The Center for Environmental Transformation
June 15, 2012
Greetings to everyone on the
near eve of the summer solstice!
It is hard to believe that we
are fast approaching the longest day of the year, meaning that the days will
begin to get shorter! Time seems to fly by faster the older I get.
It was almost seven years ago
that several dozen people at Sacred Heart Church sat down to begin to explore
what it might mean to make the environment a central issue of our work.
It was five years ago that the Center was born as a non-profit in the state of
New Jersey and four years ago that it was recognized by the federal government
as a 501 (c)3 tax exempt organization. Much has happened in the last seven
years, through the hard work and dedication of many people, and with God’s
blessing hand. One of the most remarkable blessings has been the ripple
effect of the “bit” that we’ve done to raise awareness of our responsibility to
the environment and to those people who are most effected by the impact our lifestyle
has on the planet. One can never be sure where those ripples will go, and
what they will produce. All one can do is be confident that, in God’s
hands, all things are possible.
I want to tell you about a
wonderful girl from Cherry Hill, NJ. Her name is Isabel Kaufman.
She is 13 years old this year, and just celebrated a milestone in the emergence
of her religious identity: her Bat Mitzvah. We at the Center
congratulate her on this momentous step into an adult faith and religious
practice. It is a big deal! But the story I want to tell about
Isabel began a few years ago when she and her mom, Caren, came to Sacred Heart
Church on a fourth Saturday morning to help at Food Sharing. This monthly event
enables the moms and grandmoms in our Waterfront South neighborhood to get the
food they need to provide for their children and grandchildren. However,
this is not a simple hand out of food. At Food Sharing the people of
Waterfront South and the volunteers share a morning snack together, pray together,
break into song together, tell stories about their families to each other, and
celebrate the gift of friendship that has emerged over time. Isabel
entered into this experience, and while there met Andrea Ferich, the
neighborhood farmer and Director of Sustainability Initiatives at the Center
for Environmental Transformation. Caren, Isabel’s mom, was already
connected to the Center, but for the first time Isabel had the opportunity to
work in Eve’s Garden with Andrea, to hear the story of Eve’s Garden, to
experience a bit of the fruitfulness of the earth at Eve’s Garden. Her
time with Andrea, and at the garden, had a profound impact on Isabel. At
her recent Bat Mitzvah she shared her experience with her guests, family and
friends, who had gathered to celebrate her public commitment to her faith. She
shared with them how much her experience in Camden had helped her to clarify
her own identity as a person of faith, and her commitment to do her “bit” to
make the world a better place. She promised all those gathered at her
celebration that 25% of any gifts she received from her guests would go to the
Center for Environmental Transformation to support the work of Eve’s Garden, so
that young people like her could continue to come to the garden to do their “bit”
in the transformation of the world, and of themselves in the process. She
followed through on that promise with a very generous contribution to the
Center.
Thank you so much for your
generous spirit, Isabel. We wish the choicest blessings of God for you,
for your family, and for the path that you are beginning to make in the
world. We wish the same for all of you, who have poured out your
generosity on the Center and its work, through your sweat, through your
financial contributions, through your sharing with friends about the work of
the Center, through your willingness to spend a day, a weekend, a week with us
over the last two years and, finally, through your prayerful support. I
invite all of us to do the “bit” that we can do. My own eyes have seen
what happens when everyone does their “bit.” What was a dream in the
minds and hearts of a few dozen people is now a reality. We continue to
sink our roots deep into the soil of Waterfront South, Camden, NJ. We
welcome all of you in the effort.
The ripples will continue.
The sown seed will flower and bear fruit. To paraphrase Fr. Michael
Doyle, our job is to take note of the ripples and to offer thanksgiving to God
for the fruit. Again, thank you, Isabel, and thank you God for the many
blessings of today and in anticipation of those that will come tomorrow.
Peace,
Mark Doorley, Ph.D.
President, Board of Trustees
The Center for Environmental
Transformation
NEWS AND NOTES
1.
JOIN US FOR AN
AMAZING FILM! On June 24th at the South Camden Theatre, the
Center will screen the movie “The Journey of the Universe.” Narrated by
Brian Swimme, a noted physicist, from the Greek island of Pathos, the film takes
us on the journey of the universe from that first grand explosion to our
current amazingly diverse and beautiful reality. Tickets are $10.
You can contact Mark Doorley at 856-429-1779 to secure your ticket. There
are only 100 seats, so call now. See the attached flyer for
details. Why should you see this film? We humans beings have to
reconnect with our own story, and our story did not begin when human beings
began to build civilizations and plant corn. The human story began at the
same point of energy as did the story of the universe. This is our
story! We are star dust, to quote Joni Mitchell! We need to hear
that story, take it deep into our hearts, and be able to share it. Come
hear your story!
2.
July work
day: Join us on July 7th for our monthly work day. Meet
at the Poet’s Walk, 724 Jasper Street, at 9AM. We work til Noon.
Bring your own water and work gloves. Let Andrea know you are
coming: cfet@gmail.com.
3.
Congratulations
Andrea! The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation has recognized Andrea Ferich as
one of the emerging young leaders in the state of New Jersey. They have invited
her to join other emerging leaders around the state to meet three times over
the summer to share ideas, hopes and dreams. Who knows? Wonderful
collaborations might be born during these summer gatherings. Way to go,
Andrea!
4.
WATERFRONT SOUTH
FARMERS MARKET: Every Friday, from 4-7PM, at 1729 Ferry Avenue,
Greensgrow and the Center collaborate to bring all who come an amazing assortment
of vegetables, storytelling, laughter, perhaps even a treat to take the edge
off after a long work week. The Greensgrow CSA is going strong! By
all accounts, our members are quite happy with what they’ve received so far,
including the fantastic recipes. Come out and pick up some fresh herbs
and other early summer produce. There may even be some peaches and
strawberries. Yummy!
5.
The Center
received an amazing grant from the Merck Family Foundation, totaling
$35,000. The Foundation was quite impressed with the work that we are
doing in our gardens, with the children, and they have provided us the
resources to solidify what we are already doing, and to lay the foundation for
expansion. Thank you Merck Family Foundation!
6.
The Merck grant
has put the Center in a position to hire a part time person to be the
coordinator of our retreat experiences at the Center. The job description
is attached. Please send this out through your networks. The
deadline for applications is June 25th. HELP US SPREAD THE WORD!
7.
The Center is now
on www.idealist.org.
For those of you who don’t know what this is, it is an amazing site for finding
all the amazing things going on throughout the world to move this planet in the
direction of peace, justice and sustainable living.
8.
Our friends at
Sustainable Cherry Hill are sponsoring several events this summer that you
might want to consider:
a. A reading club. The book is “Made from Scratch:
Discovering the Pleasures of a Homemade Life.” 5 Wednesdays, 6/27 - 8/1
(except 7/4), 7-8:30pm at Yoga
for Living in Cherry HIll
b. A screening of the movie “I Am,” directed and produced by Tom
Shadyack (August 2, Crofts Farm, Cherry Hill, 7PM)
c. A screening of the movie “Wall-E,”
great for children, but with a message for all ages. (August 9, Crofts Farm,
Cherry Hill, 7PM)
9.
Here is a
selection of amazing things that can be found on the internet these days
a. The best promotional video of all time. Check it out!
b. An article from the National Catholic Reporter about
the President of the Maldives, a small island nation in the Indian Ocean.
Read
about the challenges he’s facing. We people of the US are blessed to have
the challenges we have.
c. Camden made the cut to be included in Michelle Obama’s
new book on gardening. The Camden Children’s Garden is features.
Read all about it
here!
10. Find us on Facebook here.