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 Read current news on the Groundwork Denver News page. |
News ArchivesNovember 4, 2010—Green Team Hits 700 Bicycle Miles Ridden
Leading by example, citizens in 188 countries joined more than 7,000 climate "work parties" over the weekend to get to work installing solar panels, weatherizing homes, planting trees, and then calling politicians to ask a simple question, "We're getting to work, what about you?" Over 40 volunteers joined Groundwork Denver in a 10/10/10 neighborhood energy action in the West Colfax Neighborhood. Volunteers swapped out incandescent porch bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs, signed people up for recycling services, helped people cancel their junk mail, and pre-qualified them for free weatherization services.
Groundwork Denver’s Fall Fundraising Bash was a resounding success. Over 100 guests joined us on a warm fall evening for great music from DJ Cavem, vegetarian food, local beer and wine. Thanks to all who attended!
September 25, 2010—TV Rwanda Interviews Groundwork Denver
One of our Green Team members this past summer happens to be from Rwanda, so he served as our TV spokesperson. Here is Silivere, dressed for success, talking about his experience working with Groundwork Denver.
September 2, 2010—“Strive to Not Drive” Launches Car-Free Month in Berkeley The North Denver Tribune covered our Car-free Month activities in the Berkeley neighborhood. Please click here to read the article.
Please click here to read the article
What better way to celebrate Earth Day than to help our neighbors reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy bills. On Saturday April 24, 2010 volunteers from all over Denver will bring neighborhood energy action to Denver’s Five Points and Swansea neighborhoods. In teams of two, we will be knocking on doors offering to swap out front porch incandescent bulbs with CFLs, providing resources to reduce energy use, and signing up people for recycling, free trees and free weatherization. Volunteers will gather in Five Points at 9:30 am. Contact Reggie@GroundworkDenver.org to register. March 15, 2010—Groundwork Denver Announces Lead Safety Training Classes March 13, 2010—Fulbright Students from Around the World Help in the Clayton Neighborhood
On Monday, Jan. 18, more than 100 volunteers working with Groundwork Denver brought the Neighborhood Energy Action Partnership to the Whittier Neighborhood in Denver.... Click here to view video of the Channel 9 News Report January 18, 2010—MLK-Day Volunteers Knock out 110 Tons of Emissions - 302 porch bulbs were swapped to CFLs These simple actions add up to big greenhouse gas emissions reductions by reducing energy needed in the home, energy needed for transporting and manufacturing unwanted mail, and energy used to making products out of raw materials. The emissions reduced by this action are equivalent to not driving 220,000 miles per year. Over the next two months Groundwork Denver and Mile High Youth Corps will visit the homes to do the energy audits. For lower income families, MHYC will help the family save more energy by swapping out more bulbs and installing low-flow shower heads, programmable thermostats, clothes lines, and other low cost measures. All families will receive detailed information on how they can save energy by making simple changes, like washing laundry in cold water, drying clothes on a line, or setting back their thermostat at night.
November 13, 2009 – Green Team Members Head to New Orleans August 8, 2009 - Climate Justice in Cole and Westwood June 5, 2009 – Deloitte Staff Volunteer for Big Impact
May 16, 2009 - Four Denver Neighborhoods Combat Climate Change Nearly 300 volunteers and AmeriCorps members took to the streets on Saturday to help households in four Denver neighborhoods become more energy efficient. The service project was part of the Denver Climate Challenge, a dynamic program of the non-profit Groundwork Denver (GWD) that empowers residents and businesses to measurably reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The project was organized in honor of the 15th anniversaryof AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC). Volunteers went door-to-door in Barnum, Barnum West, Mar Lee, and Northeast Park Hill neighborhoods. In this one day, the following was accomplished:
These actions will cut annual greenhouse gas emissions by about 340 tons per year, or the equivalent of reducing auto travel by 684,000 miles. Thank you to our project sponsors! Green Level Sponsors:
JFK & Associates
Blue Level Sponsors:
Other sponsors: Colorado Commercial Real Estate, Safeway, Sunflower Farmers Market, Starbucks, Einstein Bros. Bagels. April 26, 2009 - Earth Day Effort Garners 100 New Trees for Sunnyside – North Denver News The air might seem a little fresher today if you happen to walk around the Sunnyside neighborhood, 100 times fresher in fact. This past Sunday, local nonprofits Groundwork Denver and The Park People, with sponsorship from Credit Union of Colorado, took up shovels with over 50 volunteers to plant almost 100 trees in front of Sunnyside homes. The Park People provided the trees for free to Sunnyside residents who were eager to support a greener future. After Sunday’s Earth Day effort, Winter King Hawthorns, Regent Pagodas, Summer Splendor Maples, and Turkish Filberts trees will now provide shade, sequester pollutants and catch run off for generations to come.
