning with salad dressing -- for a floor you could
eat off). The ratio of vinegar, oil and water will vary depending on the type of wood and the
finish you have on top of it. For wood floors, try 1/4 cup of vinegar in 1 gallon of hot water. For

wood furniture, start with 1 cup vinegar with 1 teaspoon oil. For both recipes, "adjust to taste."

Washing Soda Washing soda, or sodium carbonate, is a somewhat caustic green cleaner -- wear
gloves if you're using this to scour out the stains and mildew in your shower, sink or other wet
tiled places. This powerhouse green cleaner can beat up just about any household crud you can
throw at it -- it cuts through grease and oils, it pulverizes waxes like lipstick, and can even strip
the wax off wood surfaces. It also removes stains, disinfects, and boosts the cleaning power of
laundry and dishwashing soaps. Look for it in the detergent aisle of most grocery stores.

Castille Soap: There are times when you just need a foaming cleanser, and all-natural castile
soap, made from vegetables like olives, coconuts, palm, hemp or other plant-based ingredients,
does the trick. Diluted, it's an ideal green cleaner for wood surfaces, and can double as a body
cleanser and shampoo for you and your whole family -- even your pet!

Borax: Another strong alkaline, borax is an all-purpose green cleaner and disinfectant that cuts
through grease, removes rust stains, whitens and deodorizes. It makes detergents more effective
and is a favorite additive to laundry soaps and dishwashing liquid.

Tea tree oil: Some folks swear by tea tree oil -- just a few drops -- as an additive to plain water
to deodorize and wipe out mildew and fungus. Ordinary table salt can help to scour out oven
residue, and remove iron-based stains like red wine, blood and chocolate. Reuse old cotton
clothing as cleaning rags, since few fabrics are more absorptive. You can store these homemade
cleaners in old spray bottles, but make sure they're labeled and carefully stored away from kids
and pets, since even green cleaners aren't safe to ingest.

Baking Soda or Washing Soda?

Baking soda and washing soda are both natural odor removers. Washing soda is basically double
strength baking soda, it has a very high pH, and is in the caustic/alkaline category. You need to
use gloves when using it. Most foul odors occur due to what is a strong acid, or a strong base.
Washing and baking soda, neutralizes the offender, due to its inherent chemical properties. This
is not masking the odor, it is eliminating it.

All Purpose Cleaner

You can use it in the kitchen for your stove top, counters, tile, wall fridge etc.

A good idea is to write the ingredients on the spray bottle first so that you will not need to keep
repeating every time you make the cleaner.

You will need

2 cups hot water from the faucet- then mark it on the bottle with an indelible marker

2 tablespoons of white vinegar

½ teaspoon of borax (similar to baking soda-get from grocery store).

½ teaspoon- Washing soda crystals (used for laundry- arm and hammer)

½ teaspoon of liquid castile soap.

Tea tree oil- 20 drops (anti bacterial, anti viral)
Lid on- shake it up and you are ready to go!

Will keep under you sink for at least 6 months.

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Going Green at Laidlaw

Friday, March 25, 2011

Speed Greening: Greening Sacred Spaces 101

 By Charlene Mohammed-Volunteer
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to speed-date? There is no time to waste in the speed-dating world and if you don't like someone, you just have move on. This can be fun, but it can be psychologically conflicting to just move on to another person. On Sunday March 13th, Environment Hamilton and Greening Sacred Spaces managed to take all of the good parts of speed-dating and threw it all into a beautiful gathering with speakers from six organizations that told us what they're doing to “green-up” places of worship around Hamilton. The speakers each had their own booth, in which people who attended could visit and hear about their project implementations.  There was a time-limit to visit each booth and a special Tibetan bell would ring when it was time to move on to the next speaker. As well, there was only enough time to visit the three booths that really took your fancy, so there was no time to beat around the bush with this form of speed-dating! This was a great way to learn because with the limited amount of time, each speaker could only share the truly important parts of their projects while being able to maintain the listener's attention. This was a very personal form of presenting because there would be a very small group of people gathered around a speaker in each “round”.
      To start the day, we had the good fortune of having a heart-opening prayer, along with a short video that expressed what a few churches in Hamilton are doing to be greener. This video focussed on the idea of implementing solar electric technologies. Then when the speed-greening began, it was possible to hear more on energy efficiency and energy audits with Will Klassen from Green Venture. If one felt that one needed to “date” some more with the topic of energy saving in mind, one could have moved down to Graham Flint, an electrical engineer and entrepreneur, who spoke about renewable energy Technologies.
      If you then felt that you were all “energized-out” and were starting to get hungry, you could then try to date Loretta Jaunzarins, pastor of the Grace Lutheran Church, and Kevin McLeod, pastor of Faith Lutheran. They would try to win your heart with their Good Food Box Program, in which they were very successful at doing. The project provides nutritious and primarily local (except for the exotic fruit and veggies that can't be grown in our precious cold climate) fruit and vegetables to Hamiltonians for a very low cost. There is a wide variety of fruit and vegetables provided in the food boxes, so it is very easy to find your liking and to get a colourful assortment of nutrients! This is a great way to promote eating well and locally!
      You could then have the honour of speed-greening with Sue Carson, a member of the St. James Anglican church. If you were lucky, she would have talked to you about starting a green team or eco-group at your place of worship. This would be very special because her church is actually receiving the greening sacred spaces award this year!
      Last, but certainly not least, you could then speed green with Jim Sweetman from the waste reduction task force in Hamilton, in which you would have heard about the fantastic idea of implementing green bins in faith spaces.
      It was a beautiful day filled with joy and valuable knowledge. We all got our secret desire to speed-date out of us, but now we all have a secret desire to speed green some more! Thank you to all of the wonderful speakers that came out and shared their projects with us and thank you, Hamiltonians, for making it happen. It couldn't have been done without you! Spring is here...time for life to begin and change to be implemented. Let's make this change a green one!

