Rev. Gary Dittman is pastor of Amazing Grace Lutheran Church in Baltimore, Maryland. 

Amazing Grace Lutheran Church in East Baltimore is unlike any place I've ever experienced. 

Our congregation is located in a distressed neighborhood where unemployment hovers around 20 percent.

The median income for a family of four is $28,000, and thousands of boarded up houses permeate the landscape. Recently, we celebrated the fact that there hadn't been a shooting in more than a month. 

When it comes to transforming our community and having a lasting impact, we think holistically.

We joined with a vibrant roster of faith institutions, spanning multiple denominations, and community organizations, including CLAIM, to use our collective purchasing power to secure a discount on the electricity that we use inside our walls, and switch to clean power. 

Through these partnerships forged with the support of Groundswell and other organizing groups, we're making the place where we all live better. 

Any savings is big savings when we can touch more people in the community and have a lasting impact. 

Our congregation serves as a gathering point for a healthier neighborhood. Our ministries include a food pantry, afterschool program and summer camp for neighborhood children. 

We seek to build a community of people who care for each other and who are deeply engaged in making our neighborhood a better place. 

As with most things, it's easy to operate individually, but collaboration is powerful. We'd like to invite you to collaborate. 

What type of local community impact would you like to see the clean economy create?

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