AmeriCorps NCCC Team Spreads the word about Energy Efficiency
Grand Junction, Colo. – A team of 11 AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) members began a five-week service project on June 20 supporting a broad partnership between public and private entities dedicated to energy efficiency.
“We are so excited to have the AmeriCorps team here to launch the Red Door Challenge and assist with the GreenBack$ program,” said Kathy Portner, Neighborhood Services Manager for the City of Grand Junction, one of the project sponsors. “The work that this enthusiastic team is doing will be invaluable to our local efforts to be more energy efficient.”
The AmeriCorps NCCC team will be canvasing surrounding neighborhoods, talking with residents at farmers’ markets, and introducing new energy efficiency services to business owners throughout the county. These activities will help to promote the Grand Valley Energy Alliance’s Red Door Challenge program that gives residents opportunities to save 25% or more on their home utility bills and increase the comfort, safety and durability of their home.
The Grand Valley Energy Alliance is made up of local jurisdictions, utility companies, and other public and private organizations. Once community members have signed up, the local utility company, Xcel Energy, will work with its partners Lightly Treading, Frost Busters and Coolth, as well as Energy Wise, to implement energy audits that point out ways homeowners can take action. Common issues include improving ventilation, sealing and insulating, and improving lighting and windows. These audits, valued between $300 and $450, are being offered for a reduced price through rebates and stimulus money, or could even be free for low-income qualifying homes, courtesy of Housing Resources of Western Colorado.
Meredith Mook, an AmeriCorps NCCC team member, said, “I’m really excited to not only help this community ‘go green’, but to also apply the energy tips we learn to my future home and spread the word to my family and friends.”
The AmeriCorps NCCC team will also be promoting energy efficiency services offered through the GreenBack$ program, a collaboration of the Grand Junction Chamber of Commerce, the Palisade Chamber and the Fruita Chamber. The program is designed to encourage Mesa County businesses to make decisions that save them money and resources, but also benefit customers, employees, and the community as a whole. It offers incentives and recognition to businesses that complete the various levels of participation. Funding for both the Red Door Challenge and GreenBack$ program is through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block grant and Governor’s Energy Office Main Street program.
Information about the residential program is located online at http://www.reddoorchallenge.com/ while information about the business program can be found at http://www.greenbacksproject.com/. Community members can also talk to the AmeriCorps NCCC team at local Farmers’ Markets in Grand Junction, Fruita, and Palisade. The team is scheduled to be at the next Grand Junction Farmers’ Market on July 7; the Fruita Farmers’ Market on July 2 and July 9; and the Palisade Farmers’ Market on July 3 and July 10. They are also in the process of arranging public information events where residents can gather to learn more and ask questions.
This AmeriCorps NCCC team will conclude their work July 21 and head back to the Southwest Region campus in Denver for a final transition period with the other 27 teams based there. The Grand Junction area project is the final project for this team during the 10-month program. They just completed two emergency disaster relief projects in Missouri in response to the tornadoes in St. Louis and Joplin. The team is excited to be graduating on July 29 before they depart back to their home states.
AmeriCorps NCCC is a full-time, residential, national service program in which 1,200 young adults serve nationwide each year. During their 10-month term, Corps Members – all 18 to 24 years old – work on teams of eight to 12 on projects that address critical needs related to natural and other disasters, infrastructure improvement, environmental stewardship and conservation, energy conservation, and urban and rural development. Members work on a series of different projects, typically lasting six to eight weeks each, to mentor students, construct and rehabilitate low-income housing, respond to natural disasters, clean up streams, help communities develop emergency plans, and address countless other local needs. The Southwest Region campus in Denver is one of five regional hubs in the United States and serves eight states in the southwest part of the country. The other campuses are located in Perry Point, Md., Vinton, Iowa, Vicksburg, Miss., and Sacramento, Calif.
In exchange for their service, Corps Members receive $5,550 to help pay for college, or to pay back existing student loans. Other benefits include a small living stipend, room and board, leadership development, increased self-confidence, and the knowledge that, through active citizenship, people can indeed make a difference. AmeriCorps NCCC is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service. The Corporation improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. For more information about AmeriCorps NCCC, visit the website at www.americorps.gov/nccc.
