UC, Green Light New Orleans Awarded $250,000 to Foster Sustainable Living
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 7, 2016
Contacts:
Andreas Hoffmann, Executive Director
Green Light New Orleans
Tel. 504-342-4966
Email: andreashoffmann@greenlightneworleans.org
Dana Eness, Executive Director
Urban Conservancy
Tel. 504-232-7821
Email: dana@urbanconservancy.org
LOCAL NONPROFITS AWARDED $250,000 TO FOSTER SUSTAINABLE LIVING
NEW ORLEANS, LA — Green Light New Orleans and the Urban Conservancy received a total of $250,000 in grant money from the Allianz Katrina Fund to promote sustainable living in Orleans and Jefferson Parish by implementing programs which address energy consumption, water mitigation and fresh food access.
Allianz is a global financial services company working primarily in insurance and asset management in more than 70 countries around the world. The Allianz grant is administered through the Allianz Foundation for North America (AZFNA). AZFNA Executive Director Christopher Worthley stated of the grant: “In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Allianz made a $1 million, long-term commitment to support people and communities impacted by Katrina. We are honored to fulfill this pledge now with two grants to Green Light New Orleans and the Urban Conservancy in order to promote the use of moneysaving, compact fluorescent light bulbs, healthy urban gardening and hard surface reduction for improved water management.”
The grant was matched by an in-kind donation of 3,500 LED light bulbs from Phillips to leverage the funding for light bulb implementation in Jefferson Parish. Green Light New Orleans is home to the energy efficient light bulb program and the backyard vegetable garden program as well as a rain barrel pilot program funded by the Greater New Orleans Foundation. Green Light’s energy efficient light bulb exchange program has served 26,000 homes with the help of 13,000 volunteers. The backyard vegetable garden program has installed over 500 backyard gardens to date with 300 more individuals on the waiting list, contributing to a growing and vibrant community of gardeners in New Orleans.
The grant money will be distributed among all Green Light’s initiatives which promote environmental awareness and sustainability in New Orleans. Executive Director Andreas Hoffmann says, “We are excited that the Allianz Foundation supports all our initiatives with this inclusive grant and understands that the energy efficient light bulbs, backyard vegetable gardens, the teaching garden and the rain barrel program are all connected to move New Orleans residents towards a sustainable lifestyle.”
The Urban Conservancy will use funding to further efforts to remove excessive paving in neighborhoods and to reduce stormwater run-off. Since its founding in 2001, the Urban Conservancy has catalyzed sustainable solutions to New Orleans’ distinct land use needs through community and K12 education and neighborhood-level engagement. Dana Eness, Executive Director of the Urban Conservancy, states: “Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath made it impossible to ignore subsidence, flooding, aging infrastructure, and coastal erosion. We at the Urban Conservancy were compelled to take a leadership role in raising public awareness about the need to redefine our relationship with water through integrated water management strategies and systems. The Front Yard Initiative literally brings real solutions to our water challenges right to the doorsteps of New Orleans’ residents.”
Eness and Hoffmann have issued a joint statement: “We are thrilled about this opportunity to partner and bring sustainable services to the New Orleans community.”
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About Green Light: Green Light New Orleans is an environmental nonprofit serving the local community through installation of free energy efficient light bulbs and backyard vegetable gardens. The energy efficient lightbulb program has been exchanging light bulbs since 2012. The backyard vegetable program has been installing gardens at the homes of individuals since 2006. Green Light is currently implementing the rain barrel pilot program. Green Light connects New Orleans residents to relevant, local opportunities and encourages individual actions so that everyone can benefit from a vibrant, resilient, and sustainable community. Green Light New Orleans is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana. http://www.greenlightneworleans.org/
About the Urban Conservancy: The Urban Conservancy catalyzes equitable practices and policies related to land use and the local economy in New Orleans. It has been involved in numerous initiatives designed to support citywide water management goals including the Lafitte Greenway; the Greater New Orleans Water Collaborative; BASIN, a water literacy and environmental stewardship program for children; and the Front Yard Initiative, which helps homeowners reduce unwanted paving and install water-smart landscaping. The Urban Conservancy is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana. https://www.urbanconservancy.org/
About Allianz Foundation of North America: The financial services companies of the worldwide Allianz Group share a fundamental concern for safeguarding the future. In all areas of their business, Allianz Group companies find a common purpose in empowering people to manage risks and plan well for the future, and they do this in the interest of numerous stakeholders, customers, employees, shareholders and society itself. The Foundation is committed to creating sustainable social value by partnering with programs that help young people develop the skills, motivation, perspectives and opportunities they need to be successful, self-reliant and socially conscious members of society. We also seek to facilitate dialogue and networking among our diverse not-for-profit partners so that together we can maximize the social impact of our work. https://www.allianz.com/en/responsibility/foundation_north_america/afna.html
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