Green Opportunities Weatherizes Home #100

This is from GO–this organization is an absolute pioneer in socially just job training and creation.

On the last day of January, Green Opportunities (GO) crew members Giovanni McKnight, Ed Holloman, and Matthew Martinez finished up home weatherization measures for a home on Carroll Avenue, marking the hundredth Asheville residence weatherized through GO’s free home weatherization program.

 Since September 2009, GO has partnered with the City of Asheville, the Western North Carolina Green Building Council, and Community Action Opportunities to provide free home weatherization measures for Asheville residents who earn under 200% of the federal poverty scale. With financing from federal stimulus money and a city of Asheville Community Development Block Grant, GO has been able to employ over a dozen people over the past two and a half years, offering the opportunity for members to gain skills and experience in a growing field while providing up to $6,000 worth of work on each home for free.

Green Opportunities is an Asheville-based nonprofit dedicated to improving lives, communities and the health of the planet through innovative green collar job training and placement programs. The GO Weatherization Assistance Training Team (WATT) is a paid apprenticeship program designed to prepare GO Training Team graduates for clean energy careers while improving the efficiency of houses in low-wealth neighborhoods. Ed Holloman, after his term on the GO Training Team, became the first state-registered WATT apprentice. He’s been gaining weatherization experience in the field as part of the WATT crew, but will soon move on to an apprenticeship with GO’s Home Energy Rating System rater, where his experience on the crew will assist in his mastery of home energy auditing.

Jessie Mae Jones, a recent recipient of GO’s free home weatherization measures, has expressed as much enthusiasm for GO’s dedication to training local residents with barriers to employment as she has for the improvements done to her house. “Everybody that came to help me did a beautiful job; I have no complaints,” she recently testified. “Most of all I’m so thankful that you all are training all races of young [people] today, because we need this.”

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Aweome Green Opportunities Party: June 23

Green Opportunities (GO) is hosting their third annual fundraising celebration on June 23 at the YMI Cultural Center in the historic Block neighborhood in downtown Asheville.   Proceeds support GO’s efforts to build a just and inclusive Green Economy in Western North Carolina.

New to this year’s event is a dynamic, “Spit ‘N Spin” format that will feature live performances by GO members and friends. Performances will include hip hop and soul musicians, DJs, spoken word artists, break-dancers and more. GO members will be joined by the Urban Arts Institute’s “Hip Hop 4 Peace” performers, a group of urban Asheville youth expressing their lives through creative expression.

In addition to homegrown entertainment, guests of the event will enjoy homegrown food and beverages courtesy of local businesses. Food sponsors so far include 12 Bones, Roots Catering, Nona Mia, Bouchon, The Southern, Eat Your Greens and Craggie Brewery.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Doors open at 6:30 PM with the “Spit ‘N Spin” kicking off at 7:00. Festivities are expected to conclude at 9:00.

When: Thursday, June 23 from 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM.
Where: YMI Cultural Center, 39 South Market Street, Asheville
What: Local food, beer, and live entertainment, GO-Style.
Cost: $20 in advance and $25 at the door
To RSVP: Contact 828-398-4158 or goparty@greenopportunities.org
On-line Tickets

Green Opportunities is a community-based nonprofit organization dedicated to improving lives, communities
and the health of the planet through innovative green collar job training and placement programs.
GO is committed to empowering low-income neighborhoods in Asheville by preparing residents for well-paying
jobs, completing hands-on projects that make these neighborhoods safer and more sustainable, and by linking
the residents of these neighborhoods to jobs and other community resources that lead to greater
empowerment.

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GO! to Greenlife for Groceries Tuesday, May 24

Stock up on your groceries for Memorial Day weekend on Tuesday, May 24, and Greenlife Grocery will donate 5% of your sale to non-profit Green Opportunities (GO).  Mark your calendars, program your smarty pants phones, and tell your friends: GO to Greenlife on May 24!

Greenlife Grocery has a Store Level Giving Program that supports a number of non-profits around the area.  Lastyear,Greenlife and Whole Foods Markets put $243,761 back into the region through their community giving days.  Help them continue to support innovative organizations that support the environment, communities, health, organic farming and respect for living beings.

While you’re shopping, learn about weatherization through in-store demonstrationsand learn more about how Green Opportunities connects low-income communities to green collar jobs and training.

Green Opportunities is an Asheville-based, community-based development organization dedicated to improving lives, communities and the health of the planet through innovative green collar job training and placement programs.Currently, Green Opportunities operates three green collar job training programs, offers free and market-rate weatherization services and operates a temporary labor service for local businesses using program graduates.

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Sweet Weatherization Video: Eco-Nerds Unite! “Seal It Tight”

If my post last week, re: weatherizing your home wasn’t enough to get you to call, check out this awesome ditty by: Green Opportunities, WNC Green Building Council and Collapseable Studios.  Juan Holiday from the The Secret B Sides lays it down with a parody on Taio Cruz’s “Dynamite.”

