Entering into 2023, The Center for a Sustainable Future is carrying forward with our mission, restarting projects that were paused by the pandemic, and developing a new set of initiatives for our campus and community.

We also have a new director, Zach Schrank, a sociologist at IUSB (hey, that’s me). My goal is to push forward on the trail Mike Keen and Krista Bailey began, while also charting a new path into our future. Over the past 5 months, in collaboration with the director of Sustainability Studies, Matt Shockey, graduate students in the Strategic Sustainability Leadership program, and undergraduate Sustainability students, we have developed a roadmap for the next phase of the Center. We invite you to join us on our journey.

As we begin updating our website you will note several events and activities for IUSB students and residents of our community. In the weeks ahead we hope to have the following initiatives in place and ready to go.

• A Sustainability Index that operates as a catalog of sustainability-related people, organizations, and resources in the Michiana area. The Index will live on our website and be a hub for information and connection.
• A revival of our campus composting program.
• Workshops related to waste diversion, recycling, and how to dispose of hazardous household materials.
• A list of Earth Day and Earth week activities on the IUSB campus and throughout South Bend.
• An end-of-the-year collection of unwanted household products from student housing to be donated.
• An ongoing book or film series open to students, faculty, and community.
• A Seeing Systems workshop group open to the public.
• An honors student film, in collaboration with the Center and hosted on our website, set as a conversation with Gen Z students at IUSB about their thoughts on Climate Change and the future.

Check back soon and let us know if you would like to be involved.

The changing fall weather and colors always offer a time for me to reflect on the year. My thoughts linger on warm summer days spent in the garden, bicycling, paddling on the river, or soaking in sunsets at a Lake Michigan beach. I have been reminiscing about spring delights and a cross country train trip I took to connect with friends and family. As I think back to the lonely and cold winter of 20-21, I am growing apprehensive about the season ahead. 

Like they say, the more things change the more they stay the same.

As I write this, the UN is in Glasgow trying once again to negotiate a way for the world to respond to climate change. I once again have wild hopes that I suspect will once again not be fulfilled. 

“It is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land.” (IPCC)

Despite yet another report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that clearly outlines how human behavior is driving climate change, we don’t change our habits or behaviors, thinking we are only one and don’t matter. If we have learned anything about the climate crisis it is that each individual action has been multiplied and has created some large collective negative impacts. Each action begins with one.

This is the story of the divestment movement on college campuses. It only took one student to raise the question…After years of student led protests demanding that campus divest, many have responded and the news is inspiring. The divestment campaign map by DivestEd is getting more and more cluttered with signs of hope! Yet at IU, more than five years after a resolution was passed by the All University Student Organization calling for the IU Foundation to “divest its endowment from investments in the top 200 fossil fuel companies within five years,” no public evidence of change has occurred.

Increased awareness and responses to environmental and social justice are signs that we won’t ignore the issues anymore. Yet they persist and continue to make the news internationally and  in my own backyard.

At IU South Bend, we will be one of hundreds of campuses participating in the Worldwide Teach-In on Climate to Solve Climate by 2030 on campus (and to a live stream audience) on Wednesday, March 30. A variety of panel presentations featuring IU faculty will discuss, from their disciplinary perspective, a variety of climate issues and opportunities. While most will be focused on educating and engaging our students, an evening Teach-In is being planned for the community.

Across the IU system, campuses have formed environmental resilience committees. Working with Sustain IU and the Environmental Resilience Institute (ERI), we are beginning the important work of addressing our campus climate vulnerabilities and creating a plan to address them, mitigate them, and adapt to them. I look forward to sharing updates in the coming months about the progress of this cross-campus committee.

At the Center, our work is focused on building on our STARS Bronze status by using the baseline data to craft plans and actions steps to improve our operations from facilities to academics. We are beginning with energy and water use reduction plans and – importantly – creating more opportunities for the campus to learn about and participate in sustainability projects. From ecosystem improvements to waste reduction and equity and justice intersections, we expect to have a full and rich year of events!

The more things change, the more they stay the same. My hope is that as things change, we continue to change with them in responsive and responsible ways. That is what we have done here at the Center, and I hope that we can keep it the same moving ahead. 

Most of all, I hope that more of our community will join in this joyful process of learning, growing, and improving ourselves and our world. May your season provide you with a time to reflect and to be inspired for the future.

