project leader
Cecilia P
location
150 Court Street
Brooklyn (Cobble Hill (but our services extend to all of Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx!))
latest update rss
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the project

Green City Force (GCF) aims to break the cycle of poverty, preparing urban young adults to succeed in their chosen careers by engaging them in service, training and work experiences related to the clean energy economy.  Our Corps Members are low-income, high-potential young adults who have a high school diploma or GED but lack the experience, hard and soft skills, and academics to make the next step to college or family-supporting work. As part of GCF’s Clean Energy Corps, Corps Members receive training, academics, and extensive field experience in the clean energy economy, as well as a stipend, MetroCard and an AmeriCorps educational award at the completion of the program.

Four days a week, Corps Members work in teams under the supervision of a Team Leader on projects related to sustainability. Through GCF’s multi-family energy efficiency projects, GCF provides low-cost measures and education that can saves money on utility bills while reducing greenhouse gas emissions- and in providing these services, Corps Members gain marketable skills and valuable experience. GCF teams have accomplished a lot over the past three years: over 1500 audits performed in low to moderate-income homes, nearly 1000 tenants educated about how to conserve energy in their homes. It’s been great! But these activities place additional demands on our organization, including transportation and storage of materials.  We’re expanding our teams and ramping up our multi-family energy efficiency work, and to do so we need a VAN. We’ve secured a grant from Atelier Ten of $5K towards covering the costs of a van for our current cohort, but need to match it. Help us reach our goal of $2K! 

the steps

From September until January, our Corps Members will engage low-income families, informing them of several different services available to help reduce their energy costs. Building on the outreach of past Cohorts, our Corps Members will provide low-cost measures and education to help residents lower their utility bills, while also reducing their greenhouse gas emissions.

why we're doing it

We are in the midst of the worst youth unemployment crisis since World War II, and the situation for young people of color coming of age in poor neighborhoods in particular is dire. Studies show that the most important indicator of life-time earnings -- other than college education -- is a successful work experience by the age of 25 (Andrew Sum, "Confronting the Youth Demographic Challenge," 2000). There are long-term consequences if we don't find a way to put young adults living in poverty to work and support them in gaining needed skills and education to access family-supporting jobs today. At the same time, the push is underway to transition our cities to sustainability and to stave off the worst effects of climate change and environmental degradation, and in the process, generate work and service opportunities. In New York City, inefficient use of energy in buildings accounts for 75% of the City’s carbon emissions!

Green City Force’s multi-family energy efficiency projects work to provide low-cost measures and education to low-income families, helping them save money on their utility bills, while also reducing our city’s carbon footprint— and in providing these services, Corps Members gain marketable skills and valuable experience. 

Conversation

TEDxDUMBO is currently seeking people with urban-based projects to present an ‘Action Pitch’ at the event, and we were wondering if you might be in town and would want to pitch about Help Green City Force get wheels!. More details can be found at http://tedxdumbo.com/action-pitches/

budget

Disbursed budget 1/25/2022:

 



TOTAL RAISED = $802.00
ioby Fiscal Sponsorship Fee (5%) N/A
ioby Donation Processing Fee (3%) $19.41
TOTAL TO DISBURSE= $782.59

Original budget:

Total cost of van with Greasecar kit*: $10,000

*Notes: The Greasecar kit would allow our vehicle to run off of used vegetable oil, which would be ideal given our mission and dedication to environmental service. However, due to funding constraints we understand that it may be beyond the scope of this project. Hopefully we will be able to amass enough funds to install this system for future cohorts!

Atelier Ten Foundation Support: $5,000
GCF matching funds: $3,000

Remainder (please help us raise this!): $2,000

Third party credit card processing (3%) = $60
ioby materials and labor = $35

Total to raise = $2,095

updates

Sorry, but this project doesn't have any updates yet.

photos

This is where photos will go once we build flickr integration

donors

  • camilla v.
  • Haym Gross
  • Elisa Colombani & Mike Lydon
  • Anonymous
  • Benjamin S.
  • Aron M.
  • Anne P.
  • Lucian C.
  • Tiana S.
  • Jaclyn J.
  • Dillon C.
  • Cassie F.
  • Cara S.
  • Nerisusan R.
  • Steven R.
  • Cecilia P.
  • Benjamin S.