This is the first year for the inspirational collaborative. Both nonprofits are small in size but big in heart, relying on volunteer efforts to implement on-the-ground projects like the Sunnyside tree planting on Sunday. Groundwork Denver actively engages the community in a variety of environmental projects, partnering with Denver residents who seek to improve their neighborhoods. They may have knocked on your door at some point to install a compact fluorescent bulb in you front porch light. The Park People have been an arboreal staple for 40 years advocating for Denver’s parks and recreation resources. Since 1991, their flagship Denver Digs program has distributed over 35,000 trees to Denver residents April 20, 2009 – Merchants at 32nd and Lowell Support Groundwork Denver for Earth Day In honor of Earth Day, six merchants in the 32nd and Lowell shopping district supported Groundwork Denver by posting information about The Denver Climate Challenge and asking customers to round up their bills for support. We’d like to thank the following businesses for their support: The Perfect Petal Seafood Landing Wordshop Kismet Basil Doc’s Pizzeria Three Dogs Tavern April 15, 2009 – Groundwork Denver Open House a Success!
Thanks for donations from Sloans Bar & Grill, Valerian, San Carlos Restaurant, Basil Doc’s Pizzeria, and Buckley Square Liquors. April 3, 2009 – DU Law Students Find that Denver Has the Authority to Require Lead-based Paint Hazard Abatement After months of research, DU Law Students presented their research findings on “Policy and Legal Strategies to Combat Residential Sources of Lead Poisoning in Children” to Denver Environmental Health. The research was conducted on behalf of Groundwork Denver to explore various legal avenues available to local government and/or private citizens to require property owners to abate lead-based paint hazards in residential units within Denver, Colorado. The students, led by Professor Michael Harris, found that the city’s existing Housing Code provides a persuasive means of enforcement, given its clear purpose to protect, preserve, and promote the physical and mental health of the people. March 17, 2009 – Groundwork USA Holds Congressional Briefing in DC About 100 staff from federal agencies, congressional offices, and other non-profit organizations attended the Groundwork USA briefing on capital hill today. The event, hosted by the Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition and The Revitalizing Older Cities Task Force in conjunction with Northeast-Midwest Institute, showcased the accomplishments of the Groundwork USA network. Draft legislation, sponsored by Representative Niki Tsongas, to authorize Groundwork USA as a federal program was also introduced. While we expect that passing this legislation will be a multi-year process, its success would mean line-item funding allocation for Groundwork USA to pass to the local trusts. March 3, 2009 – Bring Out Your Dead….Electronics!
