Solar Panel Installation at South Church
Donation protected
To offset the growing cost of electricity required to sustain its much-needed community missions, South Congregational Church has embarked upon a solar energy project. Vivint Solar is installing 100 solar panels on the church roof this summer, at a cost of $103,500. The church is seeking to raise funds to pay for the cost of this energy-saving solar project.
We just reached our goal to raise $20,000 by July 31, 2019, The Left Coast Fund will match that amount with a generous grant as part of their 50-State Solar Project!
More Than a Church
South Congregational Church is more than a church. Our historical downtown Pittsfield, Massachusetts building is a welcoming complex that serves as a meeting house for many groups in our community.
Community organizations such as Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous, Al-Anon, Pittsfield Squares, Music Together, and the Pembury Bridge Club meet regularly in the church’s spaces. South Congregational also serves as an ecumenical gathering space for area faith organizations and missions.
Food Insecurity
One of South Congregational Church’s primary missions is to address the issue of food insufficiency in Berkshire County, assisting the most vulnerable in our community. Our Community Food Pantry is the largest food pantry distribution in Berkshire County, serving 550 families each week.
The Food Pantry receives 7,000 pounds of food each week, much of which requires storage in our newly updated freezer and walk-in coolers — the most significant consumers of electricity in the building.
We also serve 80–100 hot, nutritious dinners each Wednesday at Saint Joseph’s Kitchen, and we recently began serving breakfast twice weekly. South Church is also home to the annual Thanksgiving Angels community collection and distribution of Thanksgiving meal ingredients to 1,300 local families.
Keeping Things Running
There are expenses associated with South Church’s community missions and services. In addition to manpower (780 volunteer hours per month!), electricity costs approximately $9,000/year to power the refrigerators and freezers that preserve the food for our Community Food Pantry, Saint Joseph’s Kitchen, and Thanksgiving Angels. The church has decided to offset this cost of electricity by installing solar panels on the roof of the building.
Solar power systems derive clean, pure energy from the sun, combatting greenhouse gas emissions, improving pubic health, and reducing our collective dependence on non-sustainable fossil fuels.
The total cost of the project is $103,500. In addition to fundraising, the church is investigating grant opportunities and Massachusetts (SMART) solar tax incentives.
With your help, solar panel installation will offset approximately 85% of electricity used by the church.
Why Now?
There is no better time to go ‘green’ at South Church. Electricity prices have been rising steadily, while at the same time, Food Pantry supporters are seeking to increase access to fresh and healthy food which must be refrigerated for viability.
South Church has already made significant efforts to minimize energy use in the building, installing LED lights, and replacing old freezers & refrigerators with efficient walk-ins. Our kitchen was recently updated for efficiency, installing a new convection oven and stove (which doesn’t use pilot lights). Most church rooms now have newer, insulated windows.
We Need Your Help
The church is seeking to raise funds to pay for the cost of this solar energy project that will help to sustain much-needed community missions. We are planning a series of fundraising events (listed below), and we welcome your donations toward the project.
Donate
Please donate to support our efforts to create a sustainable gathering space that will continue to allow us to serve our community in the long term. The lifespan of these panels is about 30 years. Donations of all sizes are welcome.
Each solar panel costs $1,035. Consider getting a group or organization to raise funds to sponsor a panel!
If we raise $20,000 by July 31, 2019, The Left Coast Fund will match that amount with a generous grant as part of their 50-State Solar Project!
100% of your donation is tax-deductible.
In addition to donating through GoFundMe, or online through the South Church website , donation checks can be mailed directly to South Congregational Church, 110 South Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Please note on the check that you would like to designate this donation for the Solar Energy Project. Cash or check donations may be brought to the church during business hours (9am–1pm, Tuesday–Friday), or offered during our weekly Sunday Worship (10am). Please note on the check or envelope that you would like to designate this donation for the Solar Energy Project.
Fundraising Events
We officially kicked off our Solar Energy Project on June 21, 2019 — the summer solstice! Our June Bread & Roses Coffee House Performance raised $500, and our Pancake Breakfast raised $620 for the project.
