Mark Welch Jr.’s volunteer experience with GRID Alternatives began in October of 2015. “Wanting to change my life around, the decision to attend the volunteer orientation was the start to a new beginning. A few years ago, I was in a dark place in my life and hung around with the wrong crowd. It was tough” stated Mark.

There is no better reward than to earn the continued confidence of corporate supporters whose belief in GRID’s core mission continues to grow.

Esmeralda Ramirez’s life changed over a cup of coffee - and volunteering with GRID. An army veteran, she had recently returned from the Middle East, where she spent twelve years working in fuel security in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan, receiving and testing fuel shipped in for convoys and other military transport vehicles, and wanted a change.

Eager about what the day will bring, students from Ceres High School’s Manufacturing and Green Technology Academy strapped on their safety gear, ready to install solar in their hometown of Ceres. School officials and students filled the front yard of the home, as media captured the story of stewardship and volunteerism in the small town.

Getting out into the field with GRID Alternatives is always a highlight of the school week for students at Yosemite High School in Merced, but this week, it had extra meaning. Not only were the students working side-by-side with students from the Merced Adult School to install solar for a former Adult School classmate, but they also got a visit from State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Torlakson.

GRID Alternatives Central Valley is once again, the proud recipient of a Westamerica Bank grant of $1,000 dollars. Westamerica Bank is a longtime supporter of our Central Valley office.

On a brisk morning, Proteus students had the opportunity to work on a former Proteus student’s home in the small town of Lindsay.

As 2016 continues to unfold, GRID celebrates its new partnership with Parlier Unified School District. On a recent chilly February morning, fifteen high school students from agriculture classes at Parlier High School came out to learn how to install solar in Parlier, a small town of 15,000 residents.

There is nothing more challenging than juggling in the rain. However, the rain did not dent the spirit of 39 University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) students in the first week of January 2016 as they worked tirelessly in the rain installing two solar systems in Madera, California.

As the new year approaches, on behalf of everyone at GRID Alternatives Central Valley, we thank all who helped make 2015 a successful year. Our office has experienced enormous growth over the year, as we added 12 new members to help take on the new tasks, as we continue to expand our territory within the Central Valley.