—Contribution Empowers Sustainability at Groundbreaking Community Organization—
PLANO, TEXAS – APRIL 24, 2019 – My Possibilities (MP), a for-cause organization that provides continuing education and vocational training for adults with disabilities, announced today the completion of sustainability projects funded by a $200,000 grant from the Green Mountain Energy Sun Club.
MP received the grant in 2018 to help fund a 200-kilowatt solar panel installation and monitoring system, along with hydroponic growing infrastructure. The projects will cut energy costs at the MP campus and support a new horticulture elective for HIPsters, or Hugely Important People, that MP serves.
To celebrate the completion of the sustainability projects, MP “flipped the switch” at an invitation-only ceremony with Sun Club® personnel, Green Mountain Energy employees and City of Plano officials, on Wednesday, April 24. During the ceremony, attendees had the opportunity to explore the hydrosheds and learn about the benefits of hydroponic growing and solar energy.
“Sustainability is more than a buzz word,” said Michael Thomas, executive director of My Possibilities. “It’s a way of life for us at MP. Not only are we building a sustainable campus with green initiatives, we’re also working on sustainable job training solutions for our HIPsters and the community. Each move we make is with our HIPsters in mind.”
The new solar panels will provide 40 percent of the facility’s annual electricity costs, saving MP up to $25,000 per year. The creation of a new horticulture elective will provide new learning opportunities for 30-45 students per week.
Food grown will be used for an internal catering program with the excess sold to the community. The grant provides funds for the foundation of a hydroponic growing structure, water and power hookups, hydrosheds, raised garden beds, garden materials, a seed library, and a rainwater catchment system.
“We love the transferrable life skills that are being taught at MP and are excited to be a part of incorporating an on-site horticulture program into an already thriving catering program,” Mark Parsons, president of Green Mountain Energy Sun Club. “That paired with a solar array makes MP a true sustainable partner for Sun Club and the community.”
Sun Club has been empowering local communities with sustainable solutions since 2002. Through nonprofit partnerships and sustainability grants, the organization supports projects promoting renewable energy, energy efficiency, resource conservation and environmental stewardship.
To learn more about the Sun Club grant, visit mypossibilities.org/sunclub.
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About My Possibilities:
My Possibilities is a Plano-based for-cause 501c(3) organization that serves as
the pioneering leader in vocational education for adults with intellectual
and/or developmental disabilities throughout North Texas. To learn more, visit:
mypossibilities.org.
About Green Mountain Energy Sun Club:
The Green Mountain Energy Sun Club is a nonprofit organization committed to advancing sustainable communities. As a 501(c)(3) organization, the Sun Club® invests in nonprofits and focuses on projects related to renewable energy, energy efficiency, resource conservation and environmental stewardship. Since the program’s founding in 2002, the Sun Club has donated nearly $7 million to more than 110 nonprofit organizations across Texas and the Northeast. To learn more about the Sun Club or to apply for a Sun Club grant, visit gmesunclub.org.
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