Reuse, Recycle, Rethink: Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ celebrates Earth Day with the community

Protecting the environment is a key component of a healthy lifestyle in the community. On Wednesday, April 15, The Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ collaborated with members of their coworker and Maria Independent Living Center communities to raise awareness about sustainable practices as a part of its Earth Day event.

The title of this event was “Repair Lab: Reuse, Recycle, Rethink.” The Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ created this event to serve as a workshop for the community to learn skills that promote sustainable living. Sisters, coworkers, and Maria Center residents operated stations where attendees could learn skills like vacuum cleaner repair, lawn mower maintenance, knitting, and making treat puzzles and toys for dogs and cats out of recycled materials.

Every year, Earth Day is celebrated to demonstrate support and raise awareness about pollution, climate crises, reforestation, and recycling.

“This is an opportunity for us to raise awareness about ecological and conservational work while focusing on the Poor Handmaids in a way that makes it very accessible to the people who we live and work with,” said Geoffrey Williams, executive director of Ecological Services for the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ. “It is an opportunity that, while we’re doing this type of work all year round, allows us to really focus those efforts and invite others to participate.”

The Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ kicked off their Earth Day celebration earlier in the month with an interactive discussion led by Williams, entitled “Our Power, Our Planet.” During this event, participants discussed what practices they can implement in their day-to-day lives do help protect the planet. 

Billions of people across the globe have been celebrating Earth Day each year since it started in 1970. Over time, this celebration has led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and has transformed developing regions in every country.

For Northern Indiana communities, Earth Day is about working together to create a better quality of life for residents.

“We do a lot of things around this campus, including our recycling programming and our composting work and separating,” Williams said. “We’re having real conversations about reducing food waste and reducing water usage.”

At the repair workshop, the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ Sisters and coworkers taught attendees how to salvage, maintain, and mend household items. This Earth Day event was broken down into two sessions. 

“Our main focus, with the theme of Earth Day, is self-empowerment,” Williams said. “It’s not just about taking responsibility for your relationship with the Earth and natural spaces but realizing that you’re empowered to make change where you are.”

Sister Mary Baird, PHJC has been affiliated with this event for many years. This year, she was working at the basket repair station. She admires how the event has brought something fresh each time.

“Each year, there’s something more,” Baird said. “We have what we call an ecological relationships manager, so that we have these relationships directly with the Earth. I’ve seen this day bring more participants and fresh ideas over the years.”

Baird, who learned how to fashion and repair baskets from her mother, has been working with baskets for many years. Her experience with the craft inspired her to help out for Earth Day this year.

“My mother would always say, ‘Give your baskets a soak every once in a while so they don’t dry out.’ It’s just one way that we can look at how important it is to take care of this planet,” Baird said.

The Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ are a Catholic religious congregation dedicated to serving the poor, sick, and marginalized. In many ways, this demographic aligns with the lives that are transformed the most every year on Earth Day.

The Poor Handmaids stand for humility, compassion, and they respond to the needs of the community through healthcare, education, social services, and social justice advocacy. When an opportunity arises for their organizationto work together to make a difference in people’s lives, all while spreading the word of the Lord, they do not hesitate to take it.

“The goal of this event is for people tolearn that the things they use every day can often be fixed and repaired instead of being discarded. It should empower them as owners and consumers,” Williams said.

For more information on the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, you can visit poorhandmaids.org.