“My electric bill is rarely over $100. Even in the summertime, I keep my thermostat between 78 and 80,” said Alonda Bonner, who has lived in Moreno Valley for over 24 years and received no-cost solar through GRID IE nearly two decades ago.
In 2006, GRID’s Outreach Team canvassed in Alonda’s neighborhood, where it was frequented by “other solar companies with similar offers of solar—except in the end you’d have to pay thousands of dollars for the system,” she said. At the time, her household was experiencing tremendous spikes in its energy bill.
“My utility cost was my burden. The bill was going up every month.”
After learning more about GRID’s no-cost solar program, Alonda’s initial suspicions eased: "I saw the statistics and how the program would benefit my family. It was a no-brainer—GRID became part of the strategy to maintain my electric bill.”
“The cost of having solar with GRID has been free to this day. Go GRID IE!”
In addition to going solar, Alonda sought out other community programs to help weatherize her family’s home against the heat of the Inland Empire. At her regional Community Action Partnership (CAP) of Riverside County, Alonda was able to upgrade her home with energy-saving features like tile floors and dual-paned windows through the Low Income Housing Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
“I love my home—I love it to pieces.”
Since then, Alonda has built her career in the nonprofit sector. Now a Senior Community Program Specialist for CAP of Riverside County, Alonda plays a vital role in interacting with community members in her day-to-day responsibilities. “It’s important to have a localized space where Inland Empire neighborhoods can access the necessary resources to survive in a market that's constantly increasing its cost of living,”shared Alonda, who has experienced those difficulties firsthand.
“When local nonprofits and organizations form a network to serve community members, our combined resources have the potential to grow cost-saving benefits and provide a level of financial wellness. I want Riverside County and the Inland Empire to be one of the greatest, safest places to work and play.”
GRID IE and CAP of Riverside County have successfully demonstrated that network of combined local resources: “by installing GRID’s solar panels to a home where they receive LIHEAP’s utility assistance from CAP, the household taps into both sides of the partnership, which will expose them to other resources that are available, too,” Alonda said. The two organizations have a supportive history of canvassing in neighborhoods together and engaging with each other's content on social media. “My vision and hope for other community resources like GRID IE and CAP is to keep building and strengthening partnerships,” she shared. GRID IE absolutely agrees—we look forward to serving our diverse community in the Inland Empire together!
More about Alonda:
Alonda recently participated in manager’s training at the COR Learning Center: “It’s exciting and rewarding picking up new tips and tools, then parlaying that into the day-to-day at Community Action Partnership.”
Alonda’s stand-out program offered at CAP is Savings for Success. "It’s a part of the financial wellness aspect at Community Action Partnership. I've worked on that program at least three times, and actually used it myself,” said Alonda, who attended various workshops and classes to prepare herself for owning the home she currently lives in, returning to college, and launching her own business.
She also started a nonprofit, A Woman's Worth International, which is geared towards equipping young women and others in the community with various skills including: resume building, interview preparation, career mapping, managing and saving earnings, utilizing community resources, and navigating past probation. “These are tips and skills that people aren’t really taught in school. A Woman’s Worth International is not just for the US—I've worked abroad in Ghana, South Africa, and Uruguay,” said Alonda, who hopes to circle back to those countries and extend her work to other continents such as Asia, Europe, and Australia by 2030.
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