x
  1. Home
  2.  News
  3.  Local News

Renee Allessio, St. Mary's social justice group gets CREDO grant

| 10 Dec 2015 | 12:04
    Photo provided A few members of the St. Mary’s Advocates for Justice and Franciscan Response to Fracking and Climate Change Ministries show their pleasure at receiving recognition and a $500 grant from CREDO Action, a national organization that supports groups that focus on social justice issues. Shown from left are, front row, Norma Stehle, Renee Allessio, Camille Gaines, and Mike Moffa. Back row, from left, Jackie Schramm, Charlie Nunzio, Norbert Langer, and Karl Stehle. Allessio and the Stehles are board members of Sustainable West Milford.
    Photo provided A few members of the St. Mary’s Advocates for Justice and Franciscan Response to Fracking and Climate Change Ministries show their pleasure at receiving recognition and a $500 grant from CREDO Action, a national organization that supports groups that focus on social justice issues. Shown from left are, front row, Norma Stehle, Renee Allessio, Camille Gaines, and Mike Moffa. Back row, from left, Jackie Schramm, Charlie Nunzio, Norbert Langer, and Karl Stehle. Allessio and the Stehles are board members of Sustainable West Milford.

WEST MILFORD — West Milford resident Renee Allessio and St. Mary's Advocates for Justice/Franciscan Response to Fracking and Climate Change Ministries recently received a CREDO grant of $500 for their work as "climate heroes."

The Climate Heroes are activists and small groups working in 32 states on a wide range of campaigns to block coal mining, stop oil and gas pipelines, ban fracking, shut down the tar sands, defend clean energy and change policies to speed the transition to a fossil-fuel free economy.

Many front-line activists lack the funds for even basic campaign materials. These grants will empower local organizing to fight climate change and fossil fuel projects – including actions that literally might not be possible otherwise, according to a release from CREDO.

“President Obama’s rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline last week would not have happened without a massive, years-long campaign of grassroots activism and direct action,” said CREDO Climate Campaigns Director Elijah Zarlin. “But even as a decision on Keystone XL was repeatedly delayed, a newly invigorated movement of everyday people were taking on other fossil fuel projects all over the country – and winning.”

Allessio, of Hewitt, quoted Pope Francis on the occasion of receiving the grant.

“We believe that we have a moral obligation to work for environmental justice," said Allessio, speaking for the group from St. Mary's in Pompton Lakes. "Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si asks us so eloquently to ‘Pray that everyone can receive its message and grow in responsibility toward the common home that God has entrusted to us.’ Since 2006 we have been educating others about climate change and advocating against fossil fuel extraction and infrastructure and for support of conservation and renewable energy.”

CREDO grantsCREDO Action, part of CREDO Mobile, is a social change network of 3 million activists, sending millions of petition signatures and over 100,000 phone calls to decision-makers each year. The group distributes grants to local grassroots climate activists fighting fossil fuels in their communities. Over the years, CREDO members have given more than $79 million to progressive non-profits. CREDO activists across the country have participated in local, state and national campaigns to stop the Keystone XL pipeline.

“The lesson is clear,” Zarlin said. “When ordinary people take extraordinary action  –  including putting our bodies on the line and getting hauled off to jail  – we can take on the fossil fuel industry and win, even when Beltway insiders tell us it’s impossible.”