by Serena Bruce
GRID Alternatives Mid-Atlantic Residential Construction Manager
On September 19, we’ll be celebrating GRID Alternatives Mid-Atlantic’s five-year anniversary at our Solar Soirée Gala... and looking back, we've come a long way.
Five years ago, I moved to D.C. and began my journey with GRID MId-Atlantic. We started this office with a skeletal staff of three and a nearly empty warehouse. But we had an inspiring mission, to bring the benefits of solar power to families across the Mid-Atlantic. Fast forward to today, you’ll find a diverse staff of nearly 40 talented individuals, strong partnerships with a variety of organizations, government agencies, corporations and a warehouse stocked with all the equipment needed to install solar arrays on homes and multifamily units in the region.
We have accomplished a great deal in five years — 247 installations for under-resourced families, 859 participants trained to install solar, and about 47,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions prevented — the equivalent of about 1 million cars taken off the road for one year. But we still have so much more to accomplish to ensure all people, regardless of income or race, have the opportunity to save on their electric bill and join the movement to combat climate change.
My experience at GRID Mid-Atlantic has allowed me to grow immensely, both personally and professionally, since we first opened our doors. It has given me a strong feeling of ownership to the work we do. Most importantly, our impact has transcended beyond our employees: we’ve formed deep-rooted bonds within the community, our workforce trainees — many of which have joined the GRID Mid-Atlantic family — and with volunteers and donors such as yourself.
This is all worth celebrating! I’m excited to toast with everyone who has made our work possible and ready to join us in building a sustainable future with solar. I hope you can be there as we honor individuals whose work has impacted GRID Mid-Atlantic’s values for workforce diversity, environmental and social justice. Be sure to get your tickets today, I look forward to seeing you there.