Good To Be Back!

by Chris Olson, Operations Manager


Hello, hello! Many of you may remember me (if you don't, you can click on "Chris" under "Lables" to get a nice snapshot!) as the Lutheran Volunteer Corps volunteer with Earth Ministry in 2008-2009. As the Outreach Coordinator, I was involved with the Greening Congregations program and with advocacy efforts around the state during the legislative session. My LVC year ended but, now, after three years of adventuring, volunteering, and working with some other awesome organizations around Seattle, I'm back at Earth Ministry as the new Operations Manager! Woo hoo!

You may be wondering, "But, Chris, wherever did you go and whatever did you do for THREE WHOLE YEARS?" To give you a quick update, I've made a three-picture photographic exposition of my adventures!

After the Lutheran Volunteer Corps, I joined the Washington Conservation Corps where I worked on environmental restoration projects around Washington State. My crew (6 of us) focused on restoring urban green spaces in Seattle and along the Cedar River in Maple Valley. It was a fantastic (and very muddy) year where I gained a solid knowledge of Washington's native plant species and did my part to knock back many of the invasive plants wreaking havoc in our local ecosystems.

I then spent a year combining my love for sustainable agriculture with my passion for living local by working at Beecher's Handmade Cheese in Pike Place Market. SO MUCH DELICIOUSNESS! Their mac 'n cheese is heavenly.

And, finally, I am currently the Camp Erin Coordinator at Providence Hospice of Seattle. Camp Erin is a grief camp for kids age 6-18 who have lost a loved one. It has been a wonderful experience working for Camp Erin and I will split my time between camp and Earth Ministry.

It feels great to be reconnecting with the Earth Ministry community and spreading the word about the creation care work being done by people of faith. There are so many exciting and important issues we're working on here, such as stopping coal from being exported from Northwest ports, banning toxic chemicals from kid's toys, and promoting a clean energy future. I'm excited to be a part of this amazing organization once again!