Protecting the earth is connected to protecting our neighbor. We seek to become stewards of all of God's creations. Below are a few of the ways the Welcome Ministry has become greener:

Recycling – We recycle as much as possible. Just as many of our guests recycle around the neighborhood collecting spare cans in exchange for cash.  We even encourage others to donate their used printer/toner cartridges to the Welcome Ministry.  We get a donation in exchange for turning in the old cartridges to be recycled.  We recycle clothing that people do not need and give it to others who do.  We use computers that others have disposed of to educate the homeless and help them to connect with their families.  We take other peoples junk to community thrift and they transform it into a check for us.

Reducing Paper Products – The Welcome Ministry has stopped using paper plates and switched to products made out of sugar cane fibers.  This means that all of our cups, plates and other items are now able to be composted.  We are currently testing the products and hope that we will be able to help the other ministries at Old First Presbyterian use products that can be composted. 

Utilizing Public Transportation – The Welcome Ministry director walks and uses public transportation when traveling about the city.  The Welcome Ministry teaches the homeless to utilize public transportation, when they journey to appointments together.  While other programs use shuttles, buses and vans, the Welcome Ministry believes that public transportation is not only a more earth friendly way to travel, but it reminds us of a very Christian message: we can only get there together.

Decreasing Mail Waste (Less Junk Mail) – Did you know that entering the names of all the former employees can save the earth?  We went to www.ecologicalmail.org and got their names removed from junk/bulk mailing lists of major companies.  In time this will reduce the unwanted items we receive in the mail, helping reduce the amount of solid waste generated (as much as 100 pounds per former employee) and save trees (one per former employee). 

We are continually looking for ways to make our ministry greener.  Let us know if you have any suggestions about how we can become more green.

Support the greening of the Welcome Ministry.  Make a special Green donation by putting Green on the memo line of your next donation to the Welcome Ministry to help us offset the costs of protecting our earth.

-----

Want to live a greener life? Check out these tips from Newsweek:

• Calculate your impact: If knowledge is power, then take a minute to assess the damage. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's online calculator estimates greenhouse-gas emissions that result from your household energy use and waste disposal. Get your number at epa.gov/climate.
• Trade up: Not ready to replace the roof with solar panels? Then start small. The average U.S. home has two TVs, a VCR, a DVD player and three telephones. If everyone replaced these with Energy Star models, which meet strict energy-efficiency guidelines, it would be equivalent to taking more than 3 million cars off the road. Learn more about Energy Star at energystar.gov.
• Sweat the small stuff: A faucet that leaks 60 drops per minute can add up to 192 gallons per month. You can find out how to leak-proof your home and even create a water budget at h2ouse.org.
• Ramp up recycling: Increasing the recycling rate in the United States from 30 percent to 60 percent would save the equivalent of 315 million barrels of oil each year. Visit earth911.org for a rundown on how to properly recycle everything from aluminum to motor oil.
• Do some green cleaning: Natural cleaners like borax and lemon juice are ecofriendly alternatives to regular chemical-based products. Check out eartheasy.com for basic household-cleaner recipes.
• Power properly: Using energy generated from renewable sources like wind helps reduce the burning of fossil fuels such as coal. The Green Power Network at eere.energy.gov/green power will list what's available in your area.

On the Road

• Drive in the green lane: Compare fuel-efficiency rates and learn about green tax credits at fueleconomy.gov. Not looking to buy? The site also offers tips to help make your vehicle less of a gas guzzler. Properly inflated tires alone could save Americans more than 4 million gallons of gas each day.
• Go public: You can reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by about 1,590 pounds per year if you leave the car home two days a week and take public transportation instead. Find out about public-transportation options in your state at publictransportation.org.
• Neutralize it: With some basic vehicle information, sites like terrapass.com and gocarbonzero.com will give you an estimate of the carbon dioxide your car produces. You can offset the damage by donating money to suggested ecofriendly projects.

At Work

• Get rid of the excess: Companies can stop receiving mail meant for former employees by visiting ecologicalmail.org. For every former employee entered into the site's database, a company will avoid 100 pounds of waste in undeliverable mail. That's equivalent to one tree.
• Pool your people: Simple carpooling or ride-sharing can have a great impact when you consider that 78 percent of cars on the road carry only one person. Create a company carpool at erideshare.com.
• E-cycle: The EPA estimates that more than 2 million tons of electronic hardware ends up in landfills each year. Your company can recycle properly or donate old computers with the help of eiae.org and get information on ecofriendly replacements at epeat.net.

In Your Community

• Be cool: Cities across the country are making a pact to meet or beat Kyoto Protocol targets through community efforts. Visit coolcities.us to see how you can get your city involved.
• Pay it forward: Want to teach your community more about climate change? Find lectures in your area or apply to become a presenter at the climateproject.org.
• Keep it local: Most food travels 1,200 miles or more from the pasture to your plate. Buying locally saves fuel and helps farmers in your community. Web sites like localharvest.org and usda.gov provide lists of local farmers markets.
• Text the next generation: E-mail your kids and their friends a link to mtv.com/thinkmtv and have them sign up for daily green tips via text message. Each text suggests a small way to make a big difference.