ONS Mini-Grants ’empower’ community members, support projects

Posted on January 7, 2020 by Alyse Horn

Above: Marlo Jones helps women learn how to crochet at a senior citizens home on the Northside.

Northside neighbors with small-scale projects are able to utilize the One Northside Mini-Grant program to get their ideas off the ground, with the next application deadline being January 30, 2020.

The program awards Northsider’s $1,000 for their projects that demonstrate pledged support of their neighbors, help strengthen connections, increase accessibility to resources, and/or activate significant places in their community.

Cecelia Ware has been an advocate for the mini-grant program since she began applying for different projects several years ago, and believes that community members can feel “empowered” by engaging with their neighbors in this way.

“If you’ve got something that you want to share with the community, why not apply for a mini-grant and go ahead and do it?” Ware said.

The mini-grants were first supervised by The Sprout Fund, and when the nonprofit sunset, New Sun Rising took over the process in 2018. Ware applied for funding with both organizations, initially because she “needed to do work in [her] community” and wanted to help kids that may be navigating difficult experiences.

Ware has been awarded several mini-grants over the years, her first being the Saving Our Sons and Daughters after school program at Propel Northside that focuses on violence prevention and coping skills for high school students. Her current mini-grant project is an extension of the first, and is a Teen Drop in Center at 3577 McClure Ave. to ensure that students are supported beyond the school year. She said they are always looking volunteers, and those interested can email infinitelifestylesol@gmail.com.

“We still focus on violence prevention, but also social justice and African American history as well as leadership skills,” Ware said. “We provide the kids with a free meal, and we have a food bank and clothing bank so they can take those things home if needed.”

For Marlo Jones, this was the first year she applied for a mini-grant. As a talented crocheter, Jones wanted to share her craft through The Crochet Group, where she visits senior citizens each week and teaches them the basics of crocheting to create a beginner scarf or hat.

Jones said the mini-grant has helped her cover the costs of supplies, so each participate can choose and take with them several different yarn colors and their own pair of needles. She also uses a projector to present the different crochet techniques in an easy to digest fashion. She said the experience has been great for those involved.

“This is a safe environment, and people can talk and share what’s been going on in their lives” Jones said. “ It’s therapeutic… to start from nothing and create something beautiful with your hands.”

Project applications submitted to New Sun Rising by January 30, 2020 will receive a decision in February 2020. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the mini-grant funding pool is depleted, and the next mini-grant deadline is March 31, 2020.

The preferred method of submitting applications it to use the online form accessible at: www.newsunrising.org/project/ignite-northside/. Printing applications are accepted by postal mail, or via email attachment sent to vibrancyfunds@newsunrising.org. Postal mail submissions should be addressed to New Sun Rising, Attn. One Northside Mini-Grant, P.O. Box 58005, Pittsburgh, PA 15209 and must be received by the grant deadline. All projects must be completed by August 1, 2020.

Triboro, Etna celebrate EcoDistricts certification

Posted on December 10, 2019 by Alyse Horn

Above: Mary Ellen Ramage, Etna Borough Manager, speaking with attendees of the 2019 EcoDistricts Summit about the future ECO Park during the Triboro Ecodistrict neighborhood tours.

In early November during the 10th Annual EcoDistricts Summit, the Borough of Etna became the world’s first certified EcoDistrict, a feat that Borough Manager Mary Ellen Ramage never thought possible because “it’s not something you ever think about.”

“Never in my life did I dream that I would be part of anything that was the first in the world,” Ramage said.

Through a proclamation presented by Etna Mayor Tom Rengers, this Wednesday, December 11 will be recognized as Etna EcoDistrict Day, which coincides with the sold out EcoDistrict Celebration at Fugh Hall where the Triboro Ecodistrict partnership will be honored and Etna will publicly launch its EcoDistrict Plan.

Before embarking on the certification process, the borough already had a focus on sustainable practices including its Green Infrastructure Master Plan, Storm Water Management, and Green Streetscape projects, but the community’s interest in ecodistricts began in late 2016 at the EcoDistricts Micro-Incubator in Millvale.

Led by Triboro Ecodistrict Director Brian Wolovich and Millvale Sustainability Coordinator Zaheen Hussain, the micro-incubator informed participants of the EcoDistrict Protocol, how it worked when Millvale began the process in 2012, and practiced visioning sustainable development using the Protocol. Etna Community Organization (ECO) Board Member and borough resident Robert Tuñón said he and Mayor Rengers attended the workshop together.

“Both Etna and Millvale were making great strides in their physical improvements, but Tom knew the Ecodistrict movement in Millvale was catalytic in getting people to stay involved and volunteer,” Tuñón said.

They left the micro-incubator and shared their knowledge with a small group of municipal and resident leaders, and started gathering information to create an asset based map that identified the positive things already happening in the community and how they could be built upon. Tuñón said these small meetings continued and slowly grew to around 40 residents before the initial public meeting in March 2018 that had over 100 people in attendance.

“We were shocked at the ability to have a grassroots movement start in the community with very little resources,” Tuñón said. “At the time we had no funding.”

Just a few months after the first public meeting, Etna received funding from the Henry L. Hillman Foundation through its partnership with the Triboro Ecodistrict, which also includes Millvale and Sharpsburg. The financial backing advanced Etna’s efforts and allowed them to hire evolveEA and begin an educational series that addressed a key component on the path to becoming an EcoDistrict: offer multiple rounds of opportunities for the community to give input and engage in the planning process, demonstrating that it’s an equitable plan.

Ramage said the educational series, a total of 35 public events, was “one of the most amazing things about the EcoDistrict process” and that she was “mesmerized” by residents engagement.

