Mandated to work seven days a week in the receiving department of an agricultural packing plant, Raymond was despondent. He spent every day of his life standing in a small office performing the same repetitive task of counting and labeling fruit. After three years on the job, he received his first pay raise putting him at a whopping 25 cents above minimum wage.

Marissa Torres sits at the reception desk at GRID Central Valley eagerly typing away. She is always quiet and polite but one should not mistake the dynamic force that lingers within this young woman. She is a queen on the rise with a mission to serve. GRID Alternatives is very proud to make her a permanent part of the family after her year of service through SolarCorps.

Intercepted by GRID Alternatives! In 2016 more than 24,000 tons of greenhouse gasses were stopped in their tracks!

This year, Darlin Velasco found herself in a situation that nearly every high school student experiences as graduation draws near: weighing numerous future career pathways and post-graduation options. Darlin knew she was interested in a career in engineering, but still felt apprehensive about her future.

This year’s Central Valley Solarthon was held on Saturday, December 3, 2016 in Dinuba, CA. 140 volunteers composed of community members of the region, financial supporters, and students converged on this community located 40 miles southeast of Fresno.

The world as we know it is changing. Deficiencies in our prior practices reflected by climate change and discernible in the communities affected by these changes are inspiring a major global revision. Power plants are going down and solar fields are on the rise as we launch this world wide transformation to clean energy.

More women now than ever are giving the boot to customer service and clerical jobs, putting on hard hats, and picking up the tool box.

It can’t be that hard to start your life over. All you have to do is get a job then the rest falls in to place, right? Not quite...

Can one person really change the world? I had my doubts, until I met Jeff Rivero. He has just been presented with the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators and named the EPA Teacher of the Year for his many accomplishments and contributions he makes toward improving the environment and society, producing a better tomorrow for future generations.

Working in the volunteerism department at GRID, it brings me great joy to see a volunteer take what we have to teach them and use it to land a great job. One they can be passionate about and proud of, as well as earn a good living for themselves and their families. Even better is when GRID receives the great benefit of finding a star volunteer who can contribute to the organization as a staff member and a wonderful addition to GRID’s family.