Earth Day at Project HOME
Happy Belated Earth Day!
I have so much to thank the Earth for: water, food, clothes, a desk, even the computer and electricity I am using to type this. If I had it my way, Earth Day would be every day – not just April 22nd. I’m not just saying that because I’m the Environmental Sustainability Fellow at Project HOME, but because I’ve seen and experienced firsthand how our waste, neglect, and indifference has affected the most vulnerable populations living on this Earth.
This year, the sustainability team at Project HOME decided to host our postponed Earth Day Celebration on May Day, a time when workers’ rights are honored. This is because we believe that environmental sustainability cannot be attained without economic and social sustainability.
People are at the crux of all the work done at Project HOME, and this is also true to the work we’re doing in sustainability. We would not be able to make environmental strides at Project HOME without engaging staff and residents. In fact, one of the most rewarding and inspiring parts of my fellowship at Project HOME has been bridging those connections with people.
That’s why this Earth Day we hope to bring together people from different parts of the Project HOME Community to not only celebrate the Earth, but to empower people. We’re rising to the occasion with food, art, and knowledge at the St. Elizabeth’s Community Center and Recovery Residence. Because healthy bodies are dependent on healthy environments, the programming on this Earth Day has an emphasis on the intersections of the two. In a world where we are bombarded with unsafe, unhealthy, and unnatural options, we hope to teach people how to make their own safe, healthy, and natural, alternatives. We’re learning how to grow our own food and make our own non-toxic cleaners. We’re learning how to reuse and recycle in order to prevent more waste from poisoning lands and waters. We hope that we will all leave feeling empowered to take back control of our environment and, in the process, take care of our bodies.