“People aren’t given enough credit,” Ramage said. “They just need an opportunity to learn and see how they can help and how they can be part of the change. It’s empowering.”

Including equity, communities pursuing the certification must address two other imperatives including “resilience with a broad lens that prepares for social, economic and environmental shocks and stresses,” and climate protection by building “a pathway to carbon neutrality,” according to the EcoDistricts website.

Tuñón said with the leadership of Alexis Boytim, Director of Etna Community Organization, three reports were submitted to EcoDistricts covering Equity, Resilience, and Climate Protection.

After the third report was submitted, Boytim had a call with the national organization and that’s when she was informed that Etna was on track to become the first certified EcoDistrict.

“We didn’t realize that would ever be a possibility,” Boytim said. “When we found out, we were excited of course, but recognized that we wouldn’t have been able to do that or even be where we are without the work done before us and [the partnership with the] Triboro.”

Tuñón echoed Boytim and said the Etna EcoDistrict would not have been imaginable without the guidance from Brian Wolovich in Millvale, Brittany Reno in Sharpsburg, and Mary Ellen in Etna.

“They were able to teach us from their lessons learned and pass those on to us, so in many ways some of the success we feel we’ve had was based on building off their experiences,” Tuñón said. “It all ties together.”

A few projects on the horizon for Etna are the creation of the Etna Community Library and the Etna EcoPark planned for 37 Grant Ave. where a blighted building once stood and is now a vacant lot that the borough recently acquired.

These projects are two reminders that the EcoDistrict certification is just the beginning. Over time, Etna must complete certain goals they set for themselves, track the boroughs progress, and report transparently to the national organization on how they’re doing, Tuñón said.

“The hard work starts now, but it’s work that you understand will make a difference far into the future,” Ramage said. “You have to leave it better than you found it… and that’s what EcoDistrict is all about.”

You might see varying forms of capitalization when exploring the idea of an ecodistrict in your community. This is intentional, and they each have their own meaning:

“ecodistrict” refers to the concept in the field of urban planning that integrates ecologically-sound practices with sustainable community development.

“Ecodistrict” refers to a specific community that is engaged in developing an ecodistrict.
“EcoDistricts” refers to the parent organization that formulated and published the official Protocol and oversees a certification process. They are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Portland, Oregon.

Click here to learn more.

Upcoming ONS Mini-Grant deadline January 30, 2020

Posted on December 3, 2019 by Alyse Horn

The upcoming One Northside (ONS) Mini-Grant application deadline is January 30, 2020.

Project applications submitted to New Sun Rising (NSR) by this date will receive a decision in February 2020. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and the next mini-grant deadline is March 31 of 2020.

The mini-grant program awards Northsider’s up to $1,000 to support small scale community projects that demonstrate pledged support of their neighbors, help strengthen connections, increase accessibility to resources, and/or activate significant places in their community.

For mini-grant applicants, the preferred method for submitting your application is to use the online form accessible at: www.newsunrising.org/project/ignite-northside/

Printed applications are accepted by postal mail. You may also submit your applications as attachments to vibrancyfunds@newsunrising.org. Postal mail submissions should be addressed to New Sun Rising, Attn. One Northside Mini-Grant, P.O. Box 58005, Pittsburgh, PA 15209 and must be received by the grant deadline. All projects must be completed by August 1, 2020.

In pre-approved circumstances, project leaders may submit for additional mini-grants. Only one mini-grant per project leader may be active at one time. Please contact vibrancyfunds@newsunrising.org for additional information.

The ONS Street Team will launch early next year. Stay tuned for future announcements. Those with questions may email vibrancyfunds@newsunrising.org.

About New Sun Rising

New Sun Rising supports nonprofits and small businesses to build vibrant communities through culture, sustainability, and opportunity. NSR believes that people and communities hold the knowledge and power to make positive change. We envision a future where regenerative community development practices create the conditions for true social, environmental, and economic justice.

About One Northside

One Northside is a community-driven initiative to improve the quality of life in all 18 neighborhoods of the Northside. Since early 2014, hundreds of Northside residents have engaged with local leaders and stakeholders in community-wide conversations to create a shared agenda for the revitalization of this vital component of the greater Pittsburgh region.

EcoDistricts distributes first Citymakers Awards at Summit in November

Posted on December 2, 2019 by Alyse Horn

During the 10th Annual EcoDistricts Summit in Pittsburgh last month, the organization initiated the first EcoDistricts Citymakers Awards on November 4 at Phipps Conservatory where key individuals, organizations, and neighborhood projects were recognized for fueling the EcoDistricts movement.

The awards, presented by EcoDistricts CEO Rob Bennett and Brionté McCorkle, ED of Georgia Conservation Voters, acknowledged and celebrated the work done by sustainable development leaders and catalytic district- and neighborhood-scale projects that are working towards a more equitable and sustainable future in urban communities.

“The EcoDistricts movement is led by an inspiring number of urban changemakers. The work is hard and takes time. The work is critical to the future of our cities, communities and planet,” said Bennett. “I’m thrilled to acknowledge their relentless effort and commitment, much of which is done quietly and behind the scenes on behalf of their communities.”

Among a select number of awardees included:

The Borough of Etna for becoming the World’s First Certified EcoDistrict in October of this year. The borough completed a rigorous verification process that assessed the Borough’s project governance, integrated implementation roadmap, and commitments to equity, resilience and climate action. Etna EcoDistrict receives support from New Sun Rising through the Triboro Ecodistrict and Sustainability VISTA.

“Being an outlying borough with a long history of environmental/economic traumas, this moment to be recognized for something positive, as a leader, and the first Certified EcoDistrict is so rare, so special, and so meaningful to us,” said Robert Tuñon, a district leader in Etna’s planning and community engagement process.

