Please join us on Sunday, September 12 after the 8:00 or 10:00 a.m. to hear the results of our Capital Campaign Feasibility Study.
Author: Michelle Burke
Electric Vehicle Charger at St. John’s!
News For Immediate Release
Contact: Brian Urbaszewski BUrbaszewski@resphealth.org 312.405.1175 or The Rev. Kara Wagner Sherer, rector@stjohnschicago.com 773.960.1889
Electric Vehicle Charging Sharing Platform uses Keeling Curve Prize Funding from Global Warming Mitigation Project to Expand Charging Locations in Chicago’s Urban Residential Neighborhoods: St. John’s Episcopal Church Installs First Charger
St. John’s Episcopal Church at 3857 N. Kostner Ave. Chicago, IL 60641
Chicago, IL – July 2, 2021 – EVmatch, the first electric vehicle (EV) charging platform for connecting EV drivers with nearby private chargers through a reservation-based system, has a new publicly-available [level 2] charging station located at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 3857 N Kostner Ave in Chicago’s Old Irving Park neighborhood. As the charging station host, St. John’s listed its charger on EVmatch to make driving EVs easier for community members – whether it’s neighbors of Old Irving Park, many of whom rent or live in multi-family housing without a reliable place to charge, or other Chicagoans visiting the neighborhood in electric cars and needing a spot to charge up.
The installation was made possible with the experience and technical expertise of Chicago-based BIG CLEAN POWER, LLC, a worker collective incubated by Blacks in Green (BIG, NFP) and its affiliate Green Power Alliance to connect trade professionals to clean energy business deals. EV Match, St. John’s Episcopal Church, and the Community Charging Initiative are pleased to have partnered with BIG, Blacks in Green in identifying energy conscious contractors Arthur Burton of AMB Renewables and Wendell Terry of W. Terry Electric to perform the installation at St. John’s.
The full press release is available at this link.
About St. John’s Episcopal Church
An inclusive congregation committed to Christian worship and service to the community, St. John’s is a vibrant and diverse group of people of all ages, races, abilities, and identities, engaged in anti-racism and other transformative work. We offer three Sunday services, religious instruction for children, and adult and youth choirs. In addition to our annual Darwin Day celebration of science and religion, St. John’s offers a free series of concerts, sponsors a refugee family, hosts an Electric Vehicle Charger for parish and community use, and is actively working to identify, disrupt, and dismantle racism in our church and community. Established in 1883 in Old Irving Park, the church is located on Chicago’s northwest side, on the corner of Byron and Kostner. For more information visit our website at www.stjohnschicago.com.
Why change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day?
Learn about the current movement to change the celebration of Columbus Day to a celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
Thank you to all who attended our conversation. We discussed this press release calling for the change.
Other suggested reading:
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
This document will give you background and perspective from the American Indian Center.
Columbus and the Quest for Jerusalem: How Religion Drove the Voyages that Led to America by Carol Delaney
1) Plan and facilitate a series of events to support justice for Native American and indigenous people
Since the beginning of antiracism work at St John’s we have been especially concerned with our history as a predominately white congregation in northwestern Chicago. How might have previous generations at St John’s unjustly taken advantage of their privileged status? We immediately learned that St John’s was gifted with ownership of land that had been forcibly and unjustly taken from indigenous people living in the Chicago area.
Accordingly, we developed a land acknowledgement plaque affirming that the church’s land was previously home to many different Native Americans. The plague has been installed in the front walkway on Kostner Avenue. The plaque dedication, however, was not able to happen due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Our revised plan is to present a series of virtual events from now through the dedication event some time in 2021. Some of the possible opportunities which need your leadership and support include the following:
- Update the St John website to include resources and links about Native American people
- Support the development of Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Chicago
- Organize installation of art by a Native American artist or artists in the church garden
- Plan and facilitate education and cultural events for adults and for children
- Sponsor one session of Sacred Ground, a film-based dialogue series on race and faith developed by the Episcopal Church. Session 3 is “Whose Land? Exploring Indigenous History”
- Develop other ways to include Native American perspectives during our regular worship services
- Promote, participate in, and help fund public events sponsored by Native American organizations
- Identify and invite indigenous leaders to speak at St John’s
- With guidance from indigenous people design the plaque dedication event (2021)
To assist with the Sacred Ground events, please contact Andria Anderson at classikal4ll@aol.com
2) Child and Youth Group Antiracism Education
We are working to develop and obtain more antiracism education resources for our child and youth group education.
