Inter-Faith Creation Care Walk Set for October 11

Thanks to everyone who could attend yesterday's Hope for Creation Walk planning group meeting! These past two meetings have been very productive: we finalized the new event name, "Hope for Creation Walk", and identified a good walkable route very rooted in Cleveland east side neighborhoods!

Current SAVE THE DATE EVENT INFO:

Hope for Creation Walk of NE Ohio

Sunday, October 11 — 2:00-4:00 PM

Starting at RID-ALL Green Partnership, 2905 E. 81st St, Cleveland, OH 44104

What to Expect:

Total walk: ~2.2 miles to from RID-ALL to Cornucopia Farm Stop Farmers Market on Kinsman, then looping back to RID-ALL for brief concluding program, fellowship and refreshments. Route includes 1-2 somewhat busy crosswalks.

All are welcome. Bring water, comfortable shoes, sunscreen, and an open heart.

Here are the three main items for follow-up from yesterday's meeting, with the Aug. 24 meeting notes listed below:

1)  Next planning meeting date: Two Mondays from now is Labor Day.

PLEASE REPLY, as soon as you can: Can we move this next virtual mtg. to TUESDAY, Sept. 8, 1-2 PM via Teams?

Once we confirm the next meeting date, I will send out the Microsoft Teams link again.

2)  Suggestion to consolidate CLE and Akron Hope for Creation Walks this year into: Hope for Creation Walk—NE Ohio

If no major objections surface to this (please reply, if so), this idea to combine the two walks can gather more people for a stronger event.

Any turnout from Akron/Summit and surrounding areas can be a good starting point next year to plan further ahead and possibly branch out.

3)  NEED TO DOUBLE CHECK / CONFIRM INITIAL MAIN COSPONSORS LIST AS SOON AS POSSIBLE to start working on an event flyer:

        Catholic Charities–Diocesan Social Action Office (Jeff — I still need to finalize official approval)

        UCC Climate Hope Affiliates; Heartland Conference-UCC (Craig — please reply if confirmed)

        Earth Stewardship Action Network – Presbytery of the Western Reserve (Keith Mills — please reply if confirmed)

        Ohio Episcopal Area of The United Methodist Church (Will Jones -- confirmed!)

        Presbytery Earth Care Churches (?? ...of the Western Reserve ??) (Keith Mills — please reply if confirmed)

        FaCT Ohio (Judy/Bob — confirmed!)

        Environmental Health Watch (Zack Cofer / Kim Foreman — please reply if confirmed)

        NE Ohio Community Resilience Council (Judy c/o Yvonka Hall — confirmed!)

        Community Life Collaborative (Maren / Craig — please reply if confirmed)

        East Side Creation Care Alliance (Keith / Jeff — confirmed!)

        West Side Creation Care Team (Bob — confirmed!)

    Possible individual congregation cosponsors or supporters:

        Fairmount Presbyterian Church (Keith Mills — please reply if confirmed)

        Pilgrim Congregational (Bill Grulich — please reply if confirmed)

        Zion UCC (Craig / or ?? — please reply if confirmed)

# # #

Cleveland and Akron Interfaith Care for Creations Walks Planning Group meeting

Microsoft Teams meeting – Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, 1-2 PM

Link: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/27608937246562?p=EtJgaG3Uv7Hm6oRXfm

August 24 Meeting NOTES

Welcome and introductions

Jeff Campbell, Cath. Charities Dioc. Social Action Ofc.

Judy Comeau-Hart, FactOH                                                     

                    Will Fenton Jones, Multicultural Ministries, UMC East and West Ohio Conferences

Bill Grulich, Pilgrim Congregational UCC

Craig Hoffman, Climate Hope Affiliates, UCC

                    Bob Kloos, WSCCT, FactOH, Community St. Peter

Zack Kofer, Environmental Health Watch

Maren Koepf, Climate Hope Affiliates, Heartland Conference UCC

…               Others present at previous July 17 first meeting:

Mary Frank, Strongsville United Method Church, (Akron-CLE regional justice coord.)

                    Steven McGrew, St. Paul’s UCC, Cleveland                 

Brian Mallory

Keith Mills, Fairmount Presb. Earth Stewards, East Side Creation Care Alliance

MAIN ITEMS TO RECAP OR FOR FOLLOW UP:

1) Our event dates/times look good! Please SAVE THESE DATES in your org. calendars and with your networks: The dates/times we have discussed for CLE = Sunday, Oct. 11 (2-4 PM) and AKRON = Sunday, Oct. 25 (2-4 PM) look good with no major scheduling conflicts. Let's save these dates!