Millvale Ecodistrict for the formation of its award-winning EcoDistrict Pivot Plan, which led to a broader partnership between Sharpsburg and Etna, and the creation of the Triboro Ecodistrict. The Borough, Millvale Community Library, Millvale Community Development Corporation, and New Sun Rising have committed a tremendous amount of time and energy to Millvale and EcoDistricts by hosting and planning trainings including the EcoDistricts Incubator this past April that was held at the Millvale Food + Energy Hub. The borough is currently pursuing EcoDistrict certification.

Christine Mondor, Principal at evolveEA, for her work creating the EcoDistrict Protocol and shaping the EcoDistricts Incubator program. Mondor is one of the leading EcoDistricts practitioners in the county and helped Millvale develop its award-winning Ecodistrict Pivot Plan as well as helped Etna attain Ecodistrict Certification.

The City of Pittsburgh for leadership in advancing neighborhood and district-scale equitable and sustainable development throughout the city and fostering growth for areas like Larimer, Uptown, Homewood, Millvale, Etna, Sharpsburg, downtown, and the Lower Hill District. Recently, the City has deepened its commitment to sustainability by becoming the first city in the United States to officially adopt the EcoDistrict Protocol to guide further neighborhood planning.

“The EcoDistricts Protocol helps sharpen the City’s commitment to bringing racial equity and environmental sustainability to all Pittsburgh neighborhoods. We are proud to be an EcoDistricts leader and hope our commitment inspires other cities to follow suit,” said Grant Ervin, City of Pittsburgh Chief Resilience Officer.

SNO secures home base for sustainable, civic engagement initiatives

Posted on November 21, 2019 by Alyse Horn

Above: Brittany Reno, Executive Director of Sharpsburg Neighborhood Organization, standing outside of the building that SNO closed on in September 2019.

During the summer of 2013, Brittany Reno was rounding out her first year of AmeriCorps and was given the opportunity to do a service project in the neighborhood she had moved to earlier that year: Sharpsburg.

The event, dubbed Smiles and Tiles Day, was a public art project that brought kids and their family members out to the 16th Street Park to paint ceramic tiles that would become a mural, which was put on display at the community library and is still there today.

“People were so excited about it and wanted to do more, and everybody had all these great ideas,” Reno said. “I wanted to give them some structure to make the ideas happen, so I started Sharpsburg Neighborhood Organization (SNO).”

It began with a two-page Word document and a board of local volunteers, with Reno leading the organizing. In 2016, SNO received funding for operations and programs from the UPMC Health Plan, First National Bank, Giant Eagle, and the Hillman Foundation, and the board created a hiring process to find an executive director. Reno, who was not on the board, applied, interviewed, and got the job.

Sharpsburg Mayor Matthew Rudzki said before SNO there were residents and allies putting in work to rejuvenate the borough, but there was “trouble getting traction.”

“What SNO brought to the table was an umbrella organization with terrific leadership to rally that energy into one focused goal: the revival of our community,” Rudzki said. “The pieces of the puzzle were always there; we needed the glue to get them to stick together.”

Until recently, Reno was running the organization out of a home office and traveling to meetings around the community every day—literally “meeting people where they were”—or holding them at Brother Tom’s Bakery, the Sharpsburg Community Library, and other local spots. She said she felt like a “nomad,” but that it felt good to have people visiting the Sharpsburg business district and for her to “bring people here and show them everything I love about Sharpsburg and the great people who live here.”

Reno giving Triboro Ecodistrict Advisory Board members a tour of the buildings upstairs apartment.

Today, Reno will soon be able to invite visitors to 511 S. Main St., the location of the building that the neighborhood organization closed on this September and will use as the home base for its operations and community organizing workshops in the form of the new Sharpsburg Sustainability & Civic Engagement Center. The building itself was built around 1900 and the last occupant was a small business owner who made significant repairs to make the building more accessible and safe. Along with providing the organization a space to hold day-to-day activities, there is also an upstairs apartment that SNO will rent out to cover the mortgage payments and eventually “become a source of sustainable unrestricted revenue” for SNO, Reno said.

Shanna Carrick, SNO Board President, said a handful of other locations were considered, but in the end they ended up finding “the perfect building.”

“For the last two years we’ve been saying we wished we had a space to hold public meetings with residents to talk about the ecodistrict and the different needs we have in the community,” Carrick said. Now, thanks to support from the Hillman Foundation, UPMC Health Plan, and First National Bank, they have that space.

As well as a meeting place for people to organize and advocate for things they want to see in the community and region, the building will serve as an example for solar energy and flood retrofitting, and give residents access to real-time air quality data. Reno said SNO is working with EIS Solar, who has created a layout for the solar panels and previously completed the installation at the Sharpsburg Community Library, but the roof will be replaced before the installation in the spring.

“We really want this space to provide an opportunity [for the community] to interact with new, green technologies and see what they’re all about and how they can help people beyond just being good sustainability investments for the environment,” Reno said.

Using solar to power the building will reduce operating costs and provide results comparable to the outcomes expected by the solar installation on the Sharpsburg Community Library. Every dollar saved through solar can be reinvested back into the community resulting in longer library hours or more funding for programs.

Reno said she is excited to demonstrate how solar can be a viable source of energy for Sharpsburg and showing how much energy will be generated minute-by-minute, and in turn how much money is being saved, as well as how much the installation is saving the building in carbon dioxide emissions.

These initiatives fall in line with the Sharpsburg Community Vision Plan, which was built over two years of local stakeholder engagement on the foundation of the Sharpsburg and Triboro Ecodistrict priorities including: equity, food, water, energy, mobility, and air quality.