February 2009 – AmeriCorps NCCC Team arrives to help Groundwork Denver February 2009 – House by House, Youth Tackle Climate Change January 24, 2009 - Nobel Prize Winner Speaks to Groundwork Denver Volunteers
December 2008 – Groundwork Denver has Moved!Groundwork Denver’s new office is located at 2740 W. 28th Ave (between Clay and Decatur) in the Jefferson Park neighborhood. We are the sole occupants of a small house that has been converted to office space. The new space gives us much more room to work with volunteers and interns, which allows us to be more efficient with our funding in the long run. Feel free to drop by any time. December 2008 – Groundwork Denver on Channel 9’s Colorado and CompanyWendy Hawthorne and Julie Connor were interviewed on Channel 9’s Colorado and Company today. The interview focused on our projects that are helping people through tough economic times while improving the environment at the same time. We discussed our energy efficiency project as well as our job training projects. December 2008 – Groundwork Denver filmed for the German version of 60 MinutesA film crew and reporter with the German version of 60 minutes came to Denver last week to interview and film Groundwork Denver and several of the other partners that worked on the Denver Climate Challenge – Sunnyside. They interviewed Mayor Hickenlooper then visited a house that was being weatherized by Sun Power and one that was being audited by the Mile High Youth Corps. The crew filmed Julie Connor and Ray Ribota with Groundwork Denver in action conducting the the door-to-door outreach where families are first engaged it the Denver Climate Challenge project. When asked why this project was of interest to a German audience, the reporter explained that door-to-door community organizing is not typical in Germany and that the idea intrigued many people who were captivated by the Obama campaign. The Germans are also very interested to see what we are doing in the U.S. to address climate change. So the reporter believed that the combination of both community organizing and climate change would have a double interest for their viewers. The show aired on February 1, 2009. Here is a link…if you read German: "Energiesparen im Armenviertel" (Source: DasErste.de, 1 Februar 2009) December 2008 – Denver Climate Challenge in Sunnyside on Channel 7 NewsChannel 7 News ran a story on the collaborative partnership that participated in the Denver Climate Challenge in Sunnyside. The story featured Rosetta Martinez, who was first engaged by Groundwork Denver during the Porch Bulb Project in June. After that, we performed an energy audit and helped her fill out the application for Sun Power. During the October Climate Challenge in Sunnyside, Rosetta graciously let her home be a demonstration for the neighborhood. Visit the Denver Channel website and search for “group wants to turn neighborhoods green” to see how this project has affected Rosetta’s life. December 2008 – Denver Climate Challenge in Sunnyside highlighted in USA TodayRead the full article on the USA Today website. October 2008 – EPA Lead Outreach AwardGroundwork Denver was awarded a grant from EPA to conduct outreach, training, and “infrastructure” development to prevent lead poisoning in Denver. “Infrastructure development” can include new regulations, ordinances, or enforcement processes to ensure that housing is safe for children in Denver. The outreach and training portions of the grant will be done in collaboration with Northeast Denver Housing Center. Denver Department of Environmental Health and the National Center for Healthy Housing will assist with the infrastructure development portion of the project. September 2008 – Three New Board Members and One New StaffWe welcome three new Board members to Groundwork Denver: Jamie Torres is the Director of the Office of Community Support in the Agency for Human Rights and Community Relations in the City and County of Denver; Rich Nipert is a real estate attorney with Bright, Gibson & Nipert, P.C.; Emilie Baratta is a real estate developer who focuses on sustainable and "green" development. August 2008 – DNC Visitors Invited to Offset their Carbon Emissions through the Porch Bulb Project
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Groundwork Denver’s Green Team practices what it preaches by biking from job to job. The eight-member youth team works on community-based environmental projects all over Denver. Since March, the team has ridden 700 miles, each burning 33,000 calories and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 233 lbs. 
Just weeks before elections in the United States and climate talks at the United Nations, citizens from Afghanistan to West Virginia joined 350.org's "10/10/10 Global Work Party" to issue a unified demand that politicians stop dragging their feet and get to work on climate solutions.
Something about Groundwork Denver captures the attention of media worldwide. We’ve been interviewed by media outlets from Germany, Russia, Canada, Spain and, now, Rwanda. TV Rwanda came on Saturday to talk with us about our climate change initiatives and visit a home receiving services in Commerce City. 
I can’t resist: How many Fulbright Students does it take to change 100 light bulbs? Groundwork Denver was honored to host over 50 Fulbright Students from around the world as volunteers for the neighborhood energy action in the Clayton neighborhood. We were honored to host these incredibly bright minds on a service project to help Denver residents reduce their energy bills while cutting greenhouse gas emissions. 
From November 13th through November 15th, two youth from the Groundwork Denver Green Team were honored to meet with other youth from across the country at the Groundwork USA Youth Summit in New Orleans. The youth came together to learn about the particular environmental and social challenges as experienced by Groundwork New Orleans youth, and to share the challenges and solutions in their own cities. As the youth toured and worked together in this incredibly unique and diverse city, they began to feel the connections to each other and the work they all do in their own separate cities and towns. From New Jersey to West Virginia, Somerville to Richmond, and Dallas to Denver to DC, there is something intangible and special that unifies and connects the Groundwork network - passionate and caring individuals working as a team to protect and prepare our communities for healthy futures.
