Recovery Alert - Are you ready for some good news?

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We've got good news to report this week. In this edition we'll tell you about our new Letter to the Editor tool, a big stimulus victory in Washington State, the first local official to sign the Green Recovery For All Commitment, a model pathways out of poverty program in Denver poised for funding, an important deadline update, more than a dozen new resources, and a Retrofit America's Cities conference call next Tuesday. Enjoy.


1. ACTION: Write a Letter to the Editor about a Green Recovery For All

We just launched a simple tool to help you write and submit a letter to the editor of your local newspaper in about three minutes (it even finds the newspaper for you!). Studies show that the Opinion section is consistently one of the most-read sections of any newspaper. Especially by policymakers. Submit a letter to the editor today and let's create some good news about green jobs.

http://www.greenforall.org/recoverylte


2. VICTORY! Triple play green jobs bill becomes law in Washington!

Last Tuesday Washington State signed SB 5649 into law. In part financed by Recovery dollars this legislation will roll out a great Energy Efficiency program, get millions to low-income communities for weatherization, and create a lot of good green jobs. Community leaders - including leaders from faith-based organizations, nonprofits, and unions - worked tirelessly on developing and passing this legislation alongside their state legislators. Green For All is proud to have supported efforts to ensure that this bill would provide low-income communities with access to these green jobs, and that the job quality standards are included. These jobs will weatherize over 25,000 homes in each of the next five years.

http://www.greenforall.org/blog/state-spotlight-triple-play-green-jobs-bill-becomes-law-in-washington

3. VICTORY! Florida Mayor Signs Green Recovery For All Commitment

This morning Julian dropped some big news on my desk - a just-faxed Recovery Commitment signed by Mayor Felicia Hampshire of Green Cove Springs, Florida. The Commitment reads "As a Local Government leader, I commit to creating a plan to implement a green recovery for all." Way to go Green Cove Springs!! Now it's time to implement.

Download the Local Government Commitment here.

4. NEWS: Pathways out of poverty in Denver - Mile High Youth Corps poised to get Stimulus Funds

When La'Kyla Byrd cleared trails and tended to trees in Denver's City Park this past year as a member of Mile High Youth Corps, she also cleared a path for herself and three siblings out of the violent and drug-infested neighborhood of their childhood into college and service-oriented futures. Mile High Youth Corps' effectiveness in forging green pathways out of poverty may be why it is likely to garner some of the Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant money in coming months. Denver-based Mile High Youth Corps (MHYC) places 150 youth each year into green jobs in land and water conservation, energy-efficiency and construction. It creates leaders out of many of them, such as La'Kyla, who led a conservation crew and will teach a GED class next season.

"I definitely want to keep community service as part of my life," said the 21-year-old who steered her three younger siblings into MHYC programs and its GED classes. "I've seen the harm, the problems in our community," she said, "I didn't want us to go in that direction."

http://www.greenforall.org/blog/pathways-out-of-poverty-in-denver-mile-high-youth-corps-poised-to-get-stimulus-funds


5. NEWS: DOE pushes Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant state deadline back to June 25th

As of May 11, 2009, the program application deadline for ALL Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant applicants, including local, tribal, and state governments, is June 25, 2009, 8:00:00 PM, Eastern Time. The deadline was previously set at May 26th. This gives us more time to make sure quality programs and provisions are included.

http://www.eecbg.energy.gov/


6. RESOURCE: Find Your Community Action Agency

If you are looking to ensure Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant funds are spent well in your town, you'll need to find your Community Action Agency. This week we've added more than a dozen new links to our Recovery Resource Center including: A Tool to Find your local Community Action Agency, a Recovery Resources discussion forum, an EECBG Break Down, and more.

http://www.greenforall.org/get-involved/green-recovery-for-all/resources


7. REMINDER: Next Tuesday at 1pm PST, Join our "Retrofit America's Cities" Conference Call
Home energy retrofits are a quick and effective way to lower energy bills, create jobs, and lower carbon pollution in America's cities. Well designed programs have little or no upfront cost to homeowners, pay for themselves through cost savings, and create good, green jobs for community-members who face barriers to employment. RSVP for the call today.

http://www.greenforall.org/conference-call


Keep an eye out for next week's alert when we'll roll out a new Recovery discussion forum, a map of local Recovery stories, and more news and resources for you to use.