Dominion Energy’s Post

Finsen Yu and his family are transforming lives through their community garden in Montgomery, Alabama. Their foundation, named Help a Brother Out, provides residents access to free, fresh foods and a place to learn about self-sufficiency and self-growth. Aside from getting produce, people can also take classes in gardening, meditation and financial literacy. “We try to help the community help itself by instilling values and developing future leaders,” Finsen said. Finsen and his family recently received support from the Red Cross through its Community Adaptation Program to help the foundation expand its efforts and be more resilient against the climate crisis. With the provided funding, they purchased a new greenhouse, storage shed, four-wheeler, and other equipment to broaden the garden’s reach. Through this partnership, the Yu family's foundation can help more families access nutritious food and continue serving the community in the face of disasters. “The community knows that we’re here and that the Red Cross is behind us,” Finsen said. “Knowing that, they come to us because they know the Red Cross can help.”

🌳 Did you know #OurCounty has increased its annual budget for reforestation efforts by over 70% compared to 2021? 🤔 This has helped us maximize opportunities and double the number of trees planted at parks and green areas, as well as in roadways, at county buildings and in environmentally endangered areas. 🌿 The county is close to finalizing a contract with the USDA to implement a $10 million grant to plant trees primarily on streets in targeted areas over the next five years. 💵 ➡️ 🌲 Programs like Adopt-a-Tree and Million Trees Miami are resulting in an additional 10,000 trees provided to residents to plant each year through free giveaways. 🆓 Last month, Miami-Dade County Office of Resilience was invited to a tree planting event with Coca-Cola Beverages Florida where 80 trees were planted at North Pointe Community Center. 🌱   Our Extreme Heat Action Plan aims to reduce excessive heat by expanding the tree canopy and adding more vegetation across urban areas. ☀️ 🔗 Learn more about our Extreme Heat Action Plan: https://lnkd.in/e9G3f_qc 🔗 Learn more about how you can Adopt-a-Tree for FREE: https://lnkd.in/g_xPUPNk #miamidade #miamidadecounty #miami #officeofresilience #resilience #southflorida #resilient305 #heatseason #extremeheat #trees #volunteers #plantatree #arborday

“No Mow May has now become Can’t be Arsed August” How 𝗻𝗼𝘁 to create change. 😳 This is a story about a community coming together to take action on the environment. But not in the way you might expect. They've clubbed together to 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲 the council's rewilding scheme. 😮 Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand: • why community engagement is so important • the dangers of top-down action • how local change happens Take a read: https://lnkd.in/eD-Chjmk 📰 ++ P.S. I'm CEO of environmental charity Hubbub. We create campaigns with business, government and civil society that inspire environmental action. Follow me - @Alex Robinson - for insights on environmental change, leadership and more. #environment #sustainability #leadership  #communityaction #rewilding

Through the Kentucky Fried Wishes program, the KFC Foundation will award up to $1 million total to 100 nonprofit organizations in the United States. Twenty-five grants will be awarded per quarterly cycle. The remaining quarterly cycles for 2024 focus on the following areas: improving health and well-being (open for application in May 2024), including efforts such as mobile health clinic creation, playground improvements, domestic violence shelter upgrades, and accommodations for individuals with disabilities; expanding access to food and shelter (open for application in July 2024), including efforts such as food pantry remodels, community garden creation, building repairs and renovations, and beautification of community space; and caring for the environment and animals (open for application in September 2024), including efforts such as permanent wildlife conservation exhibits, a new vehicle for a mobile vet clinic, and park improvements. (The application window focused on empowering through education and training was open in February 2024.) Eligible nonprofit organizations must operate on the local level (or be an affiliate or chapter of a larger organization that operates locally) and directly benefit their surrounding community.  Call 516.410.4895, or email clolataylor@gmail.com for a free fee quote to have us write your entire proposal, or edit your draft, for a reasonable flat fee. https://lnkd.in/eeyjMsGw Bev Browning Holly Rustick

To wrap up #EarthMonth, this weekend I graduated from Forest ReLeaf of Missouri's Tree Stewardship program, which included 12 hours of classroom instruction and 15 hours of volunteer work. Over the past month, I participated in some local volunteer activities, including: 🌳 Planting trees along the Great Rivers Greenway 🌱 Potting tree seedlings at the Forest ReLeaf nursery 🌷 Pulling tulips at the Missouri Botanical Garden 🚮 Picking up trash and removing invasive species with Open Space STL 🧤 Mulching and pruning park trees with STL Neighborhood Foresters The most important thing I learned during this program ... There are some amazing organizations in St. Louis making our city a greener, healthier and more beautiful place to live. If you're like me and at times feel overwhelmed by the immense amount of work needed to safeguard our environment, go out and give a few hours of your time at one of these (or similar) organizations. You'll feel better knowing that you made a lasting and positive impact on your community. That, and say no to mulch volcanoes 😉 (Seriously though, they're awful for trees.) If you're in the St. Louis region, please check out these incredible organizations. #volunteer #arborday #earthday #stlouis #sustainability #community #conservation

Fed up with an overgrown, unusable space on their school site, Blackrod Primary School are using the Green Spaces Fund to turn it into a community garden for children, families, and community members 🍎 They'll be growing food, teaching about wildlife and healthy food production, and introducing a composting system to enhance soil health and reduce waste. The school hope that their Green Spaces Fund project will foster a closer-knit, healthier community whilst providing accessible green space in Bolton. Lancashire Wildlife Trust

The City of Waco will receive $3.2 million in funding from the EPA to improve food security, sustainability, and climate resilience in our community. This is part of the larger $17.9 million Community Change Grant awarded to local organizations, spearheaded by Mission Waco. Over the next three years, the Waco-McLennan County Public Health District will use the funding for county-wide food security and sustainability initiatives, including community gardens, tree planting, and composting. The Health District will also take on the role of supporting the administrative needs of the SCRAP Collective (Sustainable Community and Regenerative Agricultural Project). The Housing & Community Development Department will use the funds to address lead hazards in low-income homes through the Home Rehabilitation Program. Learn more at waco-texas.com/EPAGrant

This kind of circularity should be obvious.

I am trying to get this idea off the ground with a local walking charity who provide guided and self-guided walks for all ages and abilities. The idea is simple. Volunteers meet up at a location have a brief talk about the history of the area and then set off on a walk litter picking as they go. Stopping here and there for some historical information about the area they are tidying up from a local historian. It could be a coastal path, an open space in a town, or a footpath in the countryside. All volunteers will be kitted out with litter pickers, hi-vis vests, rubbish bags, and hoops courtesy of a Keep Wales Tidy litter-picking hub. The litter would be picked up by the Council and recycled where possible. The aims of the project, at the moment, are to;    protect the environment and wildlife    build connections between the environment and the community    promote well-being and physical health    learn about the lives of those who have gone before us. What’s not to enjoy about a rubbish walk and some local history? Note: The aims following the discussion may well be adapted to the views of those consulted. Any views/ ideas would be welcome. Keep Wales Tidy #litter #walks #localhistory

According to the USDA’S Economic Research Service, in 2023 consumers in the United States spent an average of 11.2 percent of their disposable income (income after taxes) on food. The proportion of income spent on food by those living in poverty, without any additional federal assistance is very different.  In the eight states that make up Head Start Region IV, a family of four, earning 100% of the FPG (federal poverty guidelines) spends between 30.4% to 50.2% of their income on food.