Climate & Health Roundtable and Listening Circle

Hosted by PA IPL and Bread & Roses Community Fund

Congregations and faith-based groups are on the frontlines of providing critical resources and services to communities. By providing these resources, faith communities are responding to the environmental and climate needs of communities, often without defining the work in an environmental or climate justice framework. Faith communities provide blankets when it’s cold, cooling when it’s hot, access to food pantries and other critical resources communities need as extreme weather events increase and worsen.

Climate change and adverse health outcomes are significant and growing challenges, particularly for low-income communities of color, the elderly, children, and pregnant people in the Philadelphia region. Climate-related health issues contribute to a widening healthcare gap, which is acute for many neighborhoods and residents that faith communities serve.

Join us for a community meal and roundtable to unpack how climate change is impacting the health and wellness of people the faith community serves and the role the faith community plays in climate resilience and justice. The knowledge roundtable participants’ share will anonymously inform a climate and health feasibility project, which is the first step in the potential development of a climate and health fund by Bread & Roses Community Fund. Attendance is capped to 30 participants so register today!

Roundtable participants will receive a $50 gift certificate and a meal for sharing their wisdom and expertise. This convening is limited to folks in the following six counties: Philadelphia, Bucks, Delaware, Chester, Montgomery, and Camden (NJ).

Location: Germantown Unitarian Church
6511 Lincoln Dr, Philadelphia, PA19119
Date: Thursday, May 29th
Time: 6:00-6:30 pm Community Meal 6:30-8:30 Roundtable Discussion

Who is this circle for?

• You are a religious leader supporting your congregation in providing community services like a food pantry, shelter, or health clinics
• You are a volunteer who supports your local congregation in providing community services like a food pantry, shelter, or health clinics
• You are a person who accesses community services through a local congregation’s food pantry, shelter, or health clinic
• You are a person of faith/conscience/values that supports community mutual aid efforts
• You are a person who holds a unique perspective or experience or passion related to gaps in the region at the intersections of faith, climate, and health

If you are not sure if this circle is a good fit for you, please reach out to Sparrow sparrow@paipl.org to learn more about this circle, who it is designed for, and what outcomes we hope to achieve.

Accessibility:

Getting There:

• By public transportation: Accessible by Regional Rail Line (R8 – Chestnut Hill West – Upsal Train Station) just two blocks North of the Church. Also, accessible by the bus Route “53” (Wayne Avenue and Lincoln Drive) and bus Route “H” (Lincoln Drive and Hortter Street) buses.
• Parking: There is a car lot behind the church on Johnson Street between Wayne Avenue and Greene Street. Use 359 W Johnson St. To get to the large parking lot from Lincoln Drive, turn left on Wayne and left again on Johnson or turn right on W. Hortter, right on Greene and right on Johnson or use GPS address 359 W. Johnson St.

Building Accessibility: We will be in the Edna Jones Assembly Room, which is accessible via the first door to the building from the parking lot with no steps. If you are entering from the front of the building or a different entrance, take the elevator to the “upper floor” to access. You can also get to the Assembly Room through the side entrance, going up the flight of stairs, and entering the door at the end of the hallway.

Childcare and translation services can be provided. Please reach out to sparrow@paipl.org to let us know your needs. The meal served will be kosher and halal with a gluten free option available. Please stay home if you feel unwell. Masks will be available and are encouraged.

Your Hosts:

Bread & Roses Community Fund is uniquely positioned to engage and amplify the work of grassroots faith leaders striving to improve health outcomes for communities most impacted by climate change. Bread & Roses provides grants for community organizing, defined as community-led collective action, which is essential to address how a global challenge like climate change can profoundly affect local communities, especially communities already grappling with environmental racism and racialized wealth gaps.

PA IPL is a regional nonprofit focused on mobilizing people of faith and conscience to take action on climate change as a moral issue. We are a network of people, communities, and congregations taking action across Pennsylvania and Delaware through reflection, education, advocacy, and conservation efforts.