Cheers! From me and some of my first year seminar students enjoying some kombucha at the Purple Porch Co-op – we LOVE sustainability themed field trips!

-Krista

Meet Our Staff

Cameron Kincaid

Cameron is a senior here at IUSB majoring in Criminal Justice with a minor in Sustainability. Cameron currently works on the staff for the Center for a Sustainable Future. Here are some of his positive takeaways from the Sustainability program, “A positive I have had studying sustainability at IUSB is that it has made me more aware of my actions when it comes to following a more sustainable behavior. I have done more to make sure I am shopping ethically, using only the necessary amount of resources, cutting out single-use items, and spreading sustainability from myself to others. It has opened me up to many opportunities to expand my knowledge and to be more aware!” 

Adrian Pacheco

Currently at the center Adrian is working a lot with Cameron on project development and digital media for events, making posters and taking pictures. Adrian is a senior in the Fine Arts program studying Graphic Design. Adrian got interested in sustainability because of, “my sensible passion for living creatures on this planet, both human and non-human, got me interested in sustainability. I would like to do my part to create a more livable world for all of us.” When not thinking about sustainability Adrian is very interested in herpetology, “the act of searching for and observing amphibians/ reptiles in the wild.”

Ryan McGirr

Ryan has been running the center’s social media since this past May with help from Cameron & Adrian. Currently a senior at IUSB studying Organizational Communication and minoring in Sustainability Studies, he graduates in December. Ryan currently lives in Chicago, IL where he works as a Recruiter. Ryan got interested in sustainability because, “it gives us the opportunity to connect with nature and allows us to look at the world from new perspectives. I am interested in finding ways to reduce waste in all ways of life.” For fun Ryan likes to go to Chicago sporting events, most recently, a Bears game this fall.

Austin Blue

Austin is currently the “data person” at the Center who is working on several projects related to Water and Energy Use Reduction. He has three main tasks: analyzing data, researching best practices, and participating on campus committees. Austin is a second-year graduate student in the Master of Social Work program here at IU South Bend and expects to graduate in May of 2023. Austin became interested in sustainability “after learning more about how social justice and sustainability efforts overlap. For example, efforts to increase tree coverage in neighborhoods negatively impacted by redlining have the potential to reduce cooling costs due to increased shade as well as improve the health and wellness of residents overall. What really drives my interest is how sustainability can be used to improve the lives of underrepresented and underprivileged people.”

The Center for a Sustainable Future has a goal for the 2021/2022 year to collect 200 pounds worth of plastic bottle caps. By doing so, we can donate these caps to the 4H Country Fairgrounds in Elkhart to create a picnic table with the centers name on it, which will then be placed at the fairground! Attached below are the locations you can drop off bottle caps that you have collected.

The 4H County Fairground requires a $200 fee to create the bench. The center would greatly appreciate any donations that can be given towards creating the park bench! Below is a link that will lead you to our donation page.

Check out some hot topics related to sustainability in higher education today.

They include: tree equity; wellness & diversity; food security; intersections of climate, race, and internationalization; and bike share programs.

The Center for a Sustainable Future is catching up on workshops delivered at the Global Conference on Sustainability In Higher Education. Drop in to learn more with us!

Listen, learn, and discuss what these ideas might mean for IU South Bend.

SCHEDULE

November 3

2:30pm

Fireside Room

Using the Pursuit of Equitable Tree Canopy to Combat Effects of Redlining in Lexington, Kentucky

November 10

2:30pm

Admin rm 114

Integrating Wellness and Diversity Into the Sustainability Model

November 17

2:30pm

Admin rm 114

Assessing Food Security in Higher Education

December 3

2:30pm

Fireside Room

Connecting Your Campus Across Intersections of Climate, Race, and Internationalization

December 10

2:30pm

Alumni Room

Maintaining a Campus Bike Share Program for the Long Term

Session Descriptions

Using the Pursuit of Equitable Tree Canopy to Combat Effects of Redlining in Lexington, Kentucky

Clay Turner, Student Intern, Urban Forest Initiative at the University of Kentucky

