Dear GCF Community,
Last Friday, we were overjoyed to welcome The Corps Network and other special guests to GCF’s Howard Houses Eco-Hub!
For those who aren’t familiar, The Corps Network (TCN) is a national umbrella association of 150 organizations that engage young adults in service towards community and conservation, supporting workforce development and climate resilience projects across the country.
GCF is a TCN member organization, a co-founder of the TCN State and Local Corps coalition and GCF Executive Director Tonya Gayle serves on TCN’s Board of Directors. We are honored to have TCN recognize us as a model Civilian Climate Corps in their work with the White House on the American Climate Corps.
This year, we hosted TCN in true GCF fashion – coming together in community, demonstrating the power, passion and grit of Corps Members’ everyday action across the city.
Corps Members, Eco-Hub Fellows, GCF staff, GCF Board Chair Steven Berkenfeld, and GCF Alumni including Domingo Morales and his GCF alumni Compost Power staff stationed across the Howard Eco-Hub for rotational tours of the site’s features and discussions about the work our young leaders are spearheading in service for community-led change and an inclusive green economy.
The day included composting and cooking demos before ending with signature GCF team calls-and-responses. Despite preparing for stormy weather and a glimpse into the climate-resilient practices Corps Members conduct on a regular basis, the sun even came out to shine extra light on their leadership!
We look forward to continuing such important work alongside fellow corps and growing our impact in the years to come. We are a movement, we are the Force!
A huge thank you to all of our guests including:
- Howard Houses Tenant Association President, Naomi Johnson
- NYCHA Representatives – Office of Community Health Initiatives and Farms at NYCHA, Andrea Mata and John Lisbon
- TCN Board Members – Derrick Crandall, TCN Board Chair, and 14 board members including leadership from: California Conservation Corps, American Conservation Experience, Power Corps PHL, Greater Miami Service Corps, and New Jersey Youth Corps of Phillipsburg
- TCN Staff – President and CEO Mary Ellen Sprenkel, COO Marie Walker, Executive Assistant Maame Ackon and the rest of the TCN staff
- TCN Guests – The Orr Group – Melissa Chang and Amanda Nelson
- GCF Guests Solon E. Summerfield Foundation
- Office of U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand Senior Policy Advisor, Ravi Reddi
View more photos from the day here. If you’d like to help us build our movement, please donate here!
In service and solidarity,
GCF