“The plan is for this space to be a real civic engagement hub where people can learn about the community vision plan, get more involved in the community and local government, learn about resources for starting a local business, and learn about green technology and different opportunities for jobs and education in that field,” Reno said. “They can share their feedback on the plan and share their knowledge about life in Sharpsburg, the history of Sharpsburg, or whatever it is that they’re passionate about.”

After SNO secures its occupancy permit, the organization will open its doors with a community celebration and open house in the winter. Supporters can help cover start-up costs for SNO’s Sharpsburg Sustainability & Civic Engagement Center at 511 S. Main St. by making a tax-deductible donation at https://www.paypal.me/sharpsburg or by sending donations to 511 S. Main St.

Managers passion for inclusion reflects dedication to diverse programming

Posted on November 2, 2019 by Alyse Horn

Programs that connect people with resources and inspire action are an essential step to building more vibrant communities; more importantly are the programs co-created by the community the organization serves.

It’s the programs that are about inclusion that Jamie Johnson, Manager of Performance Improvement at New Sun Rising, has a real passion to support. At NSR, Johnson leads risk management, program evaluation, and process assessment to improve the outcomes of the organization, but her keenness for doing so comes from her own experiences with Youth Places at the age of 15.

“We pretty much internally ran an organization as youth for our own community and it was a great experience,” Johnson said. “I feel like it taught me about nonprofit process and program development, but also taught me a lot about leadership.”

Johnson went on to serve her community through AmeriCorps before and between attending Edinboro University for psychology and sociology, and earning a Master’s of Education in Marriage and Family Therapy from Duquesne University.

It was at Edinboro where Johnson met Ebony McQueen-Harris. The two stayed connected, and later during their careers McQueen-Harris told Johnson about NSR and Ignite Northside, an accelerator program that supported entrepreneurs from idea to action in support of the goals of One Northside. At the time, McQueen-Harris was the program manager.

“I was a behavior specialist for an after school program at Faison [Arts Academy] and then I fully moved into social services and worked for an organization called Touching Families,” Johnson said. “I became the program director there, but [Ebony] knew I always had an interest in starting my own business.”

That nudge resulted in Johnson founding Build You Up!, a business based on applying her counseling skills to entrepreneurs and “being able to help business owners and leaders work on themselves internally, so they grow and become their best selves for their organization.”

By the time Ignite Northside 2.0 launched, McQueen-Harris had brought Johnson on board to help facilitate the program. Anne George was a program participant during that time and had regular meetings with Johnson and McQueen-Harris to pin down her business goals. George created the app iXMessage, designed for tween girls to socialize online in a trusted environment.

“[Johnson] really helped me step out of my shell,” George said. “Here is a person who has never worked with someone like me before, in that field, and she wasn’t daunted by it at all. She helped me advocate for myself and did that when no one had a product like mine; I just think that speaks to how good they are and how they know what to do for people to get their business started.”

There is a sincere commitment that Johnson has to the people she works with, and that was on full display during Ignite Northside where she helped participants like George dig into who they are as individuals and find out how that connects them to the work they do. This commitment, along with her passion for process and performance, come together to provide unique benefits to those she supports.

“She is a very [strategic] and detailed person,” said Brettney Duck, Executive Director of G.O girls, a nonprofit that serves young women transitioning out of foster care into adulthood.

Duck was a caseworker at Touching Families when she met Johnson, who was program director at the time. After Johnson left to join New Sun Rising, Duck soon followed suit to create her own venture: G.O girls. Because of Johnson’s inherent ability to lead and direct, she was the first person Duck thought of when creating the board of directors for her organization and asked Johnson to be the president.

Both Johnson and Duck work together facilitating My Place, a program created by ACTION-Housing for young adults between 18-24 who have aged out of the foster care system and need assistance. Earlier this year, NSR was contracted to build upon the success of the program and provide increased support for residents’ employment stability, entrepreneurship, and leadership.

“We don’t want to be another program offering services to young people who have gone through the system,” Duck said. “We are very intentional about that and always ask ‘What are you getting from this program?’, and the feedback we get is, ‘You make us feel comfortable.’”

“Jamie is a good partner to have, because she doesnt take over. I’m the lead consultant for the program and she gives me my room; it’s always nice to have those types of [allies].”

It’s through the lens of inclusion, performance improvement, and a genuine commitment to meet people where they are at that she shares her appreciation of professional awakening with business and nonprofit leaders.

“I want people to know that they can establish things for themselves and they can make an impact in their communities, they don’t have to wait,” Johnson said. “They can do it now.”

Millvale Food + Energy Hub supports boroughs Ecodistrict goals

Posted on October 17, 2019 by Alyse Horn

Above: The solar panel installation on the roof of the Millvale Food + Energy Hub.

The Millvale Food + Energy Hub, formerly and affectionately known as the Moose, has converted 112 E. Sherman St. into a place for equitable community development to grow.

The 10,000-square-foot building is anchored by owner New Sun Rising and tenants Sprezzatura, 412 Food Rescue, The Food Trust, and FracTracker Alliance. Chosen for their missions that align with the Millvale and Triboro Ecodistrict plans, these dwellers reinforce the Hub’s sustainable origins.

When the property was purchased in 2017, the goal was to help advance Millvale’s vision to become a “self-reliant urban solar village, and foodie paradise known for hyperlocal production” said Scott Wolovich, Executive Director at NSR.

It was an “aspirational concept,” Wolovich said, but increasing resiliency through a solar microgrid, fresh food access and growing capacity are important pieces of Millvale’s EcoDistrict Pivot 2.0 plan. Originally there were plans for a rooftop greenhouse, but the cost of the structural reinforcements needed was impractical. That determination quickly ignited ideas of “what could happen up there from a solar standpoint?”

