En español: Kits de Ahorro de Energía Promovidos a Hispanohablantes
San Rafael, CA – Sometimes the most effective form of public outreach is through face-to-face contact from a trusted source. Recognizing this, the Marin County Community Development Agency Sustainability Team has funded an in-person campaign between North Marin Community Services and the Rising Sun Center for Opportunity to promote the no-cost Green House Calls program to Spanish-speaking Novato residents.
The local community ambassador group called Los Promotores has been recruited to help share information about energy saving kits to the Spanish-speaking community.North Marin Community Services, based in Novato, connects thousands of residents to services relating to education, health education, childcare, and more. The staff works with a local community ambassador group called Los Promotores to further the mission of sharing valuable programs and information to the Spanish-speaking community (the Sustainability Team documented this effort). Los Promotores trains and engages natural Latine community leaders – all volunteers – who are embedded in the existing community and eager to serve as connection between the English- and Spanish-speaking populations.
To help stem the effects of climate change and reduce household energy costs, the collaborating agencies will help community members sign up for the Green House Calls program. Each energy-saving kit contains LED light bulbs, a smart power strip, faucet aerators, and more. The value of each kit is around $70.
“The idea is that by leveraging North Marin Community Service’s existing outreach channels, we can deliver this program to communities that may not have otherwise heard of or had access to the no-cost Green House Calls program,” said Kellen Dammann, Program Coordinator with the County’s Sustainability Team. “Local nonprofit organizations like North Marin Community Services play a crucial role in connecting community members to these types of services.”
The Rising Sun Center for Opportunity has offered the Green House Call program in Marin for over a decade, and it’s working. Since 2009, it has served over 5,600 homes in Marin resulting in over 14 million lifetime kilowatt hours saved and over 232 million lifetime gallons of water saved. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Green House Calls shifted from an in-person installation model to an online survey with the kits mailed to Marin residents.
“It has been really valuable to coordinate with Rising Sun and be able to share these resources with our community,” said María Jaramillo-Botero, Latine Program Director with North Marin community Services. “This effort is important because a lot of the time members of our community, especially our Spanish-speaking community, are not aware of these programs.”
So far, NMCS and Los Promotores have registered 60 community members for the Green House Call program through attending local events. Community members have given positive feedback regarding how fast the energy kits arrived in the mail and the usefulness of the contents to save energy and water in their homes.
Marin residents can sign up online for the Green House Calls program. The program is open to any residence (home or apartment, renter occupied or owned) that hasn’t participated in the program within the last five years.
The program aligns well with the goals of the Marin County Board of Supervisors and the mission of CDA’s County Sustainability Team, both of which support healthy, safe, and sustainable communities while preserving Marin’s environmental heritage. The Sustainability Team has developed programs to promote renewable energy, address climate change, encourage green building, recognize green businesses and implement energy efficiency projects in schools, special districts, cities, and towns. The policies and programs will ensure that Marin is healthy, vibrant and sustainable for many generations into the future.
Stay connected with the County’s Sustainability Team via on Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter), the event webpage for workshops and community events and the quarterly newsletter. Contact the office via email with questions on our programs or to request more information.