               8/24: Yes, dates are still working for us!

2) NEW EVENT NAME from Aug. 10 meeting: With the initial generic "Interfaith Care for Creation Walk" name as an interim space saver, we brainstormed possible event names at our Aug. 10 meeting. After coming up with a good options, we decided on: "Hope for Creation Walk"! This conveyed to the planning group an encouraging, proactive tone, with a sense of spirit to it as well.

               8/24: Good event name!

3) Possible walk route ideas also surfaced on Aug. 10: We discussed looking for a walk route that includes signs of hope and some areas of concern, in or bordering diverse partner communities that can be involved. Zack Cofer from Env. Health Watch suggested starting at Rid-All urban farm in the "Lost Triangle" area just east of Opportunity Corridor. We saw on Google Maps CMHA's large solar array field close by. Zack noted Cornucopia Fresh Produce “Farm Stop” Pop-Up Farmers Market takes place Oct. 11 down the street. This could be a great route with multiple interested partners. We'll discuss it again Aug. 24.

               8/24: Zack and Jeff recapped the previous route discussion and values/partners it can include

               Conversation/feedback:

                              We’ll need to scout out additional parking options at Rid-All.

                              Good options for food stops at Cornucopia and Rid-All.

                              (Craig) What about banners for a more visible event? Congregations will have earth banners

                                             Congregations/walkers can bring Green Team banners; wear team/theme t-shirts.

4) Cosponsors and funding/budgeting:

               Cosponsor form discussion:

                              (Jeff) Shared a sample cosponsor form from last year’s Pilgrimages of Hope for Creation.

(Judy) With the short timing, seems to make more sense to have a group or indiv. sign-up form, instead of using a detailed form for cosponsors. Cosponsors can be signed up via phone & quickly!

               Initial cosponsors list:

                              Catholic Charities–Diocesan Social Action Office

                              UCC Climate Hope Affiliates; Heartland Conference-UCC

                              Earth Stewardship Action Network – Presbytery of the Western Reserve

                              Eastern Ohio Conference-United Methodist Church

                              FaCT Ohio

                              Environmental Health Watch

                              NE Ohio Community Resilience Council

                              Community Life Collaborative

                              East Side Creation Care Alliance

                              West Side Creation Care Team

                              Indiv. Congregations:    Fairmount Presbyterian Church

Pilgrim Congregational

                                                                  Zion UCC

               Budgeting:

(Judy) Even though funding might be mostly in-kind, we should budget in-kind contr. values for future planning.

Expenses:

Rid-All seems our main expense, with hosting, refreshments stand, and farm tour.

Possibly a lead banner. (Any good ones available already from an org. or congregation?)

               Financial contributions:

                              Will Jones said his office (Eastern OH Conf.-UMC) might have funds.

Maren: Will ask Community Life Collaborative, Federated Church, and Hearltand Conference about co-promoting.

               In-kind contributions:

                              Jeff: DSAO office can handle any copying needs.

                              Jeff: Reusable silverware, to prevent any disposable. Reusable plastic plates and bowls.

                              Craig: Publicity and newsletter networks. Reusable plastic plates.

                              Food: Depending on what Rid-All can provide, we might need to provide donated desserts?

5) Preliminary walk group: (Judy, Bob, Jeff, Zack, Cragi)

               Will meet Tuesday, Aug. 25 at Rid-All for for walk-route first at 11:30 AM, then lunch at Rid-All.             

6) FOR ANY NEW CONTACTS YOU HAVE MADE, PLEASE SHARE THIS MEETING INVITATION AND TEAMS LINK WITH THEM TO ATTEND: If you have followed up recently with new/potential planning group contacts, please forward this meeting invite and Teams link to them. Then please send Craig Hoffman and me an email to let us know their name, congregation/organization, and email. Thank you for following up on any new contacts!

Mark your calendars to get ahead of the next following planning mtg: Monday, Sept. 7, 1-2 pm; Monday, Sept. 21, 1-2 pm; and Monday, Oct. 5, 1-2 pm. (Same Teams meeting link we have used so far.)

# # #

Thanks so much, all. Great to work with everyone on this exciting event!!!

Jeff

Jeff Campbell

Regional Director, Summit County and Suburban SE

Catholic Charities, Diocesan Social Action Office

795 Russell Ave., Akron, OH 44307

Email: jeff.campbell@ccdocle.org | Office: 330-535-2787, x10 | Cell: 216-551-2283

www.ccdocle.org/dsao | DSAO facebook

Providing Help. Creating Hope. Serving All.