“We were connected with the Energy GRID Institute at the University of Pittsburgh and discussed the possibility of developing a microgrid onsite,” Wolovich said.

To make it happen, NSR worked with a handful of partners from locally owned and operated small businesses to nationally recognized organizations.

Allegheny County companies Perfect Electric and Steel City Energy Conservation were brought in to install the circadian rhythm lighting and electrical, while EIS Solar engineered and installed the customized DC microgrid system including the solar panels and battery packs.

“The monitoring system is more advanced than a typical system we produce,” said Ian Smith, Director of Residential Consultations at EIS Solar. Smith said the project hit a point where he invited engineers into the conversation because of the level of complication and customization to integrate the batteries with the microgrid.

To build the microgrid, the components needed to be bought separately and then unified with the SigmaSmart System, which allows everything to “talk, listen and be coordinated together,” Wolovich said.

The SigmaSmart System was created by Sigma Luminous, a national company that sells products through the electrical distribution market working with manufacturer sales representatives like Gary Britcher of Steel City Energy Conservation.

Robert McCoy, Director of Sales at Sigma Luminous for the Eastern Region, said the Millvale Hub is the first non military and non university project his company has been involved in.

“It’s a very industrialized product that is used in a nonindustrial application when you think about it with the [10,000-square-foot] Food + Energy Hub, and that’s what’s different about it,” McCoy said.

McCoy said the SigmaSmart System allows information to be collected on how much solar power is being generated by the solar panels, is monitoring the circadian rhythm lighting, which changes the color of the lights in correlation with the sun to save energy and improve mood, and is also monitoring the HVAC system and the rest of the power flowing through the building.

SimpliPhi Power batteries store energy harnessed from the sun.

“All the things this little Moose lodge can do and what it entails, I’ve never seen anything that did that much in such a small space,” McCoy said. “To be honest, I’ve never seen anything quite like it.”

As a grad student at the Center for Energy at the University of Pittsburgh, Michael J. Rooney, Program Officer at Hillman Family Foundation, advised Wolovich on the Moose project and conducted a high level feasibility study around what could be done with the space from an energy perspective using research and development software from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Considering the hardware that went into the building, a handful of vendors were explored to supply specific components for the microgrid such as the batteries, energy inverters, monitoring, and solar panels. There were deeper conversations with possible companies who would provide the controls, but by the time vendor selection came around, two leading companies that had been identified by the Energy GRID Institute to supply the controls were no longer producing solar microgrid hardware, Wolovich said.

“The introduction to Sigma Luminous happened at a very critical time in the project,” Wolovich said. “We had opened up our search for the right vendor and talking with [McCoy]… there [was] a shared spirit of creativity in terms of building automation and educational opportunities.”

McCoy said after meeting Wolovich and learning the story behind the ecodistrict revitalization plan, he understood that the project was larger than the building itself.

Because the Hub now contains a DC microgrid, it’s able to provide uninterrupted communication and coordination out of the building during emergencies when the public grid may be down. If there is a flood, something that Triboro communities are familiar with, and the power goes out, the facility is able to continue running cooling and heating systems, refrigeration, lighting, provide internet, and become a shelter for Millvale during emergency communication efforts.

Millvale is also considered a food desert, and having 412 Food Rescue and Sprezzatura in the building has helped combat the lack of fresh, affordable, and healthy meals by serving thousands of community members each month.

Hana Uman, Program Director of Special Programs & Projects at 412 Food Rescue, said the organization’s Co-founder and CEO Leah Lizarondo began conversations in 2016 during the Launch Millvale incubator about partnering with NSR in a larger capacity.

412 Food Rescue has been working with food retailers and nonprofits since 2015 to recover food, which would otherwise go to waste, and redirect it to food insecure communities. According to its 2018 Impact Report, 412 Food Rescue has currently salvaged over 2.5 million pounds of food that was redistributed to families in need.

Still, Uman said there are times when they can’t get produce to these areas fast enough, which led to finding space at the Food + Energy Hub to process and can produce for the Good Food Project.

“The goal is to stabilize the surplus of food that 412 receives and transform it into meals and other products to benefit our nonprofit partners and communities as well as our organization,” Uman said.

Ed Anderson, Culinary Manager at 412 Food Rescue, said his goal is to achieve zero waste status at the Moose by composting what cannot be canned, pickled, or prepared as a meal. He said he also envisions the space as “the next step for 412’s special projects, like food education programs and offering a comprehensive curriculum to nonprofit partners specifically targeting parents and caregivers of young children.”

Over the summer, Anderson cooked lunches for the Millvale Community Library’s Summer Food Service Program, which is federally funded and provides free meals for children 18-and-younger. Jennifer Saffron, owner of Sprezzatura, also provided meals for the program and is nestled next to 412 in the commercial kitchen they share inside the Food + Energy Hub. In November, Saffron will be opening a cafe at the Moose.

“Working in collaboration to develop a solar-powered building that supports different kinds of businesses has been a real learning experience—how much sun do we need to power up an oven that feeds thousands?” Saffron said. “There is more to discover, no doubt, and we can work together to community problem-solve for a sustainable catering and cafe kitchen, and a more sustainable future overall.”

Wolovich said Zaheen Hussain, Director of Sustainability at NSR, had brought forward an interesting point when they first began looking at the intersection of energy and food systems.

“As you have a more resilient clean energy system, you can actually increase food access by controlling the rent for food tenants through savings from the microgrid. This allows them to pay it forward by partnering with the Gardens of Millvale and participating in the Millvale Community Library’s Summer Food Service Program,” Wolovich said.