The historical housing policy of redlining reflected systemic racism in the home lending industry; it disproportionately impacted people of color and created socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods in intentional and negative ways. Although the Fair Housing Act of 1968 outlawed redlining, the policy’s effects persisted even after it was banned and continue to influence the lives of minorities and those living in previously redlined areas with lower socioeconomic statuses (SES). In 2020, two faculty in the University of Kentucky (UK) College of Agriculture, Food and Environment analyzed the most recent data (from 2018) on the current average temperature, canopy cover percentage, and impervious cover percentage in 132 cities based on the four neighborhood grades assigned by the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation beginning in the 1930s. Analysis indicated a statistically significant relationship between redlining practices and the canopy cover present today in these formerly redlined areas. Lower levels of tree canopy coverage are associated with numerous human health and environmental issues. These include health issues ranging from preterm births to disproportionate levels of COVID-19 infections for African Americans, intensification of the urban heat island effect, poorer air quality, fewer ecosystem services, and reduced home values. The statistically significant relationship between lack of tree canopy and redlining means that minorities and those with lower incomes living in formerly redlined areas still suffer serious consequences from a policy that officially ended over fifty years ago. This constitutes an environmental injustice. With this in mind, the UK Urban Forest Initiative (UFI) team conducted further analysis to develop a better understanding of the influence of biophysical characteristics and socioeconomic factors on Lexington, Kentucky’s tree canopy. Additional data on the relationship between the formerly redlined areas and continued environmental effects in Lexington was collected. Our aim is that incorporating members of these communities impacted by redlining into the decision-making process will hopefully lead to the development and eventual implementation of thoughtful, practical recommendations for enhancing the city’s tree canopy in the future in an environmentally just way. These principles can then be applied to other cities and communities seeking to address environmental injustices stemming from the systemic racism of the practice of redlining.

The practice of redlining is a well-covered topic with much research and effort devoted to understanding how it worked in practice and addressing the negative effects it had, and continues to have, on minorities and socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals and households. This educational program will offer a summary of new research done to statistically link the practice to the level of tree canopy in these formerly redlined areas. Based on that research, the presentation will clearly articulate the ways in which redlining affected residents of these areas in terms of health, economic, and environmental impacts. Finally, the recommendations developed for how to work towards increased tree canopy while also improving tree species diversity for a more sustainable tree canopy in Lexington, Kentucky, will also be shared. Following these recommendations will hopefully rectify the environmental injustices experienced by racial minorities and those residing in lower SES neighborhoods in an equitably just, inclusive manner. The aim is to create a dialogue with attendees on the issue and generate ways in which those recommendations can be implemented in their own communities.

In this session, attendees unfamiliar with the practice of redlining will gain a basic understanding of its implementation and how it functioned to further the systemic oppression of racial minorities. A wide range of data establishing the statistical link between the practice of redlining and tree canopy coverage will be presented to further attendees’ understanding of the negative and long-lasting consequences this policy imposed on these communities. The critical component of this session will be the recommendations based on the work of the UFI team on how to begin to resolve the environmental injustice of reduced tree canopy levels in neighborhoods that were blatantly discriminated against in the form of redlining on the basis of either race or low SES. Attendees will be reminded that it is important to approach these efforts in respectful ways that are inclusive of residents residing in these neighborhoods to have agency in both the methods and the outcomes.

Integrating Wellness and Diversity Into the Sustainability Model

Allyson Green Visiting Assistant Professor, St Catherine University; Devin Breeggermann Student, Bemidji State University; Erika Bailey-Johnson Sustainability Director, Bemidji State University; Jordan Lutz Sustainability Project Manager, Bemidji State University

Gain knowledge of a different framing for sustainability that focuses on wellness and an Indigenous lens.

The Bemidji State University (BSU) Sustainability Office realized in 2008 that the work they felt called to do required a different visual representation than the typical Venn diagram that includes social, economic, and environmental components. The traditional models seemed limiting and did not engage the entire campus. Traditional sustainability work seemed to focus on recycling and light bulbs which are valuable topics, but art as well as theatre and music may well be an individual’s hook to creating a more sustainable planet. We all need to be involved. Two central themes emerged as BSU began to think deeply about their sustainability work. First, it made sense to have the environment as “‘all encompassing.” The environment is not dependent on us; we are dependent upon it (and part of it). This belief is strongly emphasized by the Indigenous communities that are embedded in and surround the Bemidji region. The second theme that emerged was the idea that we must not only take care of each other and the earth, but ourselves. Students and colleagues weren’t sleeping well or getting enough physical activity. What impact would this lack of self-care have on our responsibility to be good role models and stewards? Therefore, it felt imperative to include the importance of individual wellness in this new sustainability model. Augsburg University adopted BSU’s Wellness Model for Sustainability a few years ago and has begun to incorporate it into both co-curricular and curricular activities and initiatives. This has proved incredibly effective because its implementation allows students, faculty, staff, and community members to engage with sustainability from their own experiences, strengths, and interests. This diverse array of perspectives enriches and deepens the overall work. Attend this session to learn how both a public university Sustainability Office and private college faculty have integrated the Wellness Model for Sustainability into their work.