Thank you for supporting our vital community missions at South Church!
This project has been supported by a grant from the Berkshire Fresh & Healthy Food Fund of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.
We just reached our goal to raise $20,000 by July 31, 2019, The Left Coast Fund will match that amount with a generous grant as part of their 50-State Solar Project!
More Than a Church
South Congregational Church is more than a church. Our historical downtown Pittsfield, Massachusetts building is a welcoming complex that serves as a meeting house for many groups in our community.
Community organizations such as Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous, Al-Anon, Pittsfield Squares, Music Together, and the Pembury Bridge Club meet regularly in the church’s spaces. South Congregational also serves as an ecumenical gathering space for area faith organizations and missions.
Food Insecurity
One of South Congregational Church’s primary missions is to address the issue of food insufficiency in Berkshire County, assisting the most vulnerable in our community. Our Community Food Pantry is the largest food pantry distribution in Berkshire County, serving 550 families each week.
The Food Pantry receives 7,000 pounds of food each week, much of which requires storage in our newly updated freezer and walk-in coolers — the most significant consumers of electricity in the building.
We also serve 80–100 hot, nutritious dinners each Wednesday at Saint Joseph’s Kitchen, and we recently began serving breakfast twice weekly. South Church is also home to the annual Thanksgiving Angels community collection and distribution of Thanksgiving meal ingredients to 1,300 local families.
Keeping Things Running
There are expenses associated with South Church’s community missions and services. In addition to manpower (780 volunteer hours per month!), electricity costs approximately $9,000/year to power the refrigerators and freezers that preserve the food for our Community Food Pantry, Saint Joseph’s Kitchen, and Thanksgiving Angels. The church has decided to offset this cost of electricity by installing solar panels on the roof of the building.
Solar power systems derive clean, pure energy from the sun, combatting greenhouse gas emissions, improving pubic health, and reducing our collective dependence on non-sustainable fossil fuels.
The total cost of the project is $103,500. In addition to fundraising, the church is investigating grant opportunities and Massachusetts (SMART) solar tax incentives.
With your help, solar panel installation will offset approximately 85% of electricity used by the church.
Why Now?
There is no better time to go ‘green’ at South Church. Electricity prices have been rising steadily, while at the same time, Food Pantry supporters are seeking to increase access to fresh and healthy food which must be refrigerated for viability.
South Church has already made significant efforts to minimize energy use in the building, installing LED lights, and replacing old freezers & refrigerators with efficient walk-ins. Our kitchen was recently updated for efficiency, installing a new convection oven and stove (which doesn’t use pilot lights). Most church rooms now have newer, insulated windows.
We Need Your Help
The church is seeking to raise funds to pay for the cost of this solar energy project that will help to sustain much-needed community missions. We are planning a series of fundraising events (listed below), and we welcome your donations toward the project.
Donate
Please donate to support our efforts to create a sustainable gathering space that will continue to allow us to serve our community in the long term. The lifespan of these panels is about 30 years. Donations of all sizes are welcome.
Each solar panel costs $1,035. Consider getting a group or organization to raise funds to sponsor a panel!
If we raise $20,000 by July 31, 2019, The Left Coast Fund will match that amount with a generous grant as part of their 50-State Solar Project!
100% of your donation is tax-deductible.
In addition to donating through GoFundMe, or online through the South Church website , donation checks can be mailed directly to South Congregational Church, 110 South Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Please note on the check that you would like to designate this donation for the Solar Energy Project. Cash or check donations may be brought to the church during business hours (9am–1pm, Tuesday–Friday), or offered during our weekly Sunday Worship (10am). Please note on the check or envelope that you would like to designate this donation for the Solar Energy Project.
Fundraising Events
We officially kicked off our Solar Energy Project on June 21, 2019 — the summer solstice! Our June Bread & Roses Coffee House Performance raised $500, and our Pancake Breakfast raised $620 for the project.
Thank you for supporting our vital community missions at South Church!
This project has been supported by a grant from the Berkshire Fresh & Healthy Food Fund of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.
Organizer
Erin Murphy
Organizer
Pittsfield, MA