Weatherize y’all.  Be as cool as these folks!  🙂  828-398-4158 (ask for Marcus)

(828) 398-4158

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Hire Local: Weatherization, Temp Labor, Green Jobs

I’ve been fortunate to volunteer and work with Green Opportunities for more than 2 years now.  From the staff to the members, they are a stellar group of individuals making real change in how our communities function: they provide green job training and opportunities to those who have barriers to employment.

Did you know that they have teams that can weatherize your home, provide reliable, affordable temporary labor, and also provide apprentices for your business?  Interested?  Call 398-4168 and talk with Anthony or Amber.

In this NC NOW Clip, the weatherization team is weatherizing my basement.  Please watch this clip (go to 9:40 for the GO segment) and hear how the change is being made.

If you care about hiring local, buying local, supporting local, energy efficiency, making your home and life more sustainable, prove it.  Hire GO to provide an assessment and start investing in making your home more efficient.  Step by step, dollar by dollar.  We’re all connected.

 

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Weatherize Your Home or Commercial Building

GO member, Kelvin Bonilla, demonstrates weatherization techniques at GO's training workshop at the Reid Center

Non-profit Green Opportunities‘ Energy Team will provide an energy audit and make recommendations for weatherizing your home, providing savings on your energy bills and increasing the efficiency and health of your home or building.  For example, in a collaboration with the Housing Authority of the City of Asheville, Siemens and Home Energy Partners and GO Energy Team, they weatherized 1200 public housing units in eight developments in Asheville.  The housing authority will save $757,078 this year, guaranteed.  If they don’t save that amount, Siemens will write them a check for that savings–that’s how well weatherization and building performance improvements work.

Oh, and also, Green Opportunities hired and trained people who live in public housing for the project, and plan to keep them employed by weatherizing private homes and commercial buildings.  Been thinking about an energy audit on your home?  For $300, GO Energy Team will test your home’s performance, and make recommendations for how to make it more efficient.  They will work with you (and your budget) to determine a course of action for weatherizing your space.  Call Marcus Renner for more information: 713-3346.

Read more about the partnership from Jason Sandford at the Citizen Times.

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Collaboration is Sustainable for Business & Community

Equinox Environmental (Equinox) is one example of the kind of business partner that Green Opportunities (GO) dreams about.  They get it.  They just do.  Equinox’ mission to facilitate conservation and sustainable development and their values supporting social responsibility aligns perfectly with GO’s bottom line of people, planet, and profit.

GO is an Asheville-based community-based development organization dedicated to improving lives, communities and the health of the planet through innovative green collar job training and placement programs. Equinox facilitates resource conservation and sustainable development by servicing private, public, and non-profit interests with high quality ecological, planning, and design services.

In addition to financial support for GO, the Equinox staff has provided training to GO members in species management.  In conjunction with the Western North Carolina Alliance and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, in spring 2008, Equinox hosted an environmental service learning project in Hot Springs to provide GO members with some of the technical skills required to pursue a career in ecosystem restoration.

The training included: invasive exotic plant identification, control, data collection methodologies, GPS unit operation, and Microsoft Excel data entry, invasive plant inventory and control, and native plant revegetation.

Equinox is celebrating its 10^th anniversary in 2010, and it’s easy to see why.  From the president of the company through the staff, they are not just “sustainability experts” helping others to protect, restore and use land and habitats, but they believe in giving back, in supporting the community in which they work by supporting the organizations and initiatives that reflect their mission.  They know that collaboration is sustainable both for business and their larger community.

For more information about this or other GO partnerships or partnership opportunities, please contact Dan Leroy at 828.398.4158 or dan@greenopportunities.org.

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Community Arts Panel at UNC-A This Wednesday

Nice line up here folks.  I’m looking forward to this.

image from panachemag.com

Community, Arts &  Development in Asheville

A panel presentation and gathering of local community leaders open to the campus and broader Asheville communities

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29TH 3–5:15 PM

UNC Asheville Laurel Forum (Karpen Hall)

DeWayne (aka BLove) Barton Co-founder of GO! Green Opportunities, Burton Street Community Resident & Organizer, Sculptor, Poet

Jen Bowen Cultural Arts Administrator for Asheville Parks, Recreation & Cultural Arts
, Community Organizer, Photographer

Norma Brown Latino Outreach Coordinator for Children First Family Resource Center at EMMA, Poet

Wayne Burgess Director of Channel of Grace and community liaison for Just Home in the Mountains

Gary Gaines & Carol Anders Performers from Always Expect Miracles the Just Home in the Mountains Community Performance Project, sponsored by Homeward Bound of Asheville

Graham Hackett Program Director, Asheville Area Arts Council, Artistic Director of Catalyst Productions and POETIX