This way of thinking about humans’ roles and responsibilities as members of an interconnected community of life greatly shapes sustainability work at BSU. An economy is not just humans exchanging goods and services, but the entire web of relationship and reciprocity upon which all life depends. Trees share nutrients with other trees. Wolves feast on beavers and thus manage the wetlands. In a similar manner, the societal aspect of the traditional Venn diagram is not just referring to humans. It refers to interactions between all beings. A turtle rests on a rock. A lightning bug does a special dance to attract a mate. Society is complex and beautiful, and we are a part of it all. Every action should be evaluated regarding its impact on people and the planet. 

Assessing Food Security in Higher Education 

Jennifer Hodbod Assistant Professor, Michigan State University; Sidney Brandhorst PhD Student, Arizona State University

Food security exists when all people in a community, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. Traditionally, college and university students have been left out of most food security conversations and affectionately profiled for their ramen-based diets. While this has been normalized and been seen as a characteristic of the “college experience”, research among college and university students has shown that consistent and prolonged periods of food insecurity can have adverse effects on students’ wellbeing and academic achievement. In this session, we present results from a university-wide food security study and the survey tool for other institutions who are interested in conducting their own assessment. 

Their study revealed an overall food insecurity rate of 26.9% at Michigan State University, and also found important differences among student sub-populations, specifically undergraduate and graduate students. Their results make clear that university students should not be treated as one homogenous group in food security studies as there are important differences between undergraduate and graduate student food experiences. This understanding would support more specific solutions to campus food security, and ultimately better food security outcomes for all. Additionally, they take a more holistic approach than previous campus food security assessments by including questions about both food access and utilization as well as academic and wellbeing outcomes. The presenters also advocated for the involvement of students in this issue, as they are motivated by this topic and want to contribute their perspective to its solution. 

Assessing food security on college campuses is crucial for student success and recommend that universities and colleges evaluate campus food security in a holistic manner, keeping in mind both access and utilization as well as potential subpopulation differences. This approach allows higher education institutions to tailor their solutions to meet specific needs and be more effective. This highly interactive session will briefly introduce food security, present results and lessons learned from the MSU study, and provide participants with tools for conducting their own university food security assessment.

•   Food insecurity has likely increased drastically during the COVID-19 crisis; this session will provide space for learning and discussion of this relevant issue for college students. 
•   Priming universities/institutions to be able to assess food security in their context to inform more effective strategies to address it. 
•   Supporting data collect on a critical sustainability issue in a uniform way across universities.
•   Identify food insecurity characteristics and important sub-groups of students generally and in their own institution 
•   Evaluate survey to identify where and how to adapt survey tool to their context
•   Capacity to apply survey in home institution and analyze resulting data

Connecting Your Campus Across Intersections of Climate, Race, and Internationalization

Inemesit Williams CANIE Board Member, International Education Specialist, Climate Action Network for International Educators (CANIE); Megan Swanick Director of University Partnerships, The GREEN Program

Environmental justice is racial justice. Sustainability necessitates addressing racism. Higher education must play its part to proactively strategize and foster interdepartmental collaboration to address environmental justice at our campus and in our communities. This session introduces a foundational understanding and template model for discussing environmental justice as it relates to international education practices, with further-reaching implications across all of higher education. This is a call for collaboration coming from a panel of international educators from a variety of backgrounds and organizations who seek partners in higher education in our mission to address pressing issues of climate justice.

With the newly released IPCC, it’s clear that the climate catastrophe is real, upon us, and pressing. Similar to the “phase 1” IPCC report, this presentation will begin by making the case that climate justice is real, upon us, and pressing. The session then moves on to provide what the upcoming phases of the IPCC report portend to: provide space for reflection, conversation, and action as we work together to drive solutions.

See a sample of this template in action and learn from three international education practitioners as they summarize sample intersections of climate, race, and justice and discuss actionable methods to educate and advocate through the field of international education to achieve a more just, equitable, and climate-centered future. The intent of this template workshop is to introduce the concept, provide a context within higher education, and deliver a rubric that can be replicated across any department, campus, or niche in higher education.