Phase two of the Moose renovations have begun this fall using a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to remodel the lower level of the building and add an access ramp, which will make way for food storage and processing facilities as well as support from the Triboro Ecodistrict and Henry L. Hillman Foundation on a renewable energy workforce development training center.

It’s been a heavy lift with many helping hands getting the Millvale Food + Energy Hub where it is today and it is pushing the possibilities in the areas of sustainable technology and innovation. Rooney said, in his opinion, the reason there aren’t more buildings like the Moose is because of the amount of time and level of creativity it took to bring all of the moving parts together.

“Scott basically project managed the building and his ability to do that and do it well was remarkable and made the project happen,” Rooney said. “Without that someone carrying the torch on a lot of these hard things, it doesn’t get done.”

Interested in touring the Millvale Food + Energy Hub and learning more about DC Microgrids? Attend “DC Microgrids in the Pittsburgh Region” on Tuesday, October 22 at the Moose. Attendees will hear from a panel of experts from organizations like EIS Solar, Steel City Energy Conservations, Perfect Electric, and others leading the development of DC Microgrid technology in the Pittsburgh region.

Next One Northside Mini-Grant deadline October 31, 2019

Posted on October 14, 2019 by Alyse Horn

Pittsburgh, PA — The upcoming One Northside (ONS) Mini-Grant application deadline on October 31, 2019 is the last for this calendar year. The following deadline is January 30, 2020.

Project applications submitted to New Sun Rising (NSR) by Oct. 31 will receive a decision in November 2019. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, but those submitted after the Oct. 31 deadline will not receive a decision until February 2020.

NSR encourages prospective applicants to attend the next Open Office Hours to learn more about the mini-grant process in advance of preparing their application, which will be Monday, Oct. 21 from 1-2:30 p.m. at Woods Run Library, 1201 Woods Run Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15212.

Contact

For mini-grant applicants, the preferred method for submitting your application is to use the online form accessible at: www.newsunrising.org/project/ignite-northside/

About New Sun Rising

About One Northside

Grow Pittsburgh celebrates a decade of community garden support

Posted on September 19, 2019 by Alyse Horn

Grow Pittsburgh celebrated 10 years of their Community Garden Program with Garden Get Down on August 29 at Grist House Craft Brewery in Millvale. Since 2010, they’ve supported 100 gardens, engaged over 2,000 individuals, and grown over 300,000 pounds of food.

During the event, tours were given of the Gardens of Millvale, one of the first Community Garden projects facilitated by Grow Pittsburgh,

“I think a big reason I’m [at this event] is because Grow Pittsburgh has done so many amazing projects all over the city and the fact that Millvale is one of their first is a big deal,” said Maya Guerin.

Guerin, a professional landscape gardener and environmental art educator, moved to Millvale three years ago. Over time she became heavily involved working in the community gardens and they have proved to be an incredible resource for her connection to the community.

That view was echoed by Katie Grauer who moved to Pittsburgh about the same time Guerin moved to Millvale. Grauer and her husband started their Pittsburgh journey in the southern region, but recently bought a house in Point Breeze.

“We took awhile to figure out where we could have a garden and where to dump compost,” Grauer said. “We connected with a [Grow Pittsburgh] gardener [in our area] and started volunteering with our local garden.”

Grauer said since that time they have been supporters of the organization; her husband now works for Grow Pittsburgh and both “love the culture” permeated by the org.

It’s a model recognized by Sustainable Pittsburgh, a nonprofit making moves in municipalities to address underserved communities and Program Manager Jim Price came out to support the Garden Get Down because he believes “urban agriculture is a great way to increase a community’s sustainability.”

“It provides local food access, lowers your carbon footprint, and engages community members,” Price said.

Price has been working with the Triboro Ecodistrict before it was defined as such, and said Etna, Millvale, and Sharpsburg “exemplify what is means to rebound from tough situations.” From flooding and population loss, the boroughs have moved forward and redefined sustainable neighborhood engagement.

“We hope that our collaboration with the ecodistrict process can help leverage it and make this a region wide effort to improve our area and become a model for community development,” Price said.

To learn more about community gardens in the Triboro Ecodistrict, stop by the following locations for a visit: The Gardens of Millvale, 12 Butler St, Millvale, PA 15209; The Garden of Etna, 9 Short Alley, Etna, PA 15223; Sharpsburg Community Garden, 1212 Main St, Sharpsburg, PA 15215″

Sustainability director raises bar for environmental quality of life

Posted on September 3, 2019 by Alyse Horn

Above: Zaheen Hussain (left) speaks on a panel discussion during the Climate Change Town Hall event hosted by Congressman Mike Doyle at Soldiers & Sailors Hall in August.

It can be extremely overwhelming for an individual to sit and think about the impacts of climate change. With the hottest June and July ever recorded alongside two of the wettest years in Pennsylvania history, we see and feel it happening. (Que existential dread.)

But with these mountainous challenges come the challengers invested in inspiring others and generating positive environmental impacts, one being Zaheen Hussain, Director of Sustainability at New Sun Rising.

Named one of NEXTpittsburgh’s “25 Essential Pittsburghers” for “his groundbreaking work building the Triboro Ecodistrict,” Hussain said his dedication for environmentalism and climate change was instilled in him at an early age.

Hussain immigrated from Bangladesh to the United States in the 1990s with his family in part due to the growing climate crisis. Even then, his father was aware of the position Bangladesh would be put in 100 years in the future: under water.

“The climate change conversation today in America is where the rest of the world was in the early 90s,” Hussain said. “The Rio [de Janeiro Earth] Summit, the Kyoto Summit… America committed to taking action on slowing down climate change and building resiliency, and then that went away.”

