Our Commitment as a Green Sanctuary
The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Vero Beach (UUFVB) is proud to be recognized as an official Green Sanctuary, a designation earned through the Unitarian Universalist Association in 2009. This milestone reflects our deep commitment to environmental stewardship, social justice, and sustainable living.
Over the course of three years, UUFVB developed and implemented a comprehensive set of action plans focused on four key areas: Sustainable Living, Worship and Celebration, Religious Education, and Environmental Justice. These efforts continue to guide our community today.
The Green Sanctuary working group is known as the Green Team.
As a Green Sanctuary, they continue to uphold their pledge to live sustainably and inspire others to do the same.
As a Green Sanctuary, we recognize the urgent realities of climate change and environmental injustice. Our ongoing work is grounded in Unitarian Universalist principles and centers on the following commitments:
- Environmental Justice
We stand with frontline communities disproportionately affected by environmental degradation, working together to address both human and ecological needs. - Worship and Celebration
Our worship services celebrate the sacredness of the Earth and inspire collective action toward a healthier, more equitable world. - Religious Education
We offer programming for all ages that fosters environmental awareness, spiritual growth, and sustainable practices. - Sustainable Living
As individuals and as a congregation, we strive to reduce our environmental footprint and make mindful choices that support the Earth’s well-being.
Our Covenant
WE THE UNDERSIGNED,
- Recognizing the fragility and interdependence of Earth and all living things;
- Recognizing the need to protect and maintain the quality of life-giving natural resources such as water, soil, and air;
- Recognizing the need to join with others to develop a sustainable society based on respect for Earth, its diversity of life, and all its life-giving resources:
DO DECLARE
To one another, to the greater community of life, and to future generations, our acceptance of responsibility for preserving the vitality, beauty, and diversity of this planet Earth and all its life forms.
THEREFORE, LET US RESOLVE:
As members of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Vero Beach and as participants in the Green Sanctuary Program, we pledge our encouragement to one another in an individual and congregational commitment to living our Unitarian Universalist Principles, especially the Seventh Principle, “Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.” We make the following commitments:
- to incorporate Seventh Principle values and practices into our programs;
- to strive to live lightly on the Earth and to continually monitor our environmental impact; and
- to affirm and promote programs to raise the awareness of human behaviors that affect the health and sustainability of the living Earth.