Having the Arches program ingrained into my religion class has molded a new viewpoint of what religion can be. My version of religion has always involved a Catholic church on Sundays and saying my prayers at night. Of course, I knew there were other religions and I understood the key factors of their backgrounds. Aside from gaining a more in-depth understanding of these religions in class, my involvement with the Green Fair has opened up a view to a tie that I did not pay much attention to before- the tie between religion and nature.

I believe that there is God and that everything around us exists because of this higher power. That includes nature, but the Arches community service has introduced me to intersectionality. As Pope Francis addressed in his speech to the United Nations, there should be factors of the modern world tied into religion. His speech referenced God and His love, but also tied in the importance of economics, politics, social issues, science, and very notably, the environment. Without a living and thriving environment, there is no living or thriving human race. It is also important to treat the blessed world we have been given with respect and care. The pope included that people and things all have a right to exist, and that we cannot let the blessings of the earth be taken for granted.

Helping with the Green Fair has shown us that a little help can make a big difference. Saving the earth may be a large task to tackle, but it starts with small groups and grows from there. The Green Team is a passionate body of people who are determined to make New York City a greener place, and working on the environments of cities is highly important because of how much pollution and waste they produce. Every shovel full of dirt and left over food that I mashed up and dumped in the compost bin is better than a shovel full of waste in a landfill.

Having all of the environmental efforts completed at a church proves that there is a connection between religion and environmentalism. This connection is rooted in the idea that people with the virtues tied to the major religions tend to feel compassionate towards the world around them.

I feel that the Bronx Green Fair community service is a positive component for the Arches program. Arches students are students that want to be involved and active, and this gives us an opportunity to do so. Considering we are a Catholic college, having our community service connected to a church and a worthy cause at the same time has created a noble image for the Arches program.

Green Service

            I spent a majority of my service efforts as a member of the publicity team for the Bronx Community Green Fair. My first meeting was with other members of the publicity team in Katie Doyle’s room, where we had a video call for an hour with Roberta about advertising for the fair. A lot of time was spent discussing the best layout and details for the flyer, as well as distribution of the flyers.

            My second encounter was with Katie and another member of the publicity team named Nicole, along with Dr. Shefferman and Roberta. For about 45 minutes, we gathered in the Internet Café to once again discuss the flyers, as well as our social media platforms and who would control and regulate them. Our publicity team set up accounts for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

            Next, I met with Aimen and we visited the church together. We both worked on signs for the fair for an hour and a half. It was fun to paint and get involved in the artistic side of the fair and to see all of the little details that go into making the fair the best that it can possibly be.

            My final bit of service was not involved with publicity, but rather with getting some dirt on my hands. I spent two hours with members of the Green Team, Ceaser and Lucy, composting leaves, plants, dirt, and left over foods. We broke down the elements with shovels and mixed the remains with wood chips. Then, we shoveled the mixture into the composting bins. After several barrels of compost, we topped off the bins with a layer of dry elements from the ground, then with another layer of already-composted materials. I am not used to outdoorsy work (or that smell), but I actually had fun putting myself to work and making use of myself in an environmental way.

            Working with the Green Team was a completely new type of experience for me, and working alongside them to see their ideas come together and their passions play out was a very humbling experience.