St. Paul & the Redeemer, Chicago has been awarded a 2022 United Thank Offering Care of Creation Grant for a project called “Climate Justice on the South Side of Chicago.”

The $22,886 grant will help pay for the parish’s transition to energy-efficient LED lighting both indoors and outdoors. The switch will reduce the parish’s energy use by 25 to 35 percent in an area disproportionately affected by environmental racism and pollution and improve neighborhood safety through better, more reliable outdoor lighting.

The parish, which already provides the neighborhood with low-cost electric vehicle charging, plans to make this a “demonstration project,” providing consulting services and workshops to other congregations in the Diocese of Chicago, as well as to other organizations in the community.