As the weather warms up, the volunteering gets going! Our community members have logged more than 70,000 hours, but we still need your help to reach our goal of 150,000 hours! Check out our website to pick the opportunity and organization that is right for you.
Let’s take a look at some of the notable volunteering that has recently occurred in the community.
Evanston Public Library volunteers have contributed close to 1,700 hours towards our goal.
Dawes Elementary School continues to show its spirit of volunteerism with more than 250 logged hours.
Evanston History Center volunteers have stepped up with over 500 hours of service.
We'd also like to recognize all of the outstanding volunteers who gave their time and efforts to the Mayor's Summer Youth Employment Program Job Fair. These volunteers were instrumental in helping young adults prepare for job interviews. Volunteers filled a variety of roles, from application assistants to hospitality agents. On behalf of the City of Evanston, we'd like to thank each and every one of them for their contribution to this wonderful community program!
If you are inspired by the hard work of your fellow community members, please search for a volunteer opportunity that suits you at www.volunteerevanston.org.
Together we will "Be the Change"!
For the month of May, Volunteer Evanston highlights the
dedication of Jennifer Sultz to the community and to Evanston150.
Since March of 2011, Jennifer has poured her energy into ensuring that
Evanston150 operates smoothly and successfully. Her work as event coordinator and now in
marketing has gone above and beyond to ensure that the
organization excels. Jen jumped into the role and effortlessly
continued running with it as production manager for the Evanston150 Community
Kick Off Rally in March of 2011. Her ability to plan, delegate, predict,
troubleshoot and communicate was inspiring as she created a memorable
spectacle that drew a crowd of over 700 community members.
Jen's dedication to the organization has been unparalleled.
From that event onward, Jen has been an integral part of the Evanston 150 program. She opened up doors for
communication between volunteers and organizations to reach a level of
community engagement unseen in Evanston.
Jen consistently pushes for improvements, leading her to incorporate her
analytical skills to collect and organize data pertaining to new ideas for
Evanston150.
Jen, while still deeply involved in the execution of Evanston 150, also now uses
her passion as a member of the Selection Committee. Jen has simply been invaluable to the complete operation of Evanston 150 and continues
to be the driving force behind its success in the community.
Jen is talented, kind, cooperative and
reliable. In every way, she exemplifies
Volunteer Evanston’s motto of “Be the Change.”
Visit www.volunteerevanston.org to follow Jennifer’s lead. If you know an outstanding volunteer we should spotlight, please email us their information at volunteer@volunteerevanston.org
Citizens' Greener Evanston
Citizens’ Greener Evanston works to make Evanston a more sustainable community— environmentally, economically and socially—and to address climate change by dramatically reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. CGE resulted from the Evanston Climate Action Plan, which was presented to the community in 2008. This plan afforded Evanstonians the opportunity to learn about and join various task forces to achieve sustainability goals. Community volunteers work with City staff to develop a plan of action to meet the emission reduction goals of the U.S Mayors Climate Protection Agreement.
CGE’s mission is threefold:
- Promote awareness of, and access to, practical and cost-effective sustainability resources for residents, businesses, institutions and public entities
- Advocate for practices and policies that support local and regional sustainability goals and ideals
- Create a unifying sustainability effort that encourages participation from all segments of the Evanston community.
Accomplishments
CGE partnered with the City to draft the Evanston Climate Action Plan
- A blueprint for reducing the community’s greenhouse gas emissions by 13 percent in 2012.
CGE played a lead role in bringing Community Choice Electricity Aggregation with 100 percent renewable energy to Evanston
- Aggregation led to a 16% reduction in the community’s greenhouse gas emissions, saving Evanstonians an estimated $7 million on their utility bills.
Established the Evanston Climate Action Fund
- To receive contributions from Evanstonians wishing to compensate for their greenhouse gas emissions. This fund supports emissions-reduction projects for local nonprofit organizations
Volunteers
If you are passionate about the environment, CGE is looking for volunteers just like you to participate in segments of the Community Agenda.
You can start by becoming a member of CGE to support the organization’s work, get connected with Evanston’s sustainable community, and to become eligible to serve on one of CGE’s boards and committees.
Each of these working groups needs new members to help facilitate their goals.
Groups include:
25% by 2016 Campaign
- Implementing strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% in 2016
Adaptation/Natural Resources
- Identifying and promoting strategies to help the Evanston community prepare for the projected impacts of climate change
Community Education
- Providing educational programs that help Evanston community members reduce their environmental impact
Energy Efficiency
- Working to institutionalize energy efficiency programs in 40% of Evanston’s single-family households
Integrated Transportation
- Advocating for innovative, integrated transportation plans to reduce carbon emissions associated with transportation in Evanston
Renewable Energy
- Working to create a community desire for investments in renewable energy sources and to increase solar installations in Evanston by 100% over the next three years
Events
Green Drinks Program
On the second Tuesday of the month, CGE hosts a gathering of community members interested in learning about sustainability issues.
Each event features presentations by a panel of local experts, followed by Q&A and discussion with the audience. This is a great way to network with other environmentally-minded Evanstonians.
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