There is limited discussion on how the international education sector can see, discuss, and address the intersections of climate change, racial justice, and international education. Often practitioners comment on their uncertainty or discomfort in bringing up topics that they don’t feel well versed to address. 

1) Understanding of key concepts of climate change as it specifically relates to climate and environmental justice

2) Understand and consider specific examples for how climate justice affects higher education, with a particular emphasis on international education

3) Consider avenues for collaboration across departments in higher education to support students affected by climate justice

4) Gain a rubric for implementing their own personal or departmental workshop, webinar, or reflection series on climate justice 

Maintaining a Campus Bike Share Program for the Long Term

Ben Ng Student Sustainability Office Staff, Bemidji State University; Jordan Lutz Sustainability Project Manager, Bemidji State University

Located in Northern Minnesota, Bemidji State University (BSU) operates within a dispersed, rural, and diverse community. Following a three-year pilot program in which Nice Ride attempted to establish a self-sustaining bike share model for our semi-rural community, BSU’s Sustainability Office inherited the bicycle fleet. Student staff of the university have maintained the fleet of approximately 120 Vanmoof brand bicycles. Now branded after the school’s mascot, Bucky the Beaver, the Bucky’s Bikes program provides long-term rentals for students, faculty, and staff. In the absence of viable public transportation opportunities in our relatively rural community, the Bucky’s Bikes program particularly benefits international students and those who choose to spend their academic year without a vehicle. Partially subsidized by a student-funded Green Fee, the program staffs up to three students to maintain the bikes mechanically and provide rental services to their peers. We will discuss challenges inherent in staffing a long-term program with student staff who inevitably leave the institution.

Maintaining an internally operated bike share program offers unique flexibility in decision making. As such, our goal is to maintain our bicycle fleet, which we obtained with little upfront capital investment, as long as possible. Unlike many commercial bike share programs that dispose of broken bikes instead of investing in their maintenance, we choose to invest in long-term sustainability. We do so by employing students to learn basic mechanical and bike maintenance skills. Bikes are routinely checked after each semester. Though the program is not financially self-sustaining, we believe the many benefits of bicycling justify the investment of student Green Fee dollars into its continuation.

Participants will learn strategies for addressing various challenges inherent in successfully operating a bike share program in which every aspect is coordinated in-house, from mechanically maintaining bicycles to providing customer service through the rental process.

Download this page HERE

The Center for a Sustainable Future is currently seeking to fill three Work Study positions for the 2021-22 academic year. Work hours will be for approximately 15 weeks per semester for an average of 8 hours week. Pay ranges from $10.15-11.25 per our based on credit hours accrued at the start of each semester. On campus work with a team of 5 students and the Director of the Center will offer real opportunities to identify and implement sustainability solutions on campus.

Students do not need to be Sustainability Studies majors, minors, or graduate certificate program students to apply, although some experience with or knowledge about sustainability is preferred.

Students will report to the Director of the Center for a Sustainable Future and work with campus faculty and staff as well as community partners. In addition to project goals, students will set their own learning and project goals by meeting one-on-one each semester with the Director to discuss personal and professional skills, areas of improvement, and project goal setting. Students will meet for one hour each week with the Director and/or team members to review project progress, plans, goals, issues, challenges, and successes. Team meetings will take place every other week as to review projects, support other students’ projects, and to communicate issues, opportunities, and brainstorm solutions. A field trip will be coordinated each semester to see sustainability in action in South Bend/Michiana and meet professionals at work.

About the Positions

Based on the IU South Bend Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating Systems (STARS) report results, students will be researching data, tracking and reporting systems, and best practices to address areas the campus falls short of targets. STARS, developed by and for members of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, provides a baseline for continuous improvement that informs strategic planning and budgeting related to sustainability and helps campuses make real progress toward sustainability goals.

Student projects will focus on 3 areas: campus engagement, planning, and operations.