Bangladesh has a population of around 165 million people and as Hussain put it, is “about the size of Wisconsin,” which has a population of around 6 million. Alongside impending climate change and to increase the access to opportunity and quality of life for their family, Hussain’s parents applied for the Diversity Visa Program and began the process of emigrating to the US.

In high school and throughout college, Hussain studied environmental technology, environmental science, and natural resource economics, “but the policy and economic side really spoke” to him. After graduating college, Hussain worked as a park ranger at Harkness Memorial State Park and William A. Niering Nature Preserve in his home state of Connecticut. It was then that he started searching the country for sustainability work around policy and economics, and applied for a number of Student Conservation Association Green Cities fellowships here in Pittsburgh.

“I didn’t get any of them, but the program manager opened my eyes to an opportunity with GTECH [now Grounded] Strategies for the Green Economies Initiative,” Hussain said. “I moved to Pittsburgh in February of 2012 thinking I’d be here for 10 months to build experience and go back east, but seven and a half years later here I am.”

Hussain said a large part of his professional journey has been the implementation of the Millvale EcoDistrict and Triboro Ecodistrict initiative in Millvale, Etna, and Sharpsburg that for him began in 2015 when he was hired as Millvale’s Sustainability Coordinator. The Millvale EcoDistrict Pivot Plan began in 2013, “which looks at Millvale’s economic development through the lens of sustainability in food, water, energy, air quality, mobility and equity,” Hussain said.

Christine Mondor, Principal at evolveEA, met Hussain after he was hired as sustainability coordinator and said literally and figuratively he was a “breath of fresh air for [Millvale’s] efforts.” Mondor said the two specifically did a lot of work together monitoring air quality, and that Hussain is “passionate and nerdy about it in the best way possible.”

“He’s curious, so he’s always trying to understand what things mean,” Mondor said. “He knows [the science] behind what’s happening and that’s important. He’s also really good at making people feel comfortable and bringing people into the conversation.”

In 2017, Hussain became Director of Sustainability for New Sun Rising while continuing his work as Millvale’s Sustainability Coordinator and “implement[ing] the Ecodistrict plan with attention towards leadership development,” Hussain said. “[Therefore], community organizations and individuals can become more empowered to be the leaders of the work and rely less on outside capacity.”

In his position with New Sun Rising, Hussain advocates for the Vibrant Communities Framework and heads Launch Sustainability cohorts that provides coaching, project development resources, and support to strengthen business plans or grant proposals. He also spends time creating partnerships with organizations like the Green Building Alliance, Allegheny County Conservation District, and Sustainable Pittsburgh. Hussain said it’s these partnerships that help grow NSRs Vibrant Communities framework, which encompasses creating a more sustainable and equitable Pittsburgh.

Rebecca Bykoski, Sustainable Pittsburgh Restaurant Program Manager, met Hussain when he was hired as Millvale’s Sustainability Coordinator and joined the Sustainable Pittsburgh Board of Directors. Bykoski said for the time that she has known Hussain, she has noticed that he has “helped create a culture change.”

“Sustainability isn’t always about being green,” Bykoski said. “He’s good at making sure equity and the needs of disadvantaged communities are part of the conversation and that the development that’s happening is equitable.”

With Pittsburgh being one of the worst cities in the country for air pollution and related deaths, Hussain said he is concerned by the continued investment in fossil fuel economies in the region and how that will negatively impact the progress made in the area involving environmental quality and quality of life.

“As a general philosophy, I think that people can’t look at human systems and infrastructure as something outside of nature,” Hussain said. “What people need to realize is that humans are part of natural systems like any other animal. The more we look at ourselves as something outside of nature, the easier it becomes for us to destroy the environment around us because we don’t see it as something impacting our lives.”

That kind of meaningful and cogent argument is a genuine sentiment from Hussain that encourages individuals, communities, and organizations to do better.

“He’s a very inspirational person and he makes you care more and want to do more,” Bykoski said. “The world would be better if it were full of Zaheen’s.”

Three boroughs, one green new plan

Posted on August 18, 2019 by Alyse Horn

Above: The Triboro Air Quality Monitoring Cohort gathered on July 24 in Sharpsburg to receive equipment and training from ROCIS (Reducing Outdoor Contaminants in Indoor Spaces) on recording air quality readings inside their homes.

Etna Mayor Tom Rengers was with Steamfitters Local 449 for 44 years, and a contractor with U.S. Steel for 18.

Rengers said over the decades, he has worked on coke batteries and installed piping for the Bruce Mansfield coal-fired plant in Beaver County; it was once the largest of its kind in Pennsylvania and currently slated to be deactivated by May 2020.

“We’ve used up fossil fuels on dirty energy… it’s nice to be involved now in cleaning up [our communities],” Rengers said.

Etna is one of three boroughs that make up the Triboro Ecodistrict, an initiative that began in 2012 when Millvale entered the first phases of ecodistrict planning with evolveEA and thus creating the Millvale EcoDistrict Pivot Plan and Pivot Plan 2.0, which focuses on food, water, energy, air quality, mobility, and equity. It was the implementation of this strategy that led to the collaboration with Sharpsburg and Etna.

Sharpsburg Mayor Matt Rudzki’s family has been in the area for five generations, and said these three river town neighborhoods “struggled with identity for a long time.”

“River town used to be a dirty word and people didn’t want to visit our communities, but now river town is a destination,” Rudzki said. “There have always been great things happening here, and now we have the right people in the right places sending out that message and it’s attracting growth.”

This revitalization comes after decades of depression. In the 1980s when the steel mills closed, many families that lived in the area were forced to move away. Rudzki said that the City of Pittsburgh had “eds and meds that sort of saved them, but Sharpsburg, Millvale, Etna and other river communities didn’t have that saving grace.”

