Fall 08
Vol. 13 No. 4

Employees go green by giving their green

By Bobby Vasquez

It’s one thing to join the “Go Green” movement. It’s another to donate hard-earned green to deserving charities. Through the Combined Municipal Campaign, city of Houston employees can give their green to help green endeavors.

“To ‘go green’ means to be active and proactive when it comes to our environment,” said Julie Keeton, citywide CMC coordinator. Last year, city employees donated more than $1 million from their city paychecks to a wide array of charities. This year, Keeton has set the bar at $650,000, some of which employees can choose to send to environmental campaigns.

While conserving, recycling and reusing are some of the more popular ways to participate in the green movement, financial donations allow environmental groups flexible alternatives to implement programs and encourage citizens to care for their surroundings.

“A lot of times, people don’t have the time to participate in cleanups or conservancy efforts,” said Jennifer Gaines, director of development for the Buffalo Bayou Partnership. “Financial donations allow groups like ours to find people who do have the time for these projects and mobilize them to help out.”

For example, donations to the BBP make improvements for business, industry and citizens along the Buffalo Bayou from Shepherd Drive east to the Turning Basin. Gaines said these improvements include a 20-year master plan, three miles of trails east of downtown, Sesquicentennial Park, the North Side Trail and the purchase of more than 35 acres of land on the East End for park lands.

Recycling doesn’t just mean tossing aluminum cans into a separate receptacle. Other organizations, such as Houston Habitat for Humanity, encourage Houstonians to donate new or gently used home-building materials to their ReStore. ReStore is a new Habitat retail center that sells home products at greatly reduced prices. It is open to the public and sells new and like-new materials. In addition to financial donations, the facility accepts reusable recycled windows, doors, appliances, roofing materials, cabinets, flooring materials, plumbing fixtures, lighting fixtures and furniture.

Houston Habitat for Humanity and the Buffalo Bayou Partnership are two of several environmentally conscious charities based in the Bayou City participating in the CMC program. Others include the Hermann Park Conservancy, Keep Houston Beautiful and Mothers for Clean Air.

“Donating to green-friendly groups helps them keep our parks and surroundings beautiful,” Keeton said. “Going green starts at home. Helping the city stay green takes all of our efforts.”

To donate to these or any CMC charities, read the latest issue of CMC Tribute and fill out the form on the back page. CMC applications and organization lists are also available online at www.houstoncmc.org.

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