Join Us as We Fight Climate Change and Food Deserts

Thank you to all the incredible people who supported this project! We couldn't have done it without you!

Stay tuned for the upcoming solar installation at Mission of Mary and ribbon cutting celebration!

Join Us as We Fight Climate Change and Food Deserts

What is a Food Desert?

A food desert is an area lacking accessible, affordable, and healthy food. In many cases, with options limited to fast food, this also leads to increased rates of obesity. This has become a primary concern for Dayton, Ohio, whose metropolitan area ranks as the worst in Ohio and one of the worst in the country for food insecurity.  

What is Mission of Mary Cooperative?

Mission of Mary Cooperative is a non-profit organization addressing food deserts and social justice issues in east Dayton by providing access to healthy, affordable food. Mission of Mary aims to provide tangible benefits for the people of the Dayton community, as well as revitalize vacant and forgotten neighborhood land, by growing and distributing nutritious food and educating our neighbors about healthy and sustainable lifestyles. Founded by a small faith community of UD alumni who wished to continue living out the Marianist values in Dayton, Mission of Mary is the only lay Marianist founded, operated, and funded non-profit organization in the country!

Why Does Mission of Mary Want to Go Solar?

The amazing decline in the cost of solar panels over the past few years has allowed numerous organizations to now cost-effectively go solar and substantially reduce their emissions. Mission of Mary is looking to utilize 11.5-kW of rooftop solar PV to not only go solar, but become Net-Zero! This means over the course of a year they will produce as much, or more, energy than they consume. Mission of Mary will also use the panels to educate the surrounding community and the various groups who visit the farm to volunteer and learn about sustainable farming practices.

Who are the Solar Ambassadors? How Do We Fit In?

RE-volv, a San Francisco based non-profit, created the Solar Ambassador Program in 2014 to empower college students to help community-serving organizations, like Mission of Mary, go solar. This year-long fellowship trains ambassadors in areas such as crowdfunding, solar policy, community engagement, and project management in order to successfully educate their campus and local communities about solar energy, develop solar projects, and develop a deep understanding of the solar energy sector. At the University of Dayton, our Solar Ambassador team has been working since 2015 to team up with a local Dayton organization to go solar, and have finally found the perfect match with Mission of Mary!

What are the details of our Campaign?

Our crowdfunding campaign will raise the necessary funds to install an 11.5-kW solar PV system at Mission of Mary, which in turn will reduce their energy bills. As Mission of Mary continually transfers a share of these savings into RE-volv’s Solar Seed Fund, they will be reinvested to fund other solar projects. The Solar Ambassadors, in collaboration with Mission of Mary, will be hosting a variety of public events on UD’s campus and in the Dayton community to educate the community on solar, spread awareness about our cause, and fundraise our project. Follow our campaign on social media through Twitter and Facebook

Join us as we fight climate change and food deserts! Donate today!
 

This project is made possible by contributions from generous organizations and donors like you! We'd like to thank our amazing partners at the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, RENEW WIsconsin, and Werner Electric for supporting Mission of Mary's solar array.