Inspirational. Heartfelt. Passionate. Giving. Caring. Compassionate. Selfless. These are words that I use to describe Violet and her story, which I was fortunate to hear on a rainy afternoon, over coffee and donuts at King’s Donut Shop off Rainier. Violet, Healthy Food Access Team member, seemingly overnight, became one of Got Green’s most vocal emerging…
The Healthy Food Access Team made great progress in 2012. Last year was the mark of empowerment and emerging leaders. In the pursuit of food justice, for low income women and women of color, the Team took to the steps of the State legislature and embarked on a mission to save the Farmers Market Nutrition…
For Sintayehu Tekle, Got Green represents one simple thing: Hope. Sintayehu’s is a classic story of overcoming a negative environment, language barriers, and the influence of gangs to build a future – not only for himself, but for his community. He went from being an unemployed immigrant from a third world country to sitting on…
Family is the bedrock of our society, the fabric upon which our society is formed. As the proverb goes, it takes a village to raise a child. Khalil Panni grew up with a strong extended family that shaped his sense of community. A Seattle native, the current member of the Board of Directors struggled to…
Vernon Hill, a Got Green grassroots leader, enjoys working with his hands. He has worked in construction, maintenance, and aerospace industries, and has his AA in Construction Management. This past year, Vernon combined his construction work experience with his deep commitment to community and racial justice. He has since been a strong community voice for…
“Our power is greatest when the debate about jobs is happening in the public eye.” – Michael Woo, Organizer and Got Green Director Wielding signs that read, “What, no local hire?”, “If you work here, hire here” and “Do the right thing, hire locally,” members of Got Green’s South Seattle Jobs Committee picketed the Rainier…
“This project represents a voice that doesn’t get lifted up; it represents a perspective that needs to get heard,” said Got Green board member Theresa Fujiwara at the launch of the new Women in the Green Economy Project last January. Lillie Brinker, expanded on this idea when she said “It’s time for low income women…
“The Recession hit me hard,” said Ed Mayer, who worked steadily as a journey level construction worker out of the Laborers Union Local 440 before the economy tanked. Living much of his adult life in the Puget Sound, Ed reaches out to young people about the importance of being active in their community and fighting…
April 9, 2012 Dear Got Green Supporter: When we formed Got Green in 2008, talk about climate change, global warming and saving the planet was all around us. One message really resonated with me: get on board with the new, green economy or get left behind. I remembered back to 1971 when as a young,…
When the Green Jobs Act was passed by Congress in 2007, and then later funded through the 2009 American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA), dozens of training programs were established to help address job shortages in low income communities and meet the need in green industries – like energy efficient building construction, renewable electric power,…
