Solomon’s United Church of Christ (UCC), located in the community of New Franklin near Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, has been serving the community for over 50 years. With 70 community-serving congregation members, Solomon’s mission is to be seekers of God's will, way, and word. The church supports the following community programs in addition to their weekly Sunday service:
- Community Garden
- New Franklin Power Pack Program
- Franklin County Homeless Shelter
- Women in Need (a local women’s shelter)
- The Gleaning Project (a South Central PA collaborative nonprofit effort to reduce food loss on local farms and increase food security in the community)
- Little Daisy’s Closet (similar to a thrift store, but providing free clothes)
- Fruit Belt Farmworker Christian Ministry (which provides basic needs to migrant workers in the area).
Pastor Julia, Ben, and Julie walking to end hunger with the CWS CROP Hunger Walk.
The 12 kW solar system should generate 100% of their electric usage and allow them to save about 27% every month, thanks to Direct Pay and RE-volv’s solar loan financing agreement. Pastor Julia Brown explained that they were excited to go solar to invest savings back into the mission, while inspiring other churches and organizations to explore solar energy for their buildings.
This summer, GreenBrilliance completed the installation of Solomon’s 12 kW solar array.
By significantly decreasing our electricity bill, these panels will allow the church to put more money into outreach, including our community garden, the New Franklin Power Pack Program, which provides healthy meals to the children of food-insecure families, and more.
The solar system is now installed, and awaiting permission from the local utility to start producing power. The church awaits this exciting moment in the coming weeks as they plan for a community ribbon cutting celebration this winter!
Solomon’s United Church of Christ
1594 Swamp Fox Rd Chambersburg, PA 17202