In the Community: Super Saturday of Service

Byamericorpsncccteammember

On Saturday, February 2nd, Green Light New Orleans participated in the Super Bowl’s first ever Super Saturday of Service. The citywide volunteer event was hosted by the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation in partnership with New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity, the Young Leadership Committee, and the urban League of Greater New Orleans Professionals as part of the city’s bid for Super Bowl XLVII.

Green Light New Orleans and several other local non-profits worked with hundreds of volunteers at 5 sites around the city in an effort to build and restore parks and communities in New Orleans. Work was centered around Hunter’s Field, Lyon’s Center, Harrell Stadium, Pontchartrain Park, and Kingswood Park.

Green Light worked with volunteers from each community, JP Morgan Chase, Verizon Wireless, City Hall, Southern University of New Orleans, Xavier University, Tulane University, Church of the King, Pontchartrain Park Association and Buen Pastor to build 10 backyard vegetable gardens and install 1,589 light bulbs for residents in the five neighborhoods.

“I want to thank the 124 volunteers who served on the Super Saturday of Service. Super Saturday volunteers helped about 100 households save $70,000 in utility costs and reduce the carbon footprint of the city by 700,000 lbs of CO2. Also, ten local households are now growing their own fresh produce, reducing their carbon ‘foodprint’ via our newest free program Tip the Block,” says Bernnel January, program manager of Green Light New Orleans.

The Super Saturday of Service was the last of three Green Light volunteer events leading up to the Super Bowl in partnership with the New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee. These three events (including an MLK Day of service with Tulane, Xavier, and Loyola Universities and Rebuilding Together’s annual Kickoff to Rebuild) will save local residents $124,016 in utility costs, reduce the carbon footprint of the community by 1,205,112 pounds of CO2, and bring Green Light New Orleans 2,696 CFLs closer to its March on Climate Change campaign goal.