Kitty Love Director of Arts2People (Lexington Ave Arts Festival and Asheville Mural Project), Tattoo Artist

Polly Medlicott, & Mark Medlin Co-Founders, Interweave Asheville (an inclusive arts organization for people of all abilities)

Robert & Lucia White and other members of Pisgah View Community Garden Founders & Supporters

Sponsored by the Arts & Ideas Program & the Key Center for Service-Learning

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Green Opportunities + Mountain Housing Opportunities = Opportunity

Brandon Meyer (middle) with colleague and Russ Henningsen (right) Superintendent with Cox-Schepp Construction

Until recently, Brandon Meyer was a young man without a compass.   A young man without direction.  All that changed when a trio of organizations entered Brandon’s life: Mountain Housing Opportunities, Asheville Green Opportunities (Asheville GO), and Cox-Schepp Construction, Inc.

The connection between all of these organizations began with Cindy Weeks, Manager of Community Investments with Mountain Housing Opportunities.

“Because of MHO’s interest in helping young people gain living wage employment, I have always encouraged training in the construction trades, which offers some of the highest paying jobs in our region,” said Weeks. “When GO started, I was immediately interested in involving them and their trainees in the Glen Rock Depot, since it is a community development project with affordable housing.  It very quickly became a reality.  But without Cox-Shepp’s willingness to take this on, in addition to their many pressing duties, it would not have been possible.”

Brandon is part of the Asheville Green Opportunities Training Team, a paid job training and placement program designed to give disconnected youth in the Asheville community a living wage job in the fast growing green economy.

“ We work with high school dropouts, underprivileged teens, kids with little or no work experience,” said GO co-founder Dan Leroy. “Brandon is part of the apprenticeship program that is hosted by local businesses that provide on-the-job experience for 20 weeks.”

Russ Henningsen is Superintendent of Cox-Schepp Construction, Inc.  He’s also Brandon’s supervisor.

“We made sure that Brandon understood that he was part of a team here,” said Henningsen.  “People counted on him to not let them down.  In reality,” continued Henningsen, “he’s learned how to not let himself down.”

Brandon has learned a variety of job responsibilities during his apprenticeship – from installing solar panels to assisting carpenters.  “We’re trying to get him prepared for the rest of his life,” said Henningsen.

“The experience has been awesome,” said twenty-one year old Brandon. “I’ve learned a lot and I’ve been given opportunities that I never would have had.  I’m so grateful to MHO and GO and the Cox-Schepp team.”

Brandon’s apprenticeship with the construction company is nearly finished. But Brandon won’t be leaving.  Cox-Schepp will be hiring Brandon after the program ends – a new man, with a new direction.

Article by Lisa Keeter, Mountain Housing Opportunities

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River District Warehouse Dinner & Dance After Party May 22 (benefits Asheville GO!)

Y’all, please hang out with me at this awesome Dinner and Warehouse Dance Party fundraiser for Green Opportunities on May 22!  Green Opportunities is an Asheville-based, community-based development organization dedicated to building a strong and just green economy through job training and placement, community education, and green micro-enterprises.

Soul/funk songstress, Laura Reed from Laura Reed and Deep Pocket is playing an acoustic set!  It’s her first time playing in Asheville in more than a year.  Then, there are a few amazing DJs, and $3 Pisgah Organic beer.  It’s in the hip River Arts District at the Seven Star Factory —in the old Cotton Mill building on Lyman.

TICKET OPTIONS

$30 VIP Pass (limited number so RSVP today)

Includes: Cocktail Hour, Dinner, and Warehouse Dance Party

$10 After Party Pass 8:30 p.m. – 1:30 a.m.

Includes: Warehouse Dance Party, $3 for Pisgah Organic beer and Wine Studio wines

DETAILS

When: Saturday, May 22 from 6:00 p.m. – 1:30 a.m.

Where: Seven Star Factory, 191 Lyman Street, Ste. 101, Asheville (the old Candle Factory in the River Arts District, near the dog training school)

What: Dinner by ROOTS, Beer by Pisgah Organic and Wine Studio wines, and Warehouse Dance Party

Cost: $30 VIP Pass OR $10 After Party Pass

EVENING EVENTS

Cocktail Hour and Dinner by ROOTS (VIP $30)

6:00 p.m. Cocktail Hour by Pisgah Organic and Wine Studio
7:00 p.m. Dinner by ROOTS with Youth Gospel Choir

8:30 p.m. Presentation by Asheville GO Members

Warehouse Dance After Party: 3 Sets to Get Your Groove On ($10)

9:00-10:00 p.m. Laura Reed Acoustic from Laura Reed and Deep Pocket

10:30-11:45 p.m. DJ BrettRock

11:45 p.m.-1:30 a.m. DJ TerryCloth Tubetop and DJ VIET

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