It's Official!
By NHS Staff
Today we received word that we have been approved as a 2014 NeighborWorks America Green Organization!
Even though NHS has been committed to sustainability for years (as indicated by our Energy Star-certified houses and our LEED Platinum-certified Home Improvement and Energy Conservation Lab), the Green Designation process showed us many new ways in which we could improve our operations and policies to be as environmentally friendly as possible.
In the past year, NHS has made a number of important changes in pursuit of our Green Designation.
We assembled a Green Team for our staff...
We joined the ranks of the Healthy City/Healthy Climate Challenge, an alliance of New Haven organizations concerned with climate change...
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| The Healthy City/Healthy Climate Challenge debuted at ArtSpace, coinciding with an art exhibit focused on the effects of climate change. |
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| Some of NHS' staff at the Healthy City/Healthy Climate Challenge launch event. |
We implemented semi-annual Green Weeks to raise staff awareness of issues related to environmental degradation and climate change...
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| NHS now composts! We learned the benefits of composting during our inaugural Green Week event. |
We altered our purchasing policy so that our office supplies are recyclable, recycled, environmentally friendly, and local...
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| Really local... We now make our own air freshener! |
We formed a staff Transportation Committee to identify ways we can reduce carbon dioxide emissions, leading to actions such as purchasing bike racks for the office...
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| Can't wait to install these bad boys! |
We emerged victorious in the goNewHavengo Alternative Transportation Challenge...
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| New Haven Head of Transportation, Doug Hausladen, addresses the organizations that participated in the goNewHavengo Alternative Transportation Challenge. |
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| The champions! |
We revised each of our lines of business to ensure that each department could, in its own way, make clients and residents aware of the benefits of energy efficiency, recycling, and sustainability...
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| We implemented a series of train-the-trainer workshops to teach people about rain gardens and their role in regulating storm water runoff. |
We participated in community events with a "green" purpose...
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| All aboard at the 2014 West River Water Fesitval |
And we did it all with the help of our two passionate and motivated Green VISTA Members, James and Allison.
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| Climate change crusaders! |
We are so excited to have achieved our Green Designation! Thank you to everyone who supported us along the way!
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