4 simple ideas to take action

You can help! Here are four simple ways you can take action:

Image
Irene Klassen sorts clothing at Thrift on Kent in Kitchener. The thousands of Thrift volunteers in Ontario have been steadfast in their support of MCC through the closures and limited reopenings throu

Canada United States — Apr 2022

menu_book Story

Talk about climate change

Talking about climate change with your friends and family is one of the most effective ways to change social norms and influence public attitudes. By including climate change in your everyday conversations, you’ll start to see changes in all areas of life, including the political realm. There is hope!

And you’ll be following the lead of students like Nour Mohamad in Jordan. In a land where water is scarce, she and other students in an environmental club, established as part of an MCC-supported project, talk to friends, classmates and family about the need to conserve.

Image
Nour Mohamad is a student member of the Environment Club established at Natel Comprehensive Secondary School for Girls under the Green Schools project. She celebrates the project's success and poses i
Nour Mohamad is a student member of the Environment Club established at Natel Comprehensive Secondary School for Girls under the Green Schools project. She celebrates the project's success and poses in the frame to show her gratitude for the positive changes at her school. Photo courtesy of MSD

Get involved

Support the climate issues you care about. You can donate funds to MCC’s food and agricultural projects, shop sustainably at an MCC Thrift shop, or organize public awareness events in your church or community.

When you give, you join donors like Lewis and Carrie Unruh, a Kansas farming family. The Unruhs, who have worked for years to reduce soil erosion on their own land, support MCC through their church, Tabor Mennonite in Goessel, Kansas, and through the Kansas Mennonite Relief Sale.

“I never had an opportunity because of the farm to go and do service anywhere, but there are things I can do locally,” Lewis says. “Giving to MCC is one of those things I can do.”

Image
Lewis and Carrie Unruh, a Kansas farming family, have worked for years to reduce soil erosion on their own land and support MCC through their church, Tabor Mennonite in Goessel, Kansas, and through th
Lewis and Carrie Unruh, a Kansas farming family, have worked for years to reduce soil erosion on their own land and support MCC through their church, Tabor Mennonite in Goessel, Kansas, and through the Kansas Mennonite Relief Sale. MCC photo/Maynard Knepp

Make the change

Small changes in your personal lifestyle can make a big difference in what’s happening to the environment – things like recycling, riding public transit or cycling. When we see ourselves as part of the solution, we can serve as an example to others.

Image
A screenshot of an MCC video that has a young woman's face over top of a globe. The caption reads "Hannah wants to impact change on a larger scale."

Take advocacy action

As Christians, we are called to speak with and on behalf of vulnerable people (see, for example, Exodus 1, Exodus 5–12, Esther 4–8). Being an advocate is an act of hope and love. A personal letter or signature on a petition tells lawmakers you care about the impacts of climate change. Being an advocate for climate change action holds governments accountable for policies that can positively or negatively impact our climate and the people we care about. Learn more about MCC Canada’s advocacy initiatives.

In February 2022, students from across Canada participated in MCC’s Peace & Justice student seminar focused on the theme of “Is our climate polarized? Building bridges for a shared future.” Students engaged with parliamentarians, civil society and MCC staff to think about how to work across divides on climate issues and create structural change.