CelebratingBlack History Month as Christians

Whateverourethnicity,wehaveaninterconnectedhistory,andFebruary1stmarksthebeginning ofBlackHistoryMonth EachyearUnitedStatesresidentssetasideafewweekstofocustheir historicalremembranceonthecontributionsthatpeopleofAfricandescenthavemadetothiscountry CelebratingBlackHistoryMonthallowsustopauseandreflectonthestoriestocommemoratetheir achievements.Historyisimportant;bylookingatthepast,wechartthewayforourfuture.The UnitedStatesmayhavebeenfoundedontheprinciplesoffreedomanddemocracy,butwecannot ignorethedarkerchaptersinourhistoryBlackHistoryMonthismorethanacelebrationofthemany accomplishmentsmadebyAfricanAmericans,it'salsoareminderofwhereweasacountryhavebeen andwherewehopetogo.

ChristiansshouldcareaboutBlackHistoryMonthbecauseitisaninvitationtorecoveraforgotten andsuppressedhistorywhichoffersusabetterunderstandingoftheworldanditspeople Black HistoryMonthisn'tsimplyaboutethnicdiversityingeneralbutrememberingthetroublesofour sharedhistoryandcelebratingtheprogressmadeinGod'scommonkindness,specificallythemany successesofBlackAmericans.AsChristians,wehonorthismonthbecauseithelpsusunderstandthe difficultyofAfricanAmericans,madeinGod’simage,manyofthemfellowbelievers,andalso acknowledgeGod’sgoodnessatworkinremarkableachievements;inandthroughthemwhooften havebeentreatedwithinjustice

Today,thereremainsangerinAmerica,withpeopledivideddownpolitical,religious,andracial lines.YetGodhascommandedustoputasideourprejudicesandlookatoneanotherwithGod'seyes. WeareallthesonsanddaughtersofGod,andinChrist,weareafamily Solet'scelebrateBlack HistoryMonthbyrememberingwhatmanyofourbrothersandsistershavefoughtforandcontinue workingtogethertobuildabetterfuture.

Wecontinuethroughourprayersforadaywhenourdivisionsaretrulyovercome,andour historiesaregenuinelysharedbroughtthismonthwithsharing,conversations,andcelebrations

Compassionate God, who sent Jesus Christ to deliver us from all manner of injustices and inequalities, create in us new hearts and enlarged visions to see the image of God in every person irrespective of background, race, and ethnicity May we be generous in our love of others as we work towards ending misunderstanding, racism, and injustice, creating communities of humans flourishing through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Site Visit on November 8, 2022

By: Cristina Contreras, Grant Administrator

Small Farms, Big Dreams is Plant It Forward’s motto, encouraging their farmers to adopt the same mentality They focus on empowering refugees to develop sustainable urban farming businesses that produce fresh, healthy food for the community. Plant It Forward (PIF) secures land, trains, and mentors farmers Plant It Forward also facilitates sales to local markets located throughout Houston. The cultivated farms offer sustainable practices that enrich the land and support the surrounding community Currently, they have 20 farms with pick-up locations for their farmer subscription program, in which they guarantee a variety of fresh organic produce shares his hearty growing of Sunchokes Sunchokes are used as a root vegetable and a great source of iron, magnesium, and potassium-PLUS high in fiber

Plant It Forward was awarded a Dubuis grant this year for expanding farmland access, providing training for aspiring refugee farmers, and ongoing expenses, which prompted a site visit. During the tour of one of their four farm sites, I had the privilege of meeting Mr Pierre from the Democratic Republic of Congo. He is a beautiful example of the impact Plant It Forward can have on a refugee family Although he is still part of the PIF farmer subscription program, he and the other farmers are encouraged to make their own sales. PIF wants them to get the most they can from their produce, whether with them or a different vendor For example, a restaurant from Austin asked him to grow as many sunchokes as possible, so he is growing several on his lot with the guarantee of purchase Mr Pierre walked me through his two-thirds of an acre plot of land, and everything looked to be thriving He even shared his sunchokes with me; they were crisp and delicious!

The future looks bright for PIF as they build new relationships with other organizations, such as Urban Harvest and the Food Bank They are eager to expand and obtain more land since they have allocated all the land at their disposal. PIF focuses on providing different types of training to farmers, including teaching what produce grows best in our city In the next three years, PIF aspires to grow economic Impact by increasing sales capacity by 35%,

Fresh Vegetables & Beautiful Flowers Embody

20 Sustainable Urban Farming Businesses Throughout Houston

Many people think of New Year's resolutions and brainstorm ways to improve themselves for the year ahead It is now February, and what if we expanded those aspirations to include resolutions that benefit our communities and the planet too? Let’s think about a twist for improving our relationship with nature in 2023 and beyond

Learning something new about nature and how to reduce harm to the environment

Clean air, water, and soil are fundamental for survival, but research shows that many people lack basic environmental and health literacy to protect themselves. In 2023, get to know your impact on the environment Read more and start exploring ways to preserve the integrity of your area’s natural resources. Studies show that spending time in nature, including urban green spaces, can improve your relationship with nature and others In addition, time in nature can increase social cohesion Throughout the pandemic, many people discovered the outdoors as a place to decompress and reduce stress.

Have you seen this documentary film? This film tells stories that matter.

The Vatican's global premiere of "The Letter," featuring Pope Francis, can be viewed on YouTube Originals. This documentary is devoted to protecting and saving the earth with a call to action on climate change. This documentary film has won four Emmys and 50+ other major festival awards worldwide

There are a few speakers in this film. One is a 14-year-old high school student, Ridhima Pandey of India, who had become a member of groundbreaking lawsuits and complaints to hold the government accountable for their climate inaction. She founded a non-profit organization to help young women become climate activists Ridhima describes how the young and future generations will be the ones to suffer from the abuse of the earth and carelessness worldwide. She shares her "nightmares" of chilling accounts of territories, the sizes of entire nations, destroyed, flooded, or burned due to climate catastrophes.

Ccvi Corporate Stance On Care For Creation

“The Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word (CCVI), Houston, takes a corporate stance on the Care of God's Creation We commit to educating ourselves and others on the current environmental crisis and to take concrete actions individually and communally to care for the earth "

Today, ever faithful to the Congregation’s foundational call, proclaiming to hear the cry of Mother Earth, who is sick and infirm, and seeks relief at the hands of all, continue to implement. We have asked others to join in this service of our planet, the poor, and future generations by conserving energy, recycling, and composting.

Reducing Greenhouse Gases & Waste Footprint at Villa de Matel

At the Villa de Matel Sisters, staff, and guests follow the 5R’s of sustainable living by:

❖ Refusing to buy what we do not need

❖ Reducing unnecessary consumption

❖ Reusing what we can

❖ Repurposing what we can

❖ Recycling/composting as a last resort

Using the 5R’s is one way we can seek to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the amount of waste and plastic pollution entering our landfills, air, and oceans The Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, thank you for joining us in caring for our common home – the Earth