On the heels of 25 years of disinvestment, Hurricane Ivan hit the Pittsburgh area in 2004 and devastated Millvale, Etna, and Sharpsburg. In the wake of the storm, brothers Scott and Brian Wolovich started recovery efforts that resulted in the creation of New Sun Rising, a nonprofit that has become an educator, resource provider, and activator of neighborhood scale innovation. But it’s first community project was the creation of the Millvale Community Library, the building where the Millvale EcoDistrict plan was born, which evolved into the Triboro Ecodistrict.

Rudzki credits the rise of new leadership in elected and nonprofit roles to the reinvestment in the area, and to “organizations like the Triboro bringing three distinct but similar groups together that are working for a common goal.”

Millvale Mayor Brian Spoales has been overwhelmingly supportive of the collaboration between the three communities and the ability to work together to obtain grant funding for similar projects. It’s something that Rudzki thinks the state and Harrisburg appreciate, too, because “instead of picking one community to receive funding, they can send it to all [three neighborhoods]. It’s one of the many reasons why the three boroughs took on the task of jointly updating their Comprehensive Plans and zoning ordinances in 2015 — to create multi-municipal goals and leverage their collective strength.

A common thread, and strength, that these three mayors have seen at Triboro meetings are the number of young and new residents who “are getting involved in anyway they can,” Spoales said.

“I pinch myself sometimes when I see young folks in these meetings,” Rengers said. “I like what they are bringing to the table. It’s a fresh take on some old ideas and it needed freshened up.”

Spoales remembers during the early ecodistrict planning days for Millvale there was a turnout from the younger crowd that knew what the ecodistrict was about and they have continued to show up and participate in the decision making process.

Rengers, Rudzki, and Spoales said that with their communities revivals, they are cognizant of gentrification, but it has been “exciting to see the town move forward as long as [they] can keep it equitable.”

The Triboro raises up resident voice in decision making, prioritizing the care for those most vulnerable, and working on housing issues. To date, over $200,000 has been invested into the Triboro Healthy Homes program, which has assisted 10 existing residents by increasing home safety and energy efficiency. Upcoming housing projects include additional Healthy Homes programs, solar panel installation, and the growing property ownership for residents like the project at 1141 North Avenue in Millvale (left).

Though the culture of these river towns has changed over the years, it has been redefined by the residents as a collective of culture, sustainability, and opportunity; or vibrant communities, if you will.

In June, Etna broke ground on its Riverfront Park and Trail that will feature a grandstand and scenic overlook, a blue water wall, and rainwater infiltration. It will also create a link for the Three Rivers Heritage Trail and the Pittsburgh to Erie Trail.

This past April, the Breathe Easy Millvale Air Quality Plan, which launch in 2016, won a national award and a key component of that plan turned the solar powered Millvale Community Library into a Clean Air Hub. Including healthy indoor air quality practices, there is also a live Air Quality Dashboard displayed in the library window that is increasing awareness about “local and regional air quality by displaying real-time data from outdoor sensors,” per evolveEAs website.

Last year, Sharpsburg installed solar panels on its library and in turn with gaining energy self-sufficiency, it is used as an educational tool for community members to get familiar with solar and become encouraged to try the panels on their own homes. There are also two community members, along with a couple each from Etna and Millvale, that are participating in the Triboro Air Quality Monitoring Cohort with ROCIS.

NSR receives $60,000 from Google to implement Growing Impact Through Data + Collaboration program

Posted on August 6, 2019 by Alyse Horn

Above: Beltzhoover and Knoxville leaders participate in the EcoDistricts Incubator at the Millvale Food + Energy Hub.

New Sun Rising received $60,000 in support from Google to implement Growing Impact through Data + Collaboration (GIT-COL), a program that will drive inclusive community economic development through increased data and technology use for collective impact by nonprofits and social enterprise businesses.

Underserved leaders will also receive training to improve their own data literacy and help them to engage in effective collaboration, preparing them to better leverage technology.

“New Sun Rising is doing incredible work with the Pittsburgh community and Google is proud to support their latest Growing Impact through Data + Collaboration program. Creating economic opportunity for everyone through technology is a critical focus for Google and New Sun Rising is developing new pathways for the local nonprofit and small business community to gain access to tools and resources to help them grow and find success in today’s increasingly digital economy. We’re excited to see how this program will continue to push these leaders forward.” – Elizabeth Schwab, Head of External Affairs for Google Pittsburgh

The goal is to drive innovation in the social sector by supporting up to twelve nonprofits or small business leaders to increase their skills and knowledge related to data use and technology, to develop and implement an outcomes measurement strategy; and to create and implement an advocacy strategy. NSR will build upon existing relationships with partners throughout the Pittsburgh region with a focus on serving East End neighborhoods.

The Growing Impact through Data + Collaboration program includes four major components:

Data use (workshops + training)
Collaboration (development + support)
Technology (research + development)
Advocacy

New Sun Rising will also work closely with The Forbes Funds and The Partnership Network, which together provide technical support in Nonprofit Capacity Building, Human Services, and the Community Development sectors. These partnerships offer targeted in-depth resources that leverage the partnerships capacity to serve the embattled communities strategically and pragmatically.

The proposed project is expected to increase the technical proficiency of nonprofits and social enterprise businesses in the region to reach targets of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

To kick off the GIT-COL program, New Sun Rising is seeking people with ideas for collaborative projects to apply for the Ignite Vibrancy: Collective Impact workshop on September 7, 2019. Participants will receive support from mentors and peers along with the opportunity to pitch for $30,000 in total awards during the one-day event.