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Aboriginal Wisdom Speakers



Aboriginal Wisdom Speakers-March 06 2011
By Charlene Mohammed, Volunteer

Sage cleansing, indigenous chanting, and making connections with beautiful strangers. This and
much more was how fifty Hamiltonians spent their sunny Sunday afternoon last week at a gathering
with three Aboriginal speakers at the First Unitarian Church. We had the honour of hearing teachings
about sacred beliefs found within their culture, as we gathered together in a circle. Forming a circle with
face-to-face contact, which is typical in aboriginal culture, automatically gave each person a sense of
connection, openness and equality. It was an opportunity to open up our hearts and share whatever we
felt was necessary.

These teachings included learning about the four sacred medicines that coincide with the four
directions and colours of the medicine wheel, including tobacco (east), mother earth’s hair /sweet grass
(south), sage (west), and cedar (north). Each of these medicines has special healing powers and symbolic
meanings. Mind, body, spirit and emotion are what humans are made up of, in which the medicine
wheel acknowledges. If there is sickness or sadness within, there is an imbalance in one of the divisions
of the wheel. This idea applies to nature as well. In aboriginal culture, unity and equality is seen within
all of creation, as nature is our counterpart. All elements on the planet are organs of mother earth and
through these elements she responds to our actions, just as we respond to hers.

Two things were key in this teaching. The first is that love is a miracle drug that is found within
our spirits, however in order to release that miracle, we have to conquer the negativity that can
bombard our bodies from time to time. The second is that all of the answers are found within. Take a
moment and listen to your heart and you will feel the best feeling that you have ever felt in your life.
That feeling is truth.

Prior to this gathering, most of the people at this event were strangers. After this gathering,
these fifty people found an intimate connection with one another. Being drawn to the same place at the
same time was certainly not a coincidence. There was a tingling in the air after fears were released and
hearts were opened, as a sense of unity and purity was captured and contained within the circle. These
good vibrations will have to continually be released in the rest of the year at more gatherings like this
with Greening Sacred Spaces and Environment Hamilton. 2011 is time for change! Let’s work together to
make it happen Hamilton!

Natural Cleaning Products


By Sally Mandani-Volunteer

On Tuesday, March 1, 2011, Greening Sacred Spaces went up the mountain in Hamilton,

Ontario to Regina Mundi Roman Catholic Church to advocate toxic free cleaning products. These

cleaning products were not harmful to the environment or to the individual using them. Two

volunteers, Leanne and Sally helped Beatrice from Environment Hamilton: Greening Sacred Spaces,

inform and educate the members of Regina Mundi on the history of cleaning products, and the harmful

chemicals that can be found in most of them. Beatrice and her volunteers put together a soft scrub and

an all purpose cleaner using a few natural and safe ingredients. Everyone was encouraged to take

samples home along with instructions on how to make them. The members were very interested, and

would include some personal tips they had on ways to reduce toxins in everyday cleaning. The group,

which consisted of all women, were extremely helpful and enjoyable to be with. We shared many

laughs, tips and opinions on safe ingredients to use around the home to save the environment, our

health, and our pockets.

All purpose cleaner:

Mix ½ cup of vinegar, ¼ cup baking soda, and 2 liters of water all together in a bucket. Easy as

1-2-3! Buy plastic bottles to store the remaining cleaner for future use.

Weatherproofing Party

 February 15th 2011
Dave Braden shared about how to make your faith home more energy efficient-do it yourself style.
Melrose United Church In Hamilton

Friday, January 14, 2011

Seed Songs Workshop Series

Come and learn Iroquois Seed Songs to give thanks for the seeds


Sing songs when planting and harvesting to give thanks to the Creator for giving us food for our physical and spiritual well-being


Bring your Rattle and learn some Iroquois Seed Songs.

Dates: Thursday February 10, 17 & 24, 2011

Time: 6:00 - 8:00 pmLocation: De dwa da dehs nye>s Aboriginal Health Centre, 678 Main Street East, Hamilton


Space is limited. To REGISTER please call Cat Cayuga at 9205.544.4320 Ext. 230 or email c.cayuga@aboriginalhealthcentre.com