Compton

Talk of energy poverty often conjures up images of far off places on the other side of the world. But the truth is energy poverty is all around us. And it has far-reaching consequences. How far? Back in early January, I met Pastor Michael Fisher from Greater Zion Church in Compton, CA.

Pastor Fisher leads a church that has been a pillar of the community since the 1950's. Pastor Fisher followed in the footsteps of his father, Reverend Jerome Fisher, who led his congregation for several decades, focusing on outreach in Compton and beyond, spreading love to prisons and skid row. The church has served in this community with missions such as youth mentoring programs and drug ministry.  But it hasn't stopped there. Feeling a call to broaden their outreach, the congregation has helped build orphanages in Haiti and El Salvador.

But access to energy impacts all of us - including the church and its outreach programs. Pastor Fisher shared a memory from 2012 when gas prices hit their highest average ever. His parishioners were hit hard and so was the church. And while the financial impact was a significant burden, it was even more difficult to see church attendance drop...simply because of higher gas prices. With gas prices up, parishioners couldn't afford the extra trips to church on Sundays, knowing that during the week they'd have to pay more to get to work or to run errands for their households and families. 

What did this mean to the lives of those individuals and families? What kind of impact did this have on outreach programs and the kids who took part in them? What did this mean to the homeless man on skid row?

We seldom stop to think of the impact that higher electricity and fuel prices have on people's daily lives, and the ripple it creates.