Community Partners is Going, Going, Going…..Green!

A few years ago when Community Partners, Inc. (CPI) revised its Misson, Vision and Values statement, we recognized a need and responsibility to reduce our carbon footprint. We know that as a large nonprofit – supporting 200 individuals, employing 350 full and part-time people, and operating 40 program sites – our culture can make a big impact on our greater community.

Our Vision statement makes a “commitment to the sustainability of the larger community through conscious exchange in resources and commodities.” To keep up to our pledge, we have created a Green Committee whose focus is establishing agency-wide green guidelines. Ways we have changed our daily routine include using chemical-free cleaning products, buying reusable shopping bags, and increasing recycling in all our programs.

 It has been exciting to watch our efforts grow and see the impact on people we support, as well as employees. Cleaning with baking soda and vinegar is a great example of how making a simple change to our daily routines can make a huge difference in the chemicals we collectively put into the environment. Best of all, employees take this change home to adopt in their personal lives. By making small positive changes, the benefits to the greater community just keep growing.

 Every day we see the payback of the green culture change. Whether it’s the reduced electricity and heating bills, sharing resources between the programs, or recycling more to produce less waste, we all share in making this happen. At CPI, we are looking forward to expanding our shades of ‘Green’ to reach further in our programs and out to the community.

 The employees and people we support at Community Partners are excited to become a leader in the new age of sustainability. Just by asking ourselves how we can continue to reduce our carbon footprint and share resources, while supporting the work we do every day, we have generated some incredible creative thinking and opportunities.  

 The BrightBuilt project is part of our continued effort to think outside the box to save resources and invest wisely. Best of all, this building envelope model is a way to share affordable ways to save energy and money with the broader community. We are hoping to use the lessons learned from the BrightBuilt project to replicate in other programs we own and rent.

 I have had the pleasure of working for CPI for 21 years, and am grateful every day for the organizational commitment to our Mission, Vision and Values. From compassion to social responsibility, the culture of sharing resources for the greater common good is prevalent in every decision we make. This commitment comes in all shapes, sizes and even colors. Today we’re going, going, going… GREEN!

 Melissa French, Team Leader