Dear GCF Community,
We were heartened to be able to finally host our first annual Harvest Fest of the 2023 season this past Saturday despite having to postpone our previous three events due to the deluges of rain, wind and flooding – reaching unprecedented levels evoking Superstorm Sandy – in NYC over the past several weeks.
These extreme and more frequent weather events are the effects of the climate crisis impacting our daily lives, causing extensive damage to New Yorkers’ homes and hazards to New Yorkers’ safety and wellbeing, with BIPOC communities hardest hit on the frontlines. The NYCHA developments with GCF Eco-Hubs are in areas of NYC that are among the highest climate vulnerability areas in the nation (the U.S. Climate Vulnerability Index). Yet, using compost and other green infrastructure to manage stormwater buildup to rainwater catchment that reduces the amount of damage and keeps our Eco-Hubs closed-loop, GCF Corps Members are leading the way in local solutions.
Although it did rain yet again this weekend, it didn’t dampen our spirits. Over 60 Forest Houses NYCHA residents joined us in our annual Harvest Fest activities welcoming autumn, a bountiful harvest, and the strength of community connection while having some fall fun! We look forward to celebrating with our NYCHA communities at Astoria, Bay View, Wagner, Mariners Harbor and Howard Houses in the coming weeks – rain or shine!
Despite the rain, we also celebrated the official start of Cohort 26’s service term with a GCF uniform ceremony at our Bay View Houses Eco-Hub earlier this month. The excitement was palpable as our newest Corps Members were assigned their teams and Eco-Hub placements, and received their GCF AmeriCorps gear!
Cohort 26’s green workforce service and training are a critical part of achieving climate adaptation, mitigation and resilience across the city as we face more of these environmental challenges. Your support makes Corps Members’ leadership possible, as they drive community sustainability efforts and become equipped to find employment in the growing and indispensable green economy.
In service and solidarity,
GCF
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