HON Home Energy Savings Program recognized for its innovation & impact on the community

Last night, the Hands On Nashville team was thrilled to receive the Frist Foundation: Innovation in Action Award at the Salute to Excellence Awards. (This event is like the Grammy’s for nonprofits in Nashville produced by the Center for Nonprofit Management.)

HES volunteers cut insulation wrap (this is good for insulating water heaters, leaky holes, and providing additional insulation elsewhere in the home.)

Hands On Nashville’s Home Energy Savings (HES) Program was recognized for its innovation in making a real difference for those in need. We are so proud of the volunteers and dedicated HON staff members who have worked hard since the HES Program launched in February 2011 to make this program a success for our community. HON received an award of $20,000 that will be invested into the HES program. This translates into eight homes that will be safer, more efficient, and more comfortable for Nashvillians in need during weather extremes!

The HES Program engages volunteers in making energy-efficiency upgrades in low-income, owner occupied homes in North and East Nashville at no cost to homeowners. This is the only local, volunteer-centered program to focus exclusively on energy efficiency while addressing unmet community needs.

Caulking gaps between windows and other leaky areas makes a HUGE difference in making a home more energy efficient.

After homeowners are accepted into the program, they receive an in-home energy consultation with diagnostic testing. A suite of upgrades are identified, and volunteers make improvements: insulating attics, weather stripping doors, etc.

Over the last year, more than 100 homeowners have benefited from the HES Program. As a result of volunteers’ work, homes’ air infiltration (or “leakiness”) has been reduced by an average of 24 percent. This translates into average annual utility bill savings of $300 to $700 per homeowner.

Village Real Estate volunteers spent a day last week helping a homeowner in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood make her home more energy efficient. This is a GREAT opportunity for corporate groups and others looking for a good team-building experience!

Are you interested in volunteering for the HES Program and learning how to make energy-saving upgrades in your own home? We are always looking for helping hands for our weekly projects! (No experience needed! Our amazing HES leaders are eager to show you the ropes.) This is a good fit for both individuals and groups of up to 10. Click here to learn more and sign up, or email jaclyn@hon.org.

Energy Efficiency Improvements Help Chestnut Hill Neighbors in Need

Volunteers NEEDED! Help make homes in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood more energy efficient and comfortable during weather extremes. Your helping hands can make the difference for someone in need.

Volunteer Opportunities:

October 4, 11, 20, & 27
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Click here to sign up
Learn more at HON.org/hes

Contact: Jaclyn@hon.org
or (615) 298-1108 Ext. 405

Our goal is to complete work in 10 homes over four days in October, and we need your help!

• Groups and individuals encouraged to sign up. Perfect team-building opportunity (can accommodate up to 10 volunteers per home).
• NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED! All work is supervised by a Project Leader, and all equipment and materials are provided.
• Volunteers will install attic and basement insulation, weather stripping to doors and windows, rain gardens and shade trees, and other upgrades.
• Volunteers should wear comfortable work clothes and closed-toe shoes. Lunch, water, and snacks will be provided.
• Be prepared to have fun and learn simple energy savings tips for your own home!

About this Project
Chestnut Hill is a small, diverse community in South Nashville with a strong community spirit. Most homes in the neighborhood date back to the 1930s and have had very little weatherization work done on them. All homes participating in this program are owner-occupied and low-income. Community partners making this project possible include the Village Fund, LetterLogic, the Urban Land Institute, Vanderbilt University Peabody College of Education & Human Development, and 12South Neighborhood Association.

Mr. Danridge and the Case of the Caulking Gun

Guest post by volunteer Jessica Siegel -

If you had asked me last month what a caulking gun was used for, I would have made up an answer that was 99% likely to be wrong – but not anymore!

In late February, I joined six of my coworkers from the Grand Ole Opry to help Hands On Nashville make a home more energy efficient and weather proof, and that’s how I met Mr. Danridge* and learned exactly what one does with a caulking gun!

