Green and Chic Health Fairs—Community members are educated on the concepts of environmental health, sustainability, emergency preparedness, post-traumatic stress disorder, and additional topics based on needs assessments. Participants make an initial commitment toward healthy living, and services extend beyond the event with giveaways, start-up kits, and action plans.
Events are immersed in the community, and partnerships are leveraged to organize and analyze success. Agenda items include education (lecture, video), networking, demonstrations (fitness, yoga), and lifestyle commitments to maintain interaction. My strategy is mutually-beneficial as I strongly suggest that every attendee sign up for an initial commitment before they take a starter kit or enter the raffle.
“Going Green” workshop for the Holy Cross Neighborhood Association in the Lower 9th Ward (November 2007)--50 attendees participated in a "Sustainability Workbook" group activity that served as a pretest to the theories of sustainability and environmental stewardship; a presentation was given to discuss urban ecology, sustainable development, green technologies, and emergency preparedness; a post-test in the form of an open discussion returned to the questions of the workbook to better evaluate the objectives of the workshop.
Rebuilding Consultations (2007)--Completed 23 household auditing consultations that address energy efficiency, water conservation, indoor air quality, and emergency preparedness within the budget and rebuilding phase of the tenant or homeowner.
Healthy Living Community Expo for Central City New Orleans (May 2008)—37 organizations, 70 attendees that made an average 5 organizational connections, 4 speakers, 16 volunteers, distributed 200 children’s books (First Book Greater New Orleans), 100 Recycline Preserve toothbrushes, 100 CFLs (donated by Consciously Rebuilding), and 100 condoms (City Office of Health Policy), Collected used cell phones for recycling, 2 cases of apples and oranges (Whole Foods Market)
Healthy Living Community Expo for the Upper Ninth Ward (November 2008)—a collaborative effort with The Partnership for an Active Community Environment (PACE) of Tulane School of Public Health, and the Green Project; distributed 40 pedometers, 30 recycled plastic water bottles, 100 packets of organic seeds, and raffled 2 bicycles. About 30 attendees, with 18 attendees committed to making healthier decisions regarding nutrition, fitness, environmental stewardship, energy conservation, and water conservation. Food was provided by a donation from Whole Foods Market of Metairie, Louisiana.
Central City Health Coalition Health Fair (January 2009)—as a member of the coalition, Consciously Rebuilding helped coordinate and participated in the fair to provide an environmental health perspective of health. We received over 100 commitments to initiating a healthy lifestyle, and dispersed 65 start-up kits that included organic seeds, recycled plastic water bottles, action plan journal, and pedometers.
“Green” Affordable Housing--CR has partnered with H.M. Social Services to provide affordable green housing that will improve water and energy efficiency, and increase awareness on Indoor Air Quality and environmental health. Tenant action plans and utility bills will measure success. Tenants contribute social and economic value to the rebuilding process, and sustainable principles learned during the stay can be applied to post-tenancy life. Tenants will also be encouraged to participate in CR events.
Recruited 60 volunteers to gut and clear the 8 units; Received 2 Daylighting Systems Donation from Solatube International; Received full bathroom and kitchen cabinetry; Accepted into building materials donation program; Completed full lead assessment
Glass Recycling Arts Program--CR and iCCESSORIZE have teamed up to develop a Glass Recycling and Arts program that responds to the overwhelming amount of wasted glass due to the recent termination of glass recycling. We transform glass that would otherwise go to landfills into unique and environmentally friendly jewelry, while training students on this green job opportunity. CR collects the glass at monthly drives during the Sankofa Market. The glass is washed and broken by hand, then fired in designs that iCCESSORIZE has created for the CR brand. The jewelry line will launch summer 2009, and the youth program will launch fall 2009. Profits will be reinvested into the program to sustain its longevity.
Collected 300 bottles during 2 drives; designing 10 pieces of recycled glass-based jewelry; launch jewelry at Essence Fest 2009