Grand Junction, Colo. – A team of 11 AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) members began a five-week service project on June 20 supporting a broad partnership between public and private entities dedicated to energy efficiency.
“We are so excited to have the AmeriCorps team here to launch the Red Door Challenge and assist with the GreenBack$ program,” said Kathy Portner, Neighborhood Services Manager for the City of Grand Junction, one of the project sponsors. “The work that this enthusiastic team is doing will be invaluable to our local efforts to be more energy efficient.”
The AmeriCorps NCCC team will be canvasing surrounding neighborhoods, talking with residents at farmers’ markets, and introducing new energy efficiency services to business owners throughout the county. These activities will help to promote the Grand Valley Energy Alliance’s Red Door Challenge program that gives residents opportunities to save 25% or more on their home utility bills and increase the comfort, safety and durability of their home.
The Grand Valley Energy Alliance is made up of local jurisdictions, utility companies, and other public and private organizations. Once community members have signed up, the local utility company, Xcel Energy, will work with its partners Lightly Treading, Frost Busters and Coolth, as well as Energy Wise, to implement energy audits that point out ways homeowners can take action. Common issues include improving ventilation, sealing and insulating, and improving lighting and windows. These audits, valued between $300 and $450, are being offered for a reduced price through rebates and stimulus money, or could even be free for low-income qualifying homes, courtesy of Housing Resources of Western Colorado.
Meredith Mook, an AmeriCorps NCCC team member, said, “I’m really excited to not only help this community ‘go green’, but to also apply the energy tips we learn to my future home and spread the word to my family and friends.”
The AmeriCorps NCCC team will also be promoting energy efficiency services offered through the GreenBack$ program, a collaboration of the Grand Junction Chamber of Commerce, the Palisade Chamber and the Fruita Chamber. The program is designed to encourage Mesa County businesses to make decisions that save them money and resources, but also benefit customers, employees, and the community as a whole. It offers incentives and recognition to businesses that complete the various levels of participation. Funding for both the Red Door Challenge and GreenBack$ program is through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block grant and Governor’s Energy Office Main Street program.
Information about the residential program is located online at http://www.reddoorchallenge.com/ while information about the business program can be found at http://www.greenbacksproject.com/. Community members can also talk to the AmeriCorps NCCC team at local Farmers’ Markets in Grand Junction, Fruita, and Palisade. The team is scheduled to be at the next Grand Junction Farmers’ Market on July 7; the Fruita Farmers’ Market on July 2 and July 9; and the Palisade Farmers’ Market on July 3 and July 10. They are also in the process of arranging public information events where residents can gather to learn more and ask questions.
This AmeriCorps NCCC team will conclude their work July 21 and head back to the Southwest Region campus in Denver for a final transition period with the other 27 teams based there. The Grand Junction area project is the final project for this team during the 10-month program. They just completed two emergency disaster relief projects in Missouri in response to the tornadoes in St. Louis and Joplin. The team is excited to be graduating on July 29 before they depart back to their home states.
AmeriCorps NCCC is a full-time, residential, national service program in which 1,200 young adults serve nationwide each year. During their 10-month term, Corps Members – all 18 to 24 years old – work on teams of eight to 12 on projects that address critical needs related to natural and other disasters, infrastructure improvement, environmental stewardship and conservation, energy conservation, and urban and rural development. Members work on a series of different projects, typically lasting six to eight weeks each, to mentor students, construct and rehabilitate low-income housing, respond to natural disasters, clean up streams, help communities develop emergency plans, and address countless other local needs. The Southwest Region campus in Denver is one of five regional hubs in the United States and serves eight states in the southwest part of the country. The other campuses are located in Perry Point, Md., Vinton, Iowa, Vicksburg, Miss., and Sacramento, Calif.
In exchange for their service, Corps Members receive $5,550 to help pay for college, or to pay back existing student loans. Other benefits include a small living stipend, room and board, leadership development, increased self-confidence, and the knowledge that, through active citizenship, people can indeed make a difference. AmeriCorps NCCC is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service. The Corporation improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. For more information about AmeriCorps NCCC, visit the website at www.americorps.gov/nccc.
