Oakland Residents Greeted with Green Goodies
Residents to save money, energy and water
- Volunteers greet South Oakland residents with free energy-saving items
What would you do if your neighbor knocked on your door and handed you a free bag of items to save you energy and water in your home or apartment? More than 100 of your neighbors in Oakland recently experienced this when OPDC teamed up with the Black and Gold City Goes Green for a neighborhood blitz, giving residents opportunities to save energy, water and money by taking green actions in their homes.
Sixteen volunteers—both students and long-term residents—fanned out across Oakland, passing out over 175 bags filled with donated materials. Community members living on Parkview Avenue, Ward Street, Juliet Street, and throughout Oakcliffe received energy- and water-saving items like power strips, compact florescent and LED lights, toilet bladders and faucet aerators.
Parkview Avenue resident Nathan Hart helped pass out the free materials, sponsored by Duquesne Light, and said that the volunteers enjoyed getting to know their Oakland neighbors and helping them save money. He said that they encountered every range of reaction as people answered the door—some residents thought there might be some conditions attached to receiving a bag.
“We got everything from skeptical to elated,” he said. “A lot of people thought there had to be some sort of a ‘catch,’ but once they understood what was going on, they were very positive.”
In addition to passing out the bags of supplies, volunteers discussed energy-saving practices with residents and also distributed literature about weatherization programs to help make homes even more energy-efficient.
Hart said it was a great success all around—“I only wish we had more to hand out!”
Neighborhood blitzes are scheduled for every May and December, and Oakland will host an additional neighborhood blitz during the August student move-in season.
To volunteer for this event or for more information, contact BlackandGold@PennFuture.org or visit www.theBlackandGoldCityGoesGreen.com. You can also log on to the site to report green actions that you have taken and stay up-to-date on how the Black and Gold City Goes Green is making Pittsburgh greener. Black and Gold City Goes Green is a project of PennFuture and The Pittsburgh Climate Initiative.
