by Dr. Alyssa Fisher, Cal-Pac Communications Director
It’s not often that the opening of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations is associated with being a “beacon of hope, compassion, and community leadership,” but last month in Compton, that is what six new charging spots represented at Crossroads UMC. Along with four other community, city, and state representatives, Dr. Ayanna Davidson shared this sentiment, exemplifying what adding these humble parking spots means to Compton.
The ribbon cutting on May 29th was the fruition of three years of partnership with Crossroads UMC, the conference, and Raya Solar, the installer on the project.
The importance of Crossroads UMC being the first faith community in Compton to have publicly accessible charging stations was highlighted several times. During the ceremony, several elected officials spoke about the community impact of bringing publicly accessible EV chargers to the community. They spoke about the church’s history of advocating for racial and socio-economic justice, citing several community programs housed on the property. The new charging stations are, as Rev. Dr. Adrienne Zackery said, “justice innovation” as a step towards removing barriers to having electric vehicles by providing access. “A beacon of hope, compassion, and community leadership” by Dr. Ayanna Davidson of the Compton Unified School District Board of Trustees.
Bishop Escobedo-Frank spoke before cutting the ribbon to officially open the chargers. She referenced our call to “care for the garden” and take care of God’s creation, and thanked Crossroads UMC for “taking seriously the commands of God to care for this earth.” These charging stations represent years of partnership, a new phase for Compton, and the church’s continued vision to “use the places where God is to provide safe places,” whether that’s for worship, education, or charging.
Below, hear from Kenny Funk of Cal-Pac’s Eco-Justice Task Force, and Mo Borhanpour from Raya Solar talk about the grant funding and collaboration, and how to get started on similar projects: