GO Member Markell Bryson has been placed in employment with Adolfson & Peterson Construction (A&P) the general contractor on the New Belgium brewery project.   He has been performing a variety of tasks but his main job responsibility is to watch the main gate and ensure site security.  In a partnership between GO, A & P, The Housing Authority for The City of Asheville (HACA), and AB-Tech, a shed was constructed out of reclaimed materials to provide Markell some greatly needed shelter from the elements.  Spruce boards were reclaimed from the Aston Park Tower project and donated by HACA, the metal to cover the roof came from the buildings deconstructed on the New Belgium site and the shed was conceived and assembled by students from AB-Tech’s Construction Science Technology (CST) program.  Thanks to all the partners and students involved! 

The Green Opportunities (GO) Water Team will be constructing and selling rain barrels for $70 starting in February.  The Water Team helps local residents create solutions for stormwater problems at their homes and businesses.  Stormwater solutions help increase property values, safety, and beauty, all while restoring and protecting neighborhood waterways.

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See the full article on the WLOS website by clicking here.

Mark Rosenstein, GO Kitchen-Ready Program Manager, shares this video from Catalyst Kitchens on their social enterprise model. GO Kitchen-Ready was recently accepted as a member of Catalyst Kitchens, a collaborative network of organizations with a shared vision to empower lives through job training, self-generate revenue through social enterprise, and nourish bodies and minds through quality foodservice.

See the video here: Catalyst Kitchens Model Overview

For six months in 2010 24 Green Opportunities (GO) trainees weatherized 1200 Asheville Housing Authority residential units. The project was contracted by Siemens Corporation and GO was subcontracted to perform the work. GO trainees (most of whom lived in the neighborhoods they were working in) performed tasks such as air sealing attics and crawlspaces, installing door seals and doing energy audits.

Siemens released the data from the upgrades and the work performed by Green Opportunities is saving 50% more energy than anticipated. These savings equate to saved tax dollars. Imagine what the GO weatherization team can do for you.

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