The Active Hope Action Team

Our informal book club that explored Joanna Macy’s Active Hope has evolved into The Active Hope Action Team that’s sponsoring an important project: Contain&Sustain. The Active Hope Action Team welcome new team members. Join us on alternate Thursday evenings at 7 pm in the parish library to share our commitment to making a difference.

NEW — Fight Food Waste Workshop — presented at Cheshire Library Dec. 12. Learn more here.

CONTAIN&SUSTAIN — Matching Grant Campaign

A Campaign to Minimize Single-Use Plastic and Food Waste

Link to PowerPoint to learn more and meet the core team.

Contain&Sustain was awarded The Jack Spaeth Creation Care Environmental Grant through ECCT and gained additional financial support from St. Peter’s ECW fund. In late July we launched a matching grant community crowdfunding campaign through Sustainable CT that ended Sept. 2. Link to our crowd-funding page. We reached our $3,000 donation goal and earned the 1.5 dollar-for-dollar match to equal $7,633.30!

These funds purchased 1700 compact, reusable silicone take-away food containers, which we are distributing FREE to community members. Our goal is to build awareness of food waste AND the waste caused by single-use plastic/styrofoam carry-out containers AND to change behavior to minimize their use in Cheshire.

We visited local restaurants to inform them of this project and urge their support in encouraging their patrons to bring and use take-away containers. Supporting restaurants will have a sticker on their window showing their support for CONTAIN&SUSTAIN.

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Our Forums

Under Jim O’Brien’s capable leadership, the council planned several successful informational forums, including What Can I Do? facilitated by Thomas Bonitz, parishioner and then a sophomore at UCONN. Link to learn more.. A Solar Panel Forum was held on June 12, featuring parishioners who have added solar panels to their homes, and shared their successes, challenges and learnings.

Recycling FACTS
Link to view complete forum on YouTube.
CT DEEP expert Emma MacDonald provided clarity on what should be placed in our recycling bins AND what shouldn’t and why.

Home Energy Solutions
Link to view complete forum on YouTube.
Terri Eickel from the Interreligious Eco-Justice Network offered important information about state and federal funding opportunities of energy efficiency in our homes – and places of worship.