Just the Way Things Should Be
May 20, 2011
This week I attended an open house of a unique kind. This was sustainability at it's best - taking care of people AND the environment. This open house called "Green and Graceful" was a townhouse originally in need of much repair. It was acquired by the Reston Interfaith Housing Corp. to become part of its inventory of affordable housing units. The house is to be rented to a large family who is looking to create a better life.
In partnership with the Fairfax County Dept. of Housing and Development, Graceful Spaces, and many various contractors, the house was renovated to incorporate as many sustainable technologies as possible. Flooring and cabinetry made from recycled materials, energy star qualified roofing and windows, HVAC system with 17.2 seer, low voc paints, low flow water valves, showers, toilets and faucets, energy efficient lighting... and more.
This is an obvious win-win. The savings in maintenance and utility bills will enable the renters to maximize their limited resources. And of course the benefits to the environment are many. But also, the lives of all the people who helped put this project together are forever changed. This project demonstrated cooperation between government and non-profits, non-profit agencies and commercial businesses, use of public finds, and the integration of collective contributions within a complex project.
Graceful Spaces donated their time and talent collecting donated furniture and purchased other items from area second hand stores, bought fresh bedding, set up the house and will teach the family how to maintain it using environmentally friendly cleaning products. And a local church group built and painted the deck. In addition, most all of the contractors were local businesses. And yes, we left some Stop! Think Green stickers behind. I hope that this is just the beginning of many such projects. This is just the way things should be. This is sustainability. Thank you to Reston Interfaith! Read more about it on their website.
In my own work with Passion 4 Community and Spring, we collect and distribute furniture and house wares to families moving from homelessness or shelters to Section 8 housing. We are heaping love on our community while saving items from the endless stream of trash. This is what God wants of us. Won’t you join in? Love People, Love the Planet.
Calendar
Chantilly Day Community Festival
May 12, 9:30am-6pm
Come out and celebrate community!
Document Shredding
Free secure document shredding for Fairfax residents only.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
8am-12noon
Mason District Governmental Center
6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA
Electric Sundays -
Recycle your electronics - free!
Sunday, May 20, 2012
10am-3pm
I-66 Transfer Station
4618 West Ox Road,
Fairfax, VA 22030
Contributors
Dorothy
My name is Dorothy Banzon and I’m a graphic designer, mom, lover of the creator and all of creation. To me, taking care of God’s creation and living the way He intended us to live is what being green and the move towards living sustainably is all about. I also believe that a lot of problems can be solved by good, clear communication. As a graphic designer, I quest to find ways of telling the truth simply and effectively. No matter what your beliefs are, I hope you will find some truths in my pages.
Silvia
I am pleased to introduce Silvia Lucero as our guest contributor. She and I share a passion for learning about the things that are happening locally related to environment. She will be writing about many of the related events she attends and interesting people and organizations she meets along the way. Silvia is a salesperson for the Residence Inn in Herndon and is currently the chairperson for the Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce Environmental Committee.
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