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Climate Hope Affiliate Wins
UCC Social Justice Award
The Concord-based chapter of Climate Hope Affiliates has been honored with the UCC’s Dollie Burwell Prophetic Justice Award, the denomination’s highest award for social justice.
The award, announced in April at the UCC’s fourth annual Earth Summit in Atlanta, includes a prize of $1,000.
The Climate Hope Affiliates program was founded 16 months ago and now has 14 chapters across the country, organized to advocate for climate and social justice. Focusing on federal legislation, chapters utilize connections with congressional offices and letters to the editor and opinion columns to advocate for legislation to support institutions such as the Environmental Protection Agency.
The Concord chapter, organized a year ago, has 10 members representing UCC congregations in Concord, Wolfeboro, Laconia, Wilmot, Mont Vernon, Plymouth, and the Concord Unitarian Universalists. Together, the group had 12 published letters to the editor in five papers, four published op-eds in the Concord Monitor and Manchester Union Leader, 10 meetings with congressional staff members, 14 outreach events, and three sermons.
The Rev. Brooks Berndt, the UCC’s national climate minister, commented at the presentation, “It’s mind-blowing how much this one chapter was able to accomplish.” He also noted that Climate Hope Affiliates had made a significant impact this year in preserving federal funding for the Environmental Protection Agency.
The Concord chapter has added several new members recently and is eager for more. Those interested should contact the conference office.
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