Climate Hope Cards Toolkit

The United Church of Christ Climate Hope Cards campaign is an ambitious and exciting project rooted in the UCC’s decades long work for climate and environmental justice. (Learn more about this history and check out the many environmental resolutions that have been passed!) In that spirit, we are glad you are joining us in this latest push for greater justice in our world. The EPA is in the process of updating a number of protections that could significantly impact our environment and public health. The Climate Hope Cards campaign is part of an effort to literally save thousands of lives, address societal inequities, and get our nation on track to meet its climate goals. UCC children and youth from across the country have already sent in artwork expressing their feelings about environmental justice, the climate crisis, and protecting the Earth. The winning artwork has been printed on the Climate Hope Card postcards. Now it’s up to us to collect thousands of these postcards for delivery to the EPA and the White House in September!

Getting Started

Gather your congregation’s green team or folks who you think might be involved.

Suggested Agenda:

1. Check-Ins: Names, pronouns, your motivation to fight for environmental justice.

2. What should our postcard goal be? Use the Goal Calculator for a starting point. You’ll need to make a copy or download the calculator to edit it. Once you have determined a number, print off the cards on Avery 8387 paper using this template.

3. Where does it make sense for us to collect postcards? Suggested locations:

• In the pews, so that they can be collected as people leave worship. Cards can be inserted into bulletins, and an announcement can be made during worship. Check out this sample announcement. There are also liturgical resources if you want to devote the worship service to a climate hope theme!
• Coffee hour
• An adult education hour featuring a UCC webinar on EPA protections
• At a farmer’s market
• Outside a coffee shop
• On a college campus
• From friends and family
• Knocking on neighbors’ doors
• Book clubs
• Anywhere you see other people!

4. How are we going to get the word out?

• Newsletter
• Flyer
• Church social media

5. Next Steps

• Sign up for postcarding shifts
• Print out name badge stickers

Further Background

The policy aims of the Climate Hope Cards campaign were inspired by a report released by the Evergreen Collaborative and the Natural Resources Defense Council in January of 2023. The report was entitled “Powering Toward 100 Percent Clean Power by 2035,” and one of the authors joined us for a webinar diving into the EPA protections under review. To learn more about why we need a national, faith-rooted climate campaign focused on the federal government and why postcards are a great vehicle for action, read about the vision and strategy behind the campaign.

Age Guidance on Card Collection

While there is no age restriction on who can submit a written postcard to the EPA, there are legal questions pertaining to organizations collecting digital-related data such as email addresses. Until these legal questions are resolved, our guidance is to welcome cards from all ages, but to have those under the age of 18 only fill out their first name and the comment portion.

Data Entry

As you collect postcards, enter any with contact info into the UCC data portal. This is so, so important! This is how we will let postcard signers know when there’s an official public comment period. Open an incognito or private browser window. Navigate to the entry page. Enter in the postcard info, click submit, and then refresh the page. Click “Wrong Information.” That should clear the last card’s information so you can enter in the next card’s info. It might be helpful to make a little check mark somewhere on the card so you can tell which you’ve entered. Enter the cards as you get them filled out.

Mailing Cards

By August 15th, plan to send all your filled out postcards to the United Church of Christ Washington DC Office: 100 Maryland Ave NE, Suite 330, Washington, D.C. 20002