A new volunteer program, RED (Retired Educators Drive), formed to help connect parents of children in the Ithaca School District with drivers familiar with the district. This program was developed in response to the need to get parents actively involved in their children’s education by getting them to the schools for conferences and teacher meetings. This completely volunteer-based effort is designed to help parents who do not have easy access to a car. The RED program is the product of cooperation among many agencies including RSVP, ICSD, Ithaca Hours, Ithaca-Tompkins Transportation Council, Tompkins County Department of Social Services, Ithaca Public Education Initiative (IPEI), Tompkins County Youth Services, and Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Way2Go program.
Posts tagged New Sustainable Program or Organization
Bicycle Benefits
Mar 23rd
Bicycle Benefits is a national program started by Ian Klepetar to encourage alternative transportation. Klepetar bikes to different cities around the US to start up his program with local businesses. The local businesses sell Bicycle Benefits stickers to bicyclists to place on their bike helmets, which, when presented, earn the cyclist a discount at participating retailers. More than 30 local retailers in and around Ithaca are participating in the Bicycle Benefits program.
Civic Engagement Scholarship
Mar 20th
The Civic Engagement Scholarship was created by college admissions consultant Lucia Tyler to reward students in the Finger Lakes area who are committed to their community. The scholarship is funded by various donors and is awarded to one student in the Finger Lakes region each year who embodies a spirit of civic engagement.
ROUSE (Residents Opposed to Unsafe Shale-gas Extraction)
Mar 20th
ROUSE (Residents Opposed to Unsafe Shale-gas Extraction) provides resources to those in the FInger Lakes who do not want to be exposed to the effects of natural gas drilling, and offers a forum for landowners to voice their opinions.
IthacaPlantCycle
Mar 20th
IthacaPlantCycle is a grassroots “free-cycling” organization where plant lovers can donate and find plants, information, and a community of other food and plant lovers with whom they can communicate.
Crop Mob
Mar 20th
“Crop Mobs” of local volunteers descend on area farms and work on specific projects for which small farmers need extra labor to complete. Here in Ithaca, the local crop mobbers have helped with planting fruit trees and collecting unharvested food for local organizations. In return for their help, crop mobbers gain experience, knowledge, and, best of all, a delicious and locally grown lunch from the farmer. “Crop mob” events usually take place once a month at different farms in the region.
Ithaca Community Radio
Mar 20th
Ithaca Community Radio is a new broadcast radio station which will feature local news, people, and shows from the community. While additional local programming is being developed, WSKG-FM is streaming some content to the new station.
Fleased
Mar 20th
Fleased provides a voice to landholders who leased mineral rights but now realize that Marcellus shale gas exploitation threatens their land, air, water and communities. Fleased members are gathering data on unfair and fraudulent gas company practices which can be used to support legislation and legal action.
Energy in Common
Mar 20th
Energy in Common is a non-profit started in Ithaca by Hugh Whalan, Scott Tudman and others that allows Ithacans to provide microloans to those in developing nations who cannot afford clean energy technology and simple upgrades like replacing kerosene lamps with lightbulbs. One focus of Energy in Common is to help farmers afford technology to keep their produce from rotting. Such microloans save an average of .4 metric tons of CO2 emissions a year.
Dryden Resource Awareness Coalition (DRAC)
Mar 20th
Dryden Resource Awareness Coalition (DRAC) formed to address concerns about natural gas drilling in the Town of Dryden concerning possible gas drilling in the town. The group submitted two petitions to the Town Board: the first petition sought to place limits on the noise level of the drilling and the second affirmed the town’s home rule.
