The Creation Care Ministry has created a Story Sharing Project to allow parishioners to share actions they are taking related to Creation Care, as a way for parishioners to share their good work and to encourage others to help reduce climate change. Stories can be about any action you are taking, large or small, to care for creation and mitigate climate change. Stories can take the form of a brief written essay, a video, a photo album, an infographic, or a piece of podcast-style audio. Sharing these stories can help others to learn, lead to new ideas about what to do, and be an inspiration for others to take action too. See guidelines to submit your own story here, or share a response or idea by simply using the "reply" box below! 

Smoky Bear Inspires Care for Creation

My efforts toward the environment probably started 70 or more years ago in Montana, where Smoky Bear signs warned us not to litter. Now I’m 79. I have been taking public transportation from the time that I arrived back in Seattle in 1992. I have not had a driver’s license in all these years since. Given that we have so many good bakeries in Seattle, I have pretty much given up baking, which saves electricity. My diet does include fish and occasionally chicken, but rarely, rarely red meat. Buying salads at delis also cuts down on leftovers that sometimes require a toss into the trash. Lights are turned out as soon as I leave a room, and all have environment-friendly lightbulbs. I try to recycle old greeting cards by turning some into a new hand-made card, though not too often, and I have a box of cards to share if someone wants some. Reading news about climate change and signing various “petitions” to mitigate it has been a primary interest in the last few years.

—Judy Raunig-Graham

Hanging Clothes Out to Dry

The first day of summer! Chronic clouds were predicted to clear with a slight wind. Yay! I could at last hang my wash outside for only the second time this spring. Clothes would dry, even though it was almost noon! With guests coming for dinner, wash was hung. Although it didn’t get taken down until 10 p.m., it was dry! Even though this ongoing commitment is rated as Easy on the SustainIslandHome.org and only earned 250 points, it gives me a sense of pride that I’m not using my gas using dryer another time! And reaching up to pin clothes is a good stretch!

—Carolyn White

Reasons Not to Idle

Alexandra Thomson's daughter Nicole Thompson created this delightful video as part of a project with the Girl Scouts! (The video was, in part, intended for Our Lady of Guadalupe School and Parish in West Seattle, which is referenced at the end of the video.)