Another opportunity is to attend “How Do We Talk To Our Children About Race” Virtual training sponsored by All Saints Episcopal Church – Fall dates to be determined.
To help out with this gathering education resources or for more information on the virtual training, please contact Courtney Hug at corriehug@gmail.com .
3) Collaborate with neighborhood community groups such as the Northwest Coalition Against Racism and Hate
Follow online and support organizations such as the Northside Coalition Against Racism & Hate, Portage Park For Action, Respect and Community (PPARC) and Neighbors for Affordable Housing.
Upcoming event Juneteenth Car Caravan on Friday June 19th 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. around the Jefferson Park neighborhood. Sponsored by the Northwest Coalition Against Racism & Hate. Follow on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/nwsidecoalition/ for exact location details.
Courtney Hug and Erica Zazo are St. John’s liaisons this year to the Northwest Coalition Against Racism And Hate. Please contact Courtney or Erica for more info at corriehug@gmail.com or erica.zazo@gmail.com.
4) Organize and Promote the St. John’s Antiracism Library
4) Organize and Promote St. John’s Antiracism Library
We have two antiracism reading lists on our website:
Reading to End Racism – https://www.stjohnschicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Reading-to-End-Racism-Publication-FINAL.pdf
Wrestling With White Supremacy – https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:47a7ac64-c173-4a72-82ff-39170001e6fb#pageNum=1
We have some of these recommended books in the St. John’s library. We are looking for volunteers to set up and manage a borrowing system for the antiracism books and perhaps set up a curbside pick up program. To volunteer for this project, please contact Laura Singer at laura.t.singer@gmail.com
Another Source for books – All Saints Episcopal Church has moved their Free Antiracism Little Library to 3856 W Eddy St Chicago, IL 60618, Front Porch, Corner of Springfield and Eddy (near Addison and Pulaski)
5) Prepare to Join the 2021 Congregational Antiracism Model Project
In 2020, initial team members were commissioned in February and have been meeting monthly to work on this 7 step pilot project with the Diocesan Antiracism Commission and CROAR trainers. We have taken steps to institutionalize antiracism work at St. John’s to make sure this doesn’t go away with time. As part of Step 3, we will be presenting a vision, mission, mandate and charter/by-laws document to the vestry in June to strengthen the structure to support antiracism work and create systemic change at St. John’s.
To get involved with the 2021 Congregational Antiracism Model Project, complete a recommended antiracism training in 2020 to be ready to begin work in January 2021. For more info on the Congregational Antiracism Model contact Laura Singer at laura.t.singer@gmail.com
St. John’s Antiracism Vision, Mission, Mandate and Charter
The St. John’s Vestry approved this Antiracism Vision, Mission, Mandate and Charter on June 18, 2020.
Land Acknowledgement
The plaque has been installed!
We will have a dedication and day of learning whenever we can safely gather. We hope this is the beginning of meaningful relationships with our Native neighbors, a continued commitment to care for the earth, and symbol of our anti-racism work. In an irony of history this land was “free,” given by Sheriff John Gray in 1887. The cost of building the church in 1888 was $1,963.00; the plaque cost $1900. It was cast by by the Bronze Memorial Company and installed by Lopez Concrete. Expertise and wording donated by Dr. Dorene Wiese, president of the American Indian Association of Illinois. Please stop by and read about our history in your next walk around the neighborhood.
