Page 47 - October 2015 Green Builder Magazine

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Wilderness Society works to inspire Americans to care for and through service to America. 45
protect our wildlands. Today, only about 110 million acres of “The men and women in the skilled trades have helped build
true wilderness remain as part of the 618 million acres of federal
wildlands. The Wilderness Society works to preserve these areas this country from the ground up,” says Chris Heffernan, KEEN
and to designate new spaces that qualify for wilderness protection. Utility general manager. “At KEEN Utility, we work tirelessly to
create the next generation of work boots. To be able to support
The 21st Century Conservation Service Corps (21CSC) is a this next generation of land stewards through this partnership is
national effort to put young Americans and veterans to work an incredible privilege.”
protecting, restoring and enhancing America’s great outdoors. It
developed out of the Civilian Conservation Corps, a relief program Along with cash donations, KEEN Utility will outfit 300
for unemployed men put in place by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933. Corps members with Utility boots and support 18 Conservation
Corps groups across the country. These groups include the LA
The 21CSC’s three main goals blend well with KEEN: put Conservation Corps, Northwest Youth Corps of Portland, Ore.,
Americans to work; preserve, protect and promote public and SCC’s Ancestral Lands, based in Gallup, NM and New York City’s
tribal lands, waters and treasures; and build America’s future Green City Force. GB

RECYCLING GOOD IDEAS
A GROUPOFVOLUNTEERS
created the nonprofit
Our United Villages
in 1997 by borrowing
$15,000 off the credit card of a

friend. In addition to managing The www.greenbuildermedia.com 10.2015

ReBuilding Center, which connects

people with used building materials,

Our United Villages has also created

the Community Legacy Program, a

free resource for sharing community-

building stories, strategies and ideas.

The program acts as a catalyst

for turning grassroots ideas into

actions that strengthen social

and environmental vitality at the PHOTO CREDIT: HEATHER WALLACE

neighborhood level.

“All of this culminates into identifying

the amazing stories about the people

making these ideas realities,” says

Sean O’Connor, outreach and Spreading the Word. Volunteer services manager Dave Lowe talks to a group of
strategic coordinator for Our United visitors about what they do at The ReBuilding Center.
Villages. “Our storytelling platform

produces short documentaries, written articles and photo ReBuilding Center also allows free use of their training facilities

essays to illuminate those that are committed to making a to groups such as the Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc., which

local difference with what they have to offer.” promotes the success of women in the trades through

Development sessions (consultations) and free meetings education, leadership and mentorship. The Center also gives

and events provide a platform for sharing ideas and projects away free materials to any project (nonprofit or other) that

already underway in Portland, such as Repair PDX, a volunteer will be open to the public.
group that organizes “repair cafes” all over the city. The www.ouvcommunitylegacy.org