Et cetera : NCCC’s Maple 5 is in Cincinnati, Ohio

By: Maple 5

Maple 5 from AmeriCorps NCCC is currently in Cincinnati, Ohio. We have a unique project this round with the Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance. They are a regional non-profit organization that provides educational, project management and financing services to help homeowners and buildings invest in energy efficiency. Maple 5 is mainly canvassing (going door to door) in the Cincinnati area and Northern Kentucky, educating people on this organization and finding out if people are interested in a home energy assessment. Although Maple 5 only has about 2 weeks left here in Cincinnati, we still have many neighborhoods to visit. I would say the most interesting work we have done this round was just last Saturday, August 27th. We worked alongside another non-profit called People Working Cooperatively, the Cincinnati Zoo, and other volunteers on a weatherization project. We went to 5 houses in the Avondale area and helped low-income households weatherize their homes to lower their utility bills and to be more energy efficient. Afterwards, everyone that participated got a free pass to the zoo. It was a great experience to work with people from the community we are helping. To update you on what Maple 5 is going to do next, we will be on our way to Minot, North Dakota for two weeks mucking and gutting homes that were affected by the flooding. Although this is completely different then canvassing, we know it will be a good experience!