City Parks Foundation, Green Mountain Energy Sun Club Unveil Solar Panels, Electric Cars To Power Parks Programs
NEW YORK, November 2, 2022 /3BL Media/ - City Parks Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing free programs to public parks in all five boroughs, will unveil new solar panels powering four community gardens in addition to three new Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles in partnership with NYC Parks GreenThumb and community garden stewards, thanks to a $130,000 grant from Green Mountain Energy Sun Club. The public unveiling will be held on November 17 at the City Parks Foundation Learning Garden at Grove Hill Community Garden, an NYC Parks GreenThumb Community Garden, in the Bronx and will include a ceremonial flipping of the switch to celebrate the grant. Students who participate in the Learning Gardens program, local politicians, community gardeners, and representatives from City Parks Foundation and Green Mountain Energy will be in attendance to celebrate.
The grant from Sun Club directly benefits City Parks Foundation’s Learning Gardens program, which encourages 1st - 7th-grade students in schools in NYC’s low-income communities to visit community gardens to learn about gardening, food systems and food justice. In addition to the solar panels, Sun Club has funded three Chevy Bolt electric cars to support City Parks Foundation’s educational programs, SummerStage and their joint partnership with NYC Parks, Partnerships for Parks.
“We recognize the important work City Parks Foundation is doing to revitalize underserved communities, and we are excited to play a role in making its impact even greater,” said Mark Parsons, Green Mountain Energy vice president and general manager. “At Green Mountain Energy, we believe sustainability should be accessible to all.”
On-site electricity provided by the solar panels will create new opportunities for Learning Gardens, such as the addition of food preparation workshops, charging stations, power for on-site greenhouses and Wi-Fi that teachers and gardeners will be able to access. The electric cars will replace gas-powered vehicles and will allow for safe and efficient transportation.
“These new innovations will allow City Parks Foundation to increase the capacity of our Learning Gardens to have a greater impact on students while supporting the work of long-term community stewards at Grove Hill Community Garden. We are grateful to have received this grant from Green Mountain Energy Sun Club and for the support from Urban Energy. City Parks Foundation looks forward to the potential of green energy in our gardens,” said Chrissy Word, director of education at City Parks Foundation.
For more information, visit cityparksfoundation.org.
DATE, TIME AND LOCATION OF UNVEILING:
November 17, 2022
Press pool: 3:45 pm ET
Event begins: 4 pm ET
CPF Learning Garden at Grove Hill Community Garden, 797 Eagle Ave, The Bronx, NY, 10456
About City Parks Foundation
At City Parks Foundation, we are dedicated to invigorating and transforming parks into dynamic, vibrant centers of urban life through sports, arts, community building and education programs for all New Yorkers. Our programs – located in hundreds of parks, recreation centers and public schools across New York City – reach thousands of people each year. Our ethos is simple: thriving parks mean thriving communities.
About Green Mountain Energy Sun Club
Green Mountain Energy is changing the way power is made and advancing sustainable communities through the work of Green Mountain Energy Sun Club. Since its founding in 2002, Sun Club® has donated more than $11 million to 143 nonprofit organizations across Texas and the Northeast. Sun Club collaborates with nonprofit organizations on projects that focus on renewable energy, energy efficiency, resource conservation, and environmental stewardship. To learn more about Green Mountain Energy and Sun Club or to apply for a Sun Club grant, visit greenmountain.com/sunclub.
About NYC Parks GreenThumb
Established in 1978, NYC Parks GreenThumb is proud to be the nation's largest urban gardening program, assisting more than 550 gardens and 20,000 volunteer gardeners throughout New York City. GreenThumb gardens create hubs of neighborhood pride and provide a myriad of environmental, economic and social benefits to the neighborhoods in which they thrive. GreenThumb's mission is to support and educate community gardens and urban farming across the five boroughs, while preserving open space. By providing free garden materials, technical assistance, educational workshops, and seasonal programs, GreenThumb supports neighborhood volunteers who steward community gardens as active resources that strengthen communities.
