Tanis Roelofs: Community Activist Green to the Core

You might encounter Tanis Roelofs labeling storm drains on your street, talking with people in the grocery store about reusable bags, or chatting with a local business manager about how to reduce the cigarette litter in front of his/her storefront. 

But, you still wouldn’t realize just how green Roelofs is every day and in every way. After retiring as a teacher for Wilson Middle School, she continues to co-sponsor the environmental club. She has contributed nearly 500 hours to Live Green in Plano (LGIP) programs, then in her spare time, founded a Green Team at the Reformed Church of Plano with LGIP volunteers Marcia and Bruce Fallis.

For two years this Green Team has met regularly to plan ways to help their congregation become more aware of living green while at church and at home. They’ve reduced waste by converting from Styrofoam cups to donated mugs during coffee hour, posting signs to reduce the use of paper towels in the rest rooms, and increased recycling by labeling bins which illustrate recyclable items. Green Team members provide a green living tip in the monthly church newsletter, and share lessons on recycling and water pollution with the Vacation Bible School children and preschoolers. The group organized community cleanups and invited church members to join them. They installed light sensors in the restrooms, and posted signs above light switches in classrooms reminding members to turn off the lights when they leave the room. 

Green Team members have proven being green saves green! By partnering with Ideal Impact, they brought money to church funds through utility savings. An energy audit analysis led them to make efficiency changes in the building, which included the installation of programmable thermostats. Team members adjust them each week for the meetings scheduled in each room. The result is an impressive savings of $600-800 each month!

The Green Team plans to host a congregation viewing of the film “Renew,” which tells the story of green efforts by religious groups across the country. They are currently plan ways to get teenagers involved and have a vision to create both a community garden and a citywide Styrofoam recycling option on their campus.

For more information about these efforts, contact Tanis at tanis.roelofs@gmail.com.