2021 Evergreen Options Grant Applicants

The Mountaineers

The Mountaineers Tacoma Program Center (TPC) — an iconic structure on North 30th Street — serves as a base for outdoor education and recreation. The TPC provides wilderness-skills training, a gear library to promote outdoor access, community gatherings and Mountain Workshop outreach programs that support young people of color and low-income families. Daily operations at the TPC allow us to address barriers to recreation and to deliver our robust scholarship program, which has served 625 youth and adults in Pierce County since 2018.

We believe our energy sources should reflect our conservation values and leave-no-trace principles, and we intend our programming to advance social justice and sustainability. With these priorities in mind, our Carbon Footprint Reduction (CFR) committee launched a NetZero Energy project in 2019.

This three-phased plan will power TPC entirely with renewables and uphold our mission with:

• Conversion to LED lighting
• Air-source heat pumps to replace gas appliances
• A 29kW solar PV system

These upgrades eliminate 21 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually and reinforce our educational mission to every participant in our volunteer-led nonprofit.

Thanks to members’ generous donations, Phase 1 is complete, and Phase 2 is fully funded and underway. With and Evergreen Options Grant, we can begin Phase 3, installation of a solar array. Plans are in place with Artisan Electric, a signatory IBEW Local 46 electrical contractor committed to apprenticeship and a diverse workforce. Your vote provides us with the additional funds to achieve our NetZero Energy goals!

Oasis of Hope Center

The Oasis of Hope Center, founded in 2004, serves as a community center primarily focusing on providing resources, assistance and mentorship to our youth. The Children of Hope Childcare was founded with the emphasis of servicing families in the Hilltop Community that needed childcare services. That, business is still intact and growing strong.

Over the years, the center has become the epicenter for the following services:

• Vaccination
• Phoenix Housing
• Bridges – Counseling Services
• Our Gents – Youth Mentorship
• S.E.E. – Student Engaged Education Program
• Back to school supply assistance
• Sherman (Christmas giveaway)
• Popeye’s Thanksgiving program
• World Vision
• Pierce County Funeral Director Association
• Mercy House Partnership
• Tacoma Ministerial Alliance
• Funeral Assistance

Reasons to vote for this project:

You will be supporting the Oasis of Hope Center in the Tacoma Hilltop which focuses on programs for training, development, and mentorship. We have chosen Sphere Solar Company, a minority owned business, to showcase their quality workmanship and to support cost cutting measures in energy for the reallocation of energy funds into meaningful programs that will stimulate community growth. It raises the level in the Tacoma Hilltop community by being environmentally conscious, socially responsible and providing economic stability for minority based companies. With your vote and continued support, the Oasis of Hope will continue to be that “beacon on the hill” for all those that need assistance, resources, mentorship, training and education in the community.

RAIN Incubator

RAIN is a nonprofit organization devoted to racial, gender, and economic equality in science and biotechnology education, and to providing networking opportunities and infrastructure support for new biotech businesses throughout the South Sound.

Our “Solar Over RAIN” project will promote renewable energy in our region, connect this important community infrastructure project with Tacoma Power, and sustain this mission through education of students, scientists, and home-grown entrepreneurs. Located in a highly visible location in the downtown Brewery District, our planned state-of-the-art rooftop solar array will offset at least 50% of our current power consumption.

RAIN has partnered with locally owned and operated South Sound Solar, a company with extensive experience installing commercial solar systems. Our design will use some of the most advanced, highest-efficiency solar panels in the world, proudly manufactured right here in Washington State. Real-time data on energy saved will be visible on our website and on displays inside the facility and at an outside window. The many teachers, students, scientists, and community leaders who frequent our facility, as well as passers-by, will be able to learn about the project and view system energy production statistics at any hour of the day and during all weather conditions.

The planned aesthetic display on top of Tacoma’s own biotech hub is something our community can be proud of. What better way to promote renewable energy and endorse Tacoma’s role as a leader in innovation and technology while educating and inspiring students, future scientists, and the many entrepreneurs in our community?

Tacoma Community College

The Tacoma Community College  (TCC) board of Trustees is committed to the principle that everyone connected with the college should have equitable opportunities and access regardless of their multiple identity statuses. One of the ways we actively seek to hone this commitment is by integrating equity, diversity, and inclusion in every aspect of our institution.

Our Early Learning Center is a model of care for younger children of our community members that attend TCC. Our students and educators are of diverse backgrounds with multiple languages spoken by a culturally diverse mix of students and staff.

The facility as described in our application is a solar ready building. Our goal is to continue to find opportunities to reduce energy and carbon emissions on campus through sustainable energy and solar investments that directly benefit our students and staff. This specific facility needs a cooling system to ensure we can keep the facility comfortable during the summer months. We are looking to add mechanical cooling to the building through a different state funded project. The solar system will offset the energy consumption of the proposed summer cooling load, enabling us to create a comfortable environment for our kids and educators without increasing our carbon emissions footprint. We have completed an engineering effort for the solar system design and construction costs.

We’re looking forward to celebrating this project with you on campus and showcasing our shared commitment to supporting efforts that reduce carbon emissions and benefit our local community.