Episcopal Address: How Refuge is a Practice of Hope
Hope is like a refuge, Bishop Dan Schwerin said in his episcopal address on June 15. He was not talking about escape but the biological idea of refugia, a pocket of safety th…
Helping Everyone Access Life Well
HEAL Well! is an initiative of the Northern Illinois Anti-Racism Advocacy Partners, a part of the Conference Committee on Religion and Race.
The HEAL Well initiative is an innovative project addressing food insecurity and environmental sustainability through faith and action. HEAL Well’s mission is to unite faith communities and local stakeholders to create a more sustainable future by planting trees and volunteering in community gardens. Its vision is rooted in trust and care for God’s creation, fostering relationships that sustain the earth and its people.
HEAL Well opens opportunities to identify concrete deserts, food deserts, increase tree cover and support healthy eating options to a variety of communities in the Northern Illinois Conference. It’s a participatory initiative where volunteers learn about gardening, sustainable living, and community engagement.
Download the HEAL Well Brochure
GROWING SEASON
During the growing season (May - September), HEAL Well will support the fruitful work already being done to address the need for more community gardens and lack of adequate tree cover on the north, west and south sides of Chicago with hopes to expand into other areas in the NIC.
This will be accomplished by:
- Engaging 25+ United Methodist volunteers who will volunteer with community gardens at least one day per month for a minimum of 2 hours.
- Engage with and develop a core group of at least 25 high school students in the communities where they will serve. These students will be the primary planters of trees and provide maintenance to bring forth mature trees. A stipend will be paid to the youth.
NON-GROWING SEASON
During the non-growing season (November – April), HEAL Well will focus on knowledge and relationship building with non-profits and communities where they hope to serve. They will hold monthly online Learning Sessions to provide contextual learning on the challenges faced by these communities. Anyone can register for the Learning Sessions here.
Newsletters:
Participating Churches:
Partner Churches noted in Bold
- Bolingbrook: Friendship UMC
- Chicago: First UMC (Temple)
- Chicago: Olivet UMC
- Chicago: St. Mark UMC
- Downers Grove: First UMC
- Elmhurst: First UMC
- Glenview: Glenview UMC
- Oak Park: Euclid Ave UMC
- Chicago: South Shore UMC
Partner organizations
- Assierting, Achievement, Literacy, & Resiliency (AALR) HEAL Well Initiative
- Austin Garden Collective
- Black Healing Collective
- Faith in Place
- Garret-Evangelical Theology Seminary - Center for Ecological Regeneration
- My Block, My Hood, My City
- Northern Illinois Conference Board of Church and Society
- Northern Illinois Conference Net Zero Team
- Rising Sun Missionary Baptist Church
- West Side Health Authority
This project was made possible, in part, by a grant from the Midwest Methodist Foundation and Faith in Place.
Core Leadership Team:
- Lisa Rogers (Elmhurst: FUMC), Co-chair
- Pastor Marcus Tabb (Chicago: South Shore UMC), Co-chair
- Diana Davis (Chicago Temple)
- Patricia Evans (Chicago: St. Mark UMC)
- LaCretcia Edward (Chicago: Olivet UMC)
- Amania Drane, Project Manager