Green Light Sacred Heart
This past fall, three students from the Environmental Club at the Academy of the Sacred Heart got in touch with us here Green Light New Orleans. They were eager to get involved with a project that would actively contribute to a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable environment. We were more than happy to have them join our team. Johanna, Nicole and Jamie worked together to draft a mission statement, goals, and a work plan for their very own Green Light Sacred Heart. As part of the collaboration, the girls agreed to organize volunteer days, educate their peers about climate change, help create a website, and raise the money to help fund the light bulbs that they installed.
Green Light has been entirely impressed with these young women and their dedication to effecting real change within the community. Over a period of 5 months, they organized over 30 volunteers, arranged for multiple fundraising projects, and executed three successful volunteer events- all this while finishing their senior year of high school and making plans for college!
With the help of their classmates, Green Light Sacred Heart installed 505 bulbs in 18 homes, saving 198,970 kWh. This means that residents will save $23,230 in home electricity costs and 225,735 lbs of CO2 will not be emitted into the air. That has the same carbon benefit as planting 2625 trees!
In acknowledgment of their extraordinary efforts, Green Light awarded the girls with this year’s Green Light Leader Award. Last Friday we presented them with a young Sweetbay Magnolia tree, symbolizing their work to reduce the city’s carbon footprint and build community at the same time. The tree will be planted at Sacred Heart to inspire future students and members of the Environmental Club in similar efforts!
Thank you to Johanna, Nicole, Jamie, and all the Green Light Sacred Heart volunteers for all your hard work. Thanks also to the wonderfully supportive Sacred Heart teachers! We look forward to further collaboration with the Sacred Heart Environmental Club.
You can visit the Green Light Sacred Heart website here.