Energy Independence Giveaway

Homeowners – Finalists:

Alina and Cara – Lynn, MA

The sisters are in their early twenties and took over the “head of household” role their home in Lynn, Massachusetts. Alina currently is a dedicated camp counselor and helps younger girls with school work through lesson plans. Cara works hard in her Church and her community. Cara’s passion for helping others, teaching, and showing a silver lining for all things is part of the reason she became an ordained minister. Being an ordained minister also allows Cara to be in touch with her community. She enjoys community outreach, community service, and knowing the ins and outs of Lynn.

Geraldine – Wakefield, MA

As a teacher at the Galvin Middle School in Wakefield for over 30 years, she spent her hours, many of them after the school day was over, making sure the students she taught, and even some she did not, received the best education possible. Her teaching philosophy was to give every student the chance to learn and excel at math and in life. If a student was having trouble with a lesson, she would find a way for that student to understand the lesson. For the environment, Geraldine does what she can to conserve energy and make this planet a better place for all of us. She reduces, reuses and recycles. She is a professional “sidewalk picker,” a term she coined herself. She will re-purpose whatever she can. She also always conserves energy and water.  But this all goes to show that she is just as passionate about saving energy and protecting the planet as she is about her kids and her students.

Chiara – Westford, MA

Chiara is an exceptional woman, working tirelessly for her clients as an immigration lawyer. She remains vigilant and dedicated to the success and well-being of every client she partners with. At home as a single mother. Chiara is amazing at providing a safe and loving son for her 3 year-old son Leo and their dog, Boomer. In January, Chiara purchased her first home completely on her own in Westford and has worked every single weekend since then to make necessary renovations and updates on her home to make it even more beautiful and perfect for her family.

Nonprofits – Finalists

Congregational Church of Topsfield – Topsfield, MA

The original portion of the building now provides space for the offices, meetings of the church’s many boards and working committees, and Sunday School rooms of the Congregational Church of Topsfield. The Emerson Center is used by community groups, including Boy and Girl Scouts, the Council on Aging, Alcoholics Anonymous, Needlecraft Guild, and garden clubs. It is one of three venues participating in the Grow Spring EXPO, a gathering of over eighty exhibitors and vendors from the agricultural, horticultural, conservation, and preservation communities. As a sponsor of the event, the Church celebrates the agricultural heritage of the Emerson Center property and promotes sustainability and the preservation of our resources. These fields preserve a significant parcel of open space. The location of the solar panels on the Emerson Center would demonstrate how to integrate solar panels into a significant structure in a way that does not detract from the historic character of the building.

The Congregational Church of Topsfield is committed to the stewardship of the environment. A series of energy efficiency projects have been accomplished, including energy efficient lighting, insulation, high-efficiency gas boilers and heat pumps recently installed in the classrooms. Initiatives to reduce waste, especially Styrofoam, have reduced trash. The large vegetable garden tended produces fresh produce throughout the growing season, which goes to the Produce for the Pantry project designed to provide fresh vegetables to the Topsfield food pantry, Topsfield’s senior citizens, and Haven from Hunger, a communal meal facility and food pantry.  Having completed a host of carbon foot-print savings projects, the church is conducting a study for solar that would address the church’s electricity needs.

Franklin Food Pantry – Franklin, MA

In 2016 over 155 people volunteered 5,720 hours to the Food Pantry. The organization brings Franklin together and helps those members of the community who need it most. Another important note about the food pantry is that it works not only to provide food to those who would otherwise go hungry; it does so with healthy and sustainable solutions.  The Franklin Food Pantry is run entirely based on donations, receiving no funding from the town or state.

The organization in 2016 alone distributed 251,719 pounds of food to 423 households. That same year over 1,000 people were served by the pantry, 43% of those individuals being children and seniors. Working families in the area benefit from the bread and fresh produce that is available daily at the food pantry, as well as toiletries and other household items. Not only do they provide food and other necessities to these families, they also run Cooking Matters classes that teach families how to shop smart and to cook nutritious and affordable meals. The Food Pantry runs many such programs focused on health. They also work with the local Franklin Farmers’ Market to give food options from local farms. A final program the pantry runs is meant to focus on improving access to food. Many people in the community have trouble getting to the pantry, such as those with disabilities, families with small children, and seniors. To fix this issue the Franklin Food Pantry created a Mobile Pantry to make food more accessible.