Having no home improvement experience beyond painting, I was a little nervous as I drove up to Mr. Danridge’s East Nashville home to join the HON crew. However, as soon as we began our initial project overview, our leader Jaclyn put my mind at ease. Many of the projects were simple tasks that just took a few minutes to learn, but make such a big difference in the homes once they are installed! It was amazing to learn that by simply replacing the shower heads and adding some thermometers to the refrigerator and weather stripping to the doors, Mr. Danridge would be saving a significant amount in bills each month. I even purchased a reusable air filter for my own condo this week, thanks to what I learned at the HON site!

Having some fun with the caulking guns!

After completing some of these minor tasks, I moved on to my big project of the day – caulking the living room to seal out any air that may sneak in through the cracks in the wood paneling. After several attempts, and a lot of caulk on my clothes, I think I finally perfected the art, and we got some great photos in the meantime!

It was truly inspiring to meet Mr. Danridge, a kind older gentleman suffering from dementia, and to talk with him about his home and his family, knowing that we were helping improve his home and lessen his financial burden. It was also unique to spend time outside of work with my coworkers, doing good for others.

A job well done - The crew added an insulating wrap to Mr. Danridge's water heater to make it more efficient. HON's Jaclyn Khoury, left, provided expert guidance.

Thanks Hands On Nashville for the opportunity, and I look forward to more caulking experiences (or whatever the project may call for) with you!

*Name has been changed to respect privacy.

Jessica Siegel is Events Assistant at Grand Ole Opry. Thanks to Jessica and all of the Grand Ole Opry employees who volunteered at Mr. Lockridge’s home! Interested in getting involved in HON’s Home Energy Savings Program? Learn more here.

The Grand Ole Opry volunteer crew, after a satisfying day.

Happy 1st Birthday, HES Program!

Making a Difference One Attic at a Time…

By Jaclyn Khoury, Hands On Nashville’s Director of Sustainability

The Home Energy Savings (HES) Program is celebrating its ONE (!) year anniversary this month.  It feels like a lifetime of accomplishment has been packed into these past twelve months, thanks to the help of 264 volunteers who worked hard to improve the energy efficiency of nearly 40 low-income homes in North and East Nashville.  As we analyze the utility bills of each home before and after each project, we are able to see the environmental, economic, and social impact of our work. Each metric adds up to make Nashville a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable community:

•    kilowatts of electricity saved
•    reduction in each homeowner’s utility bills
•    reduction in CO2 emissions
•    safer, more comfortable homes
•    increased homeowner awareness
•    community/neighborhood building

My desk is a living collage of all the wonderful things homeowners have given to me in humble thanks – from cards and poems to plants. I work with a lot of elderly widows that are astounded that a young woman would crawl in their attic space just to help lower their utility bills. Sometimes I show homeowners their attic space for the first time in their 30+ years of living in a home, and they are so curious and mystified… it’s like we’ve made a voyage to the moon.

Schneider Electric volunteers examine Ms. Smith's ceiling for air leaks.

One particular homeowner, Ms. Smith*, took notice of my paint-covered work boots while inspecting her home.  As we sat at her kitchen table going over the importance of shutting off lights, she said, “my, your feet must ache being in those all day.” I smiled and didn’t think much of it.

Three weeks later, 20 employees from Schneider Electric and C & W Weatherization spent the better half of a day helping weatherize Ms. Smith’s home.  All afternoon she sat at her kitchen table feverishly knitting.  The volunteers did a great job and heart felt “thank you’s” were exchanged all around at the end of the day.

Ms. Smith knew I would be working on her neighbor’s house the following week.  Mid-day while I was working in her neighbor’s front yard, Ms. Smith came up the street with a freshly finished pair of knit slippers for me.  She said, “I don’t have much money, but I know everyone needs a place to rest their feet, so I made you these, I hope you like the colors I picked.”  The knot in my throat made it hard to say thank you, I was so deeply touched.

Schneider Electric volunteers secure a window in Ms. Smith's home to be more air tight.

This week we ran the utility analysis on Ms. Smith’s utility bills. In the eight months since we completed work on her home, she has saved $654 on her bills compared to the previous year. That is $654 she can put towards more pressing needs like food, medicine, and transportation.  Furthermore, we saved 6,812 kWh**, and 10,218 pounds of CO2 emissions for Nashville residents to breathe easier.

