Transition Cheltenham Becomes US' 78th Official Transition Initiative

Feb. 2, 2011 - PRLog -- CHELTENHAM, PA: Transition US is excited to announce that Transition Cheltenham has become the 78th official Transition Initiative in the United States. Transition Initiatives start when a small collection of motivated individuals within a community come together with a shared concern: how can our community respond to the challenges and opportunities of peak oil, climate change and the economic crisis? This small team of people begins by forming an initiating group and then adopts the Transition Model with the intention of engaging a significant proportion of the people in their community to kick off a Transition Initiative.

Transition Cheltenham, founded by Bill & Dave Mettler who took the initial Transition training, is made up of a growing number of neighbors with very diverse backgrounds and interests, all with deep roots in local community.  They have an impressive number of accomplishments over the past year  including :  a Permaculture workshop , film events ,  an energy conservation workshop,  a great  gathering of  "existing practitioners" (those already involved in grassroots sustainability activities), an "Un-Car Picnic-" promoting  alternative transportation , local bike routes etc.  They also held a Locavore Banquet & Mini-Fest featuring locally grown food and local artists and artisans, have  ongoing Tai-Chi classes, and are holding discussion "Salons" this month .

Bill Mettler said, “We are reaching out to people one at a time. We like to ask our friends and neighbors two questions: 1. What do you love? 2. What do you want to "grow" in our community?  I love bikes and I want to grow a safe bike path network on the least car-traveled streets in Cheltenham Township.  Our Clean Transportation Action Group is just one of the groups that have grown out of this endeavor”.  Separate action groups already are underway in education, transportation, lean energy building, local government, food and gardening, and more. The Transition Cheltenham team has forged partnerships with local businesses, schools, and the community in general, to include everyone in the vision of a resilient, joyous, lean energy town.

March 13th marks the date of their Launch Party, to be held at Cheltenham high school, 500 Rices Mill Rd. in Wyncote PA. After this grand celebration, the mission will be to join all in creating an overarching  vision for Cheltenham's transition to a more sustainable, more resilient community.  They are inviting all to join and bring their energies and ideas.  "As an engineer, the transition movement is incredibly exciting," said Beverly Milestone, a member of the Initiating Team.  "I'm focusing my attention here because I believe that only at the grassroots level will we be able to truly make a difference and help move our community in the right direction."

Transition US is a nonprofit organization that provides inspiration, encouragement, support, networking, and training for Transition Initiatives across the United States. They are working in close partnership with the Transition Network, a UK based organization that supports the international Transition Movement as a whole. The Transition Movement is a vibrant, grassroots movement that seeks to build community resilience in the face of such challenges as peak oil, climate change and the economic crisis. It represents one of the most promising ways of engaging people in strengthening their communities against the effects of these challenges, resulting in a life that is more abundant, fulfilling, equitable and socially connected.

If you would like more information about the Transition Movement in the United States, or to schedule an interview with Carolyne Stayton, please call 707-824-1554 or email her at carolyne@transitionus.org

If you would like more information about Transition Cheltenham, or to speak with Bill Mettler, please call 215-885-8936, visit www.transitioncheltenham.org or email info@transitioncheltenham.org

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We are a nonprofit organization that provides inspiration, support, training, and networking for Transition Initiatives across the United States. Building community resilience in response to the challenges of peak oil, climate change and economic crisis.