“Be diligent in serving the poor. Love the poor, honor them, my children, as you would honor Christ Himself.”
St. Louise de Marillac
(From left) Food Service Director William Buhl and Executive Chef Chris Davis were receptive to the idea of composting from the start.
As Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, we continue to seek new ways to learn and reflect on how to care for our Earth. Most recently CURA Hospitality, the food service provider for the Motherhouse and Mother Margaret Hall, began partnering with Queen City Commons to compost their food scraps. This initiative not only reflects our SC commitment to stewardship of the Earth but also fosters a sense of community among staff and Sisters.
The idea was first brought to CURA staff by Justice Promoter Mackenzie Doyle. “In the first few months of my job,” she says, “a few Sisters I had talked with expressed interest in composting here. I saw that Queen City Commons offered commercial composting and decided to reach out about the possibility.”
“When I began to communicate with Julia Marchese from Queen City Commons, the new team at CURA had just started,” she continued. “Once I thought it would work here and gave them time to settle in, I mentioned it and they were receptive. Knowing that the Sisters deeply care about the issue, the team was willing to give it a try – even if it added something else for their staff to think about.”
Food Service Director William Buhl and Executive Chef Chris Davis embraced the idea immediately. Since August CURA team members have been averaging 500 pounds of compost per month. The biggest obstacle has been communication. William explains that not all scraps can be composted, such as meat or meat bones and dairy because they do not easily decompose.
“We have to be very careful to make sure that certain proteins or dairy do not get mixed in with the composting items,” he explains. “If they do, we have to disregard the entire bin. Everyone has to communicate and know what to compost and what not to.” Eventually it is their hope to expand the initiative for Sisters to participate. However, for now they are happy with the success they’ve had and know their efforts are making a difference.
“The issue of climate change is so large, and a lot of change is needed at the systemic level to avoid some of the worst effects of climate change and to let the Earth heal,” says Mackenzie. “We must advocate and work together to change these systems that have largely meant death for people and the Earth. However, systems are made of institutions, communities, and people and so we must be willing to change our practices ourselves, individually and communally, to show that another way of being human is possible.”
Adds William, “We know how passionate the Sisters are about caring for all creation and making sure our carbon footprint is minimal. We will do whatever we can to accommodate and embrace that mission.”
For more information about Queen City Commons, visit https://www.queencitycommons.com/.
CURA Hospitality staff members began composting food scraps at Mount St. Joseph in August 2024.
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