The Wild Indigo Guild, an innovative program initiated by Pastor John Creasy and Rev. Evan Clendenin, aims to combat food insecurity while promoting ecological restoration. This community-driven project leverages the power of collaboration among local churches, volunteers, and organizations. With funding from United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania and Bayer Fund, the initiative has already supported numerous projects aimed at creating sustainable food systems. The program's first phase focuses on connecting faith communities with nature, fostering a deeper understanding of environmental stewardship and food justice. As it expands, the Wild Indigo Guild plans to work with more churches and introduce an online platform to reach a broader audience.

Through hands-on activities and spiritual reflection, participants are encouraged to transform church properties into productive green spaces. The guild provides guidance on permaculture design, planting, and maintenance, ensuring that these initiatives become self-sustaining over time. By engaging both adults and youth, the program seeks to inspire long-term commitment to ecological restoration and community engagement. Additionally, partnerships with organizations like Pennsylvania Interfaith Power and Light highlight the moral imperative of addressing climate change through faith-based action.

Fostering Food Security Through Faith-Based Collaboration

The Wild Indigo Guild represents a unique approach to addressing food insecurity by integrating faith-based principles with practical solutions. The initiative began with a ,000 grant from United Way’s Community Food Solutions program, which is part of a larger ,000 grant from Bayer Fund. This support has enabled the guild to launch pilot programs in several churches, including The Open Door Presbyterian Church, Beulah Presbyterian Church, and Westminster Presbyterian Church. Each church contributes a fee to participate, and the guild offers sliding-scale subsidies to ensure accessibility.

In 2024, the Wild Indigo Guild organized a large-scale food packing event, bringing together 200 volunteers to assemble over 1,700 healthy meal boxes for local families. This event exemplifies the guild’s commitment to immediate relief alongside long-term sustainability. The guild’s curriculum includes eight-week sessions designed to help congregations connect with nature spiritually and practically. Participants learn about permaculture, ecological restoration, and how to create sustainable food systems on church grounds. The guild emphasizes the importance of transforming underutilized land into thriving ecosystems that benefit both the community and the environment.

Transforming Church Properties into Sustainable Green Spaces

The Wild Indigo Guild’s focus on ecological restoration extends beyond food security, aiming to transform church properties into vibrant green spaces. Churches often own large plots of land, especially in urban areas, making them ideal candidates for such initiatives. The guild encourages churches to explore creative uses for their property, such as establishing food forests or converting grassy areas into wildflower fields. These changes not only reduce maintenance costs but also promote biodiversity and environmental health.

Beulah Presbyterian Church, for example, plans to create a food forest this year, building on its existing pawpaw trees. The church’s leadership recognizes the potential of these projects to engage both members and neighbors in sustainable practices. Pastor Alex Ruzanic highlights the importance of working with partners like Landforce, a nonprofit that employs formerly incarcerated individuals, to build trails and maintain trees. The guild’s expansion into an online platform will further broaden its reach, allowing anyone to join and contribute to the movement. By fostering connections between faith, nature, and community, the Wild Indigo Guild sets a powerful example of how collective action can lead to lasting positive change.