Climate change is predicted to have numerous negative public health impacts even in the U.S. In Denver, experts predict drought, heat waves, hail storms and increased smog. The health impacts of these changes are likely to fall disproportionately on elderly, low-income, and uninsured residents. To address this "climate justice" issue, Groundwork Denver has been working with low-income immigrants in the Cole and Westwood neighborhoods to address the potential future health impacts of climate change through activities such as energy conservation, household waste recycling and by providing emergency preparedness information. Our findings indicate a community that takes climate change seriously, many having seen its effects in their home country, and one that is ready to reduce energy use, recycle more and plant trees to combat these impacts. 
Over 110 staff from the Denver Deloitte office volunteered with Groundwork Denver today as part of their corporate Impact Day. About half the volunteers worked at Camp Rollandet natural area, helping to restore this seven acre site to native landscape. The other half took part in a door-to-door Climate Challenge in the Athmar Park neighborhood, where they swapped out about 450 front porch bulbs from incandescent to compact fluorescent, resulting in a carbon dioxide emission reduction of 24 tons per year. Deloitte is an international professional services firm providing audit, tax, and financial advisory services. 
Have you ever walked across the bridge at 23rd Avenue that goes over I-25? First you would have noticed that leading up to the bridge was a narrow, shoe-worn dirt path. You definitely would have felt your pulse quicken as you looked over the rusted railing — in some places broken — onto the traffic below. Groundwork Denver partnered with Jefferson Park United Neighbors to coordinate volunteer efforts to improve this key connection between the neighborhood and the Platte Valley. On Saturday May 30th, a dozen volunteers swung picks, loaded wheelbarrows, moved 30 tons of gravel fines, and built 235 lineal feet of handicap accessible pathways leading up to the bridge from both directions. Click here for an article in the Tribune. 
Grunts and laughter could be heard as volunteers and homeowners alike wrapped their hands around tiny trunks and lowered the future great trees into hole after hole. One homeowner leaned on a shovel while her daughter watered down the dirt mound volunteers dug for a Green Mountain Sugar Maple. A true community effort, volunteers from surrounding neighborhoods were proud to take part in this local accomplishment.
We were pleased to see over 80 board members, volunteers, community members, and partners mingling around dips and GWD project boards at our first Open House at our new location. The open house allowed us to show off our new digs and showcase the progress of our projects like our Porch Bulb Project, Denver Climate Challenge, Lead Poisoning Prevention, and Green Team. The high turnout proved fruitful for feedback and dialogue, as wellas made possible the formation of new connections among community members. 
With news of a free electronics recycling event in town, Groundwork Denver hit the streets to round up TVs, computer monitors and CPUs, VCRs, cell phones and other dead electronics in the basements and closets of our clients in north Denver. Over the last year, we had asked our clients if they had electronics to get rid of, asked them not to throw them in the dumpster, and promised to come back when an event was scheduled. We made good on our promise and rounded up a whole truck load of electronics for proper disposal. 
Fifty youth participating in Denver’s PeaceJam youth conference joined Groundwork Denver to tackle global climate change on Saturday, February 28 by swapping out inefficient porch light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs for free. Similar to a door-to-door political canvass, the youth were assigned several blocks and provided address walk-sheets in the Clayton neighborhood of northeast Denver. However, instead of asking for a vote, they asked to swap out the front porch light bulbs. The new bulbs will provide residents with energy and cost savings, as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The youth swapped out 127 bulbs, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by about 10 tons per year. 
Dr. Dan Albritton, a 2007 Nobel Peace Prize recipient with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, spoke to volunteers about his global climate change work as it relates to the community-based work they would complete in the Globeville neighborhood. Dr. Albritton made it clear that the on-the-ground measures of swapping out porch bulbs and educating people about simple things they can do in the home were extremely important to the overall solution for addressing climate change. 
Groundwork Denver unveiled the “Bulb-o-Meter” at the Green Frontier Festival and the Sustainable Living Roadshow during the Democratic National Convention. The Bulb-o-Meter provides a way for visitors to Denver to offset for their travel emissions by paying for compact fluorescent light bulbs that will be used to replace incandescent porch bulbs. A map of the U.S. shows visitors how the cost for the bulbs to offset their emissions. Over 40 visitors contributed to the project and many more took a special DNC Denver Climate Challenge and committed to recycling, using alternative transportation, eating vegetarian meals, and refusing disposable water bottles while at the convention. 
July 2008 – Green Team Solar Training