ENGAGEMENT

• Develop new employee orientation and/or outreach and guidance materials that cover sustainability
  • Learn how to assess baseline knowledge, how to design and deliver orientation and/or outreach materials, and evaluate results through the design of effective assessment.
• Develop annual professional development and training opportunities in sustainability for all staff
  • Learn how to develop a training program built on prior knowledge about sustainability practices that will to foster sustainable behavior through active participation and engagement in the program.
• Increase the number and percentage of students engaged in community service by developing and conducting one event per semester
  • Learn how to collaboratively plan and promote service events with other campus units or community partners to engage students in sustainability service events on campus and/or in the community

PLANNING

• Researching and recommending approaches to developing a campus climate action plan
  • Learn how to research climate action plans on similar campuses, review their effectiveness, and recommend format and reporting systems that will be effective for the IUSB campus.
  • Review campus data to identify baselines, craft compelling solutions, and outline a down to action plan

OPERATIONS

• Researching and recommending approaches to developing a water use reduction plan
• Researching and recommending approaches to developing a building energy use reduction & education program
  • Identify baseline data and opportunities for reduction
  • Learn about water use/energy reduction plans that are in place on other IU campuses
  • Work with facilities and the Facilities Committee to make plans for water use reduction on the South Bend campus
• Work on IU-wide effort to conduct a Greenhouse Gas Emissions inventory for the South Bend campus
  • Learn about data collection methods and software, collect and analyze data, and prepare a summary report for administration

Applications are currently being accepted through Handshake, the IU South Bend Career Services job portal. Click on IUSB Careers Student Login at https://students.iusb.edu/career-services/students-and-alumni/index.html to apply.

Send questions about the Krista Bailey, Director, Center for a Sustainable Future, at kob@iu.edu

Planting for Pollinators Workshop

What: Sam Buchanan, the Environmental Educator for the St. Joseph County Soil and Water Conservation District, will be discussing the importance of pollinators and how we can help them through pollinator-friendly planting. She will cover the basics of what a pollinator is and why they are important, what sorts of plants are pollinator-friendly, some common Indiana-native pollinator-friendly plants, and some easy tips and tricks for planting for pollinators.

As a Bee Campus USA, this event is part of a series of campus and community education and outreach conducted by IU South Bend.

This workshop took place Wednesday, April 21, 2021 and aired live on the Center’s YouTube channel!

See the recording below or on YouTube

Take a closer look at the slides by clicking the image below to download them:

Severe and unusual winter storms recently swept much of the United States. After moving my fair share of snow and ice, I sat down to work. The issues of the day included food insecurity, expanding local food access and supporting local growers, the slow process of change, the difficulty people have knowing where to find sustainability resources, students struggling to balance academics with pandemic-pressured home and work environments, and finding the time to research and communicate what we do know to others. In other words, a pretty typical day for me. While some might be disheartened by these challenges, I see them as inspiring opportunities that challenge me to learn more, do more, network more, and share more.

Here are some compelling solutions and ways you can get involved in them:

Food Insecurity & Food Access and Sale Expansion

For the last two years, the WIC program offers double up bucks that double the value of WIC vouchers at area Farmers Markets. This makes a $20 voucher worth $40 in purchase power at places like the Mishawaka Farmers Market. More farmers are signing up to accept WIC vouchers and participation has risen exponentially each year. There is still money available to be used in this program! Promoting this opportunity and the use of it is key to its longevity and success.

Slow Process of Change (AKA your voice matters)

It is always exciting to see cool new sustainable projects appear in our communities! To those of us not involved, it can seem surprising, slow, or long overdue. For example, the new hydroelectric dam being installed in downtown South Bend is the result of at least 5 years of negotiations, regulations, and partnership negotiations that followed years of envisioning it as a functioning feature in the community. Reducing storm sewer overflows has been the result of decades of data gathering, modulating flows, and designing mitigation features that will support resilient infrastructure. Food insecurity could be addressed by starting to grow food where people need it.

What changes happen to address what issues? This is where your voice matters. County Council and Common Council meetings are easier than ever to attend (virtually) to learn and to speak. The South Bend Department of Community Investment even has an Engagement Specialist who works with the community. These are powerful resources available to us all.

Finding Resources

We are pleased to offer a monthly series about incredible initiatives and approaches to sustainability that utilize innovation and entrepreneurship skills. They are focused on growing more engaged and healthy communities. You can learn more by joining us for one of the First Friday Innovation Conversations we are hosting, and be seeing past presentations on our YouTube channel.

Supporting one another

Listen, engage, and offer support even if you are struggling. If we can share our struggles, we can emerge as stronger, more resilient people and communities. By listening, you will learn. By listening, you show that you care. By listening, we expand our hearts and our communities.