With generous investments from The River Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, The T&T Family Foundation, and Ingram Industries, Inc., we are rolling up our sleeves to complete 280 homes in 2012 and 2013.  This will be no small feat, and it will take the many hands and hard work of volunteers like you to make this happen.

Click here to find out how to get involved.

*Name is changed to respect privacy.
**kWh=1,000 kilowatts (electricity is measured in kilowatts)

About Jaclyn: As Hands On Nashville’s Director of Sustainability, Jaclyn developed the organization’s Home Energy Savings Program, which launched in early 2011. She works with volunteers, homeowners, and her hands to create more sustainable homes in Nashville’s low-income neighborhoods. Before her move to Nashville in 2009, Jaclyn worked with Habitat for Humanity as a Construction Facilitator in Minneapolis and Central America. As a LEED ID+C and certified energy auditor, Jaclyn is determined and devoted in her commitment to integrate sustainability into the fabric of working communities. She is currently a student at Lipscomb University pursuing a Master’s Degree in Sustainability and Green Building.

Home Energy Savings Projects Help Low-income Nashville Neighbors

Still looking for an opportunity to give back this holiday season? Come on out to a low-income home in North and East Nashville and help make it more energy efficient – ultimately saving people money on utility bills!  No experience is necessary.  Scope of work includes: installing attic and wall insulation, installing CFL’s, installing sink aerators and low flow shower heads, installing reusable air filter, CO2 and smoke detector and wrapping hot water heaters.  These are great skills to know how to do to your own home too! Available dates to sign-up: 12/7, 12/14 and/or 12/21. Click here to go directly to our project calendar and reserve your spot.

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In Thanksgiving of Nashville’s Volunteer Spirit

This week always has a certain feel to it – life’s busy pace seems to slow down just a bit, autumn really seems to settle in amongst the fallen leaves, and families and friends prepare to gather around tables to share a meal together. There’s just something about this holiday that seems to allow space for quiet reflection, even amidst the grocery shopping, the travel, and the menu preparation. And so – in between making plans to run in the Boulevard Bolt Thursday morning and our travel schedules – here’s our reflection on what makes us proud to be Nashvillians.

Middle Tennesseans have embraced a spirit and culture of volunteerism over the past two years that is quite literally changing lives every day. We can share the numbers with you until we’re blue in the face (Nashville leapfrogged 19 places in the latest national ranking of volunteer service - from 37 to 18 among 51 of the nation’s largest cities), and we can point to the number of people who volunteered in 2010 to help with Nashville’s flood response and then kept volunteering in the community beyond flood response. But the every-day stories of people helping people are what remind us of how truly remarkable our community is. Here are a few:

Children served by Bethlehem Centers showcasing the tasty produce grown in the Center's garden. The garden was built by volunteers, and volunteers continue to work with the children to maintain it (and enjoy the fruits of their labor).

Volunteers creating rain gardens at a Metro School, in partnership with HON and Impact Nashville. Rain gardens make a big difference in our city's rainwater system by reducing runoff - this helps our rivers stay clean and healthy.

Twice a month, volunteers play goalball with the blind and visually impaired athletes of TN Association of Blind Athletes.

The high school students serving as HON Youth Volunteer Corps interns work each month to engage children from low-income families in fun service learning activities.

Volunteers make big improvements in Metro Nashville Public Schools each September as part of Hands On Nashville Day. A record number of volunteers participated in HON Day 2011.

Each week, volunteers work to make efficiency improvements in low-income homes in North and East Nashville, so homeowners can be more comfortable during weather extremes and save on their energy bills. This is a group of Ford employees with the homeowner they helped. So far this year, 33 homes have been improved thanks to the volunteers who have participated in HON's Home Energy Savings Program.

Just last week, volunteers from DaVita Kidney Care spent an entire day helping to renovate East Nashville Cooperative Ministry. The renovation will help the organization better serve the elderly, poor, disabled, unemployed, and disadvantaged with emergency food assistance and empower community wellbeing through food security.

So, as we prepare for our Thanksgiving activities, we want to acknowledge our deep appreciation and thanks for the culture and spirit of volunteerism and service that makes Music City such an incredibly giving community.