Climate Café Update
June 3rd, 2022
Megan Hanson and Bonnie Fackre
“What would the world be like if we truly “loved all of Creation as ourselves”? Chef Lakita Butler asks us to ponder. How does living sustainably look, feel, smell and more to the point, what does it taste like? How can we transform a society entrenched in destructive practices into a regenerative Christ-like paradigm.
Climate Café recognizes that humanity faces extinction, possibly within our existing lifetime. We are watching glaciers melt, wildfires rage, plant and animal species disappear and the landscape itself face irreversible changes. Climate change does not belong to any one demographic or people. It is all of us, here and now. Thomas Chavez continues to remind us, “Climate Café is an absolute vital expression of our most basic need as human beings.” Climate Café is something we can do ourselves, without depending on a politician. Climate Café believes that we are part of the solution.
The emphasis of Climate Café is that all the food served will be plant-based (vegan), sustainable and local. Climate Cafe is not just about the food. It’s about the way the food is made and served, and the way we show up. It’s about the relationships – with the farmers, our community and congregation. And it’s about inclusivity; it’s about all people, especially younger generations.
The Linkage Committee, formed by members from Christ the Healer and Hillsdale UCC has been meeting monthly. The group is making progress towards meeting health department requirements in order to open. Climate Café is working with Hillsdale to find two consecutive days of the week to be open for lunch, serving a low-carbon footprint, locally sourced, and gift-economy based meal.
Climate Café is optimistic about opening by the end of August, pending all health department codes are met. Christ the Healer is donating a unit for hot and cold food holding. Climate Café will use church tables for community/family style dining.
Climate Café is hoping a Hillsdale community garden plot will come available soon. Several famers are on board already for contributing free produce to Climate Café, including Acres of Abundant Grace in Canby and Grace Gardens in Oregon City.
You too can get involved. Come meet and greet your neighbors. Help set-up and clean-up. Let’s learn from each other what a climate change lifestyle could look like and feel like! As Rabbi Gabriel Cousens explains, “We are creating peace by being peace.” Let’s choose an extra-ordinary eco-centric way of being.