Meet the Sisters

Connecting to Our Earth

S. Winnie Brubach is the facilities coordinator for EarthConnection, a multi-faceted entity on the edge of the College of Mount St. Joseph campus in Delhi Township (Cincinnati).

Sister of Charity of Cincinnati Winnie Brubach leans hard on the hoe, breaking through stubborn weeds that appear almost instantly after a summer rain. They are vying for space in the organic vegetable garden S. Winnie and several other Hamilton County ( Ohio) Master Gardeners tend from May through mid-November at EarthConnection, a multi-faceted entity on the edge of the College of Mount St. Joseph campus in Delhi Township (Cincinnati, Ohio). The garden’s ample proceeds – in the form of tomatoes, zucchini, potatoes, beans, greens, herbs and much more – are donated to the St. Leo Food Pantry in North Fairmount ( Cincinnati).

“The urban poor don’t often have access to fresh, organic produce,” S. Winnie said. “So volunteers here at EarthConnection are happy to provide wholesome veggies to supplement their diets.”

S. Winnie is the facilities coordinator for EarthConnection. “I take care of the building and grounds and provide a variety of tours,” she said. “Most of our visitors are from the College and Cincinnati State Technical and Community College. The students are very interested in the building itself, which features solar heating, solar electricity, natural lighting, super-insulated walls and windows, floor tiles made of waste glass, a wall made of aluminum cans, and carpeting constructed from recycled plastic bottles.”

S. Winnie explains, “EarthConnection was built in 1991 to address the adverse ecological effects of our consumer society. S. Paula Gonzalez, SC, Ph.D., a biologist, nationally recognized lecturer, author and retreat leader, founded it. The facility was made possible by many groups of volunteers who converted an oversized four-car garage into a 3,900-square-foot meeting and office space building.”

In addition to the facility itself and the organic gardens, EarthConnection is landscaped with a variety of native species plantings. Walking trails wind through the woods just south of the building.

“We educate people about the sustainability of our resources, about our ‘connection’ to Earth and our responsibility to the planet we call home,” said S. Winnie of her EarthConnection mission and ministry.

For more information or to schedule a tour of EarthConnection, contact S. Winnie at (513) 451-3932 or e-mail Sister at wyn0131@aol.com.

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