By Allie Stafford, Tennessee Chapter E-newsletter Editor
Allen Shropshire is an Organizer for Chattanooga in Action for Love, Equality, and Benevolence (CALEB). He grew up in East Chattanooga/Avondale. Before getting into community outreach, Shropshire was working as a line cook at a downtown cafe when he heard about a program called Build It Green (BIG). He was reluctant at first but decided to give it a shot.
BIG is a workforce and leadership development program that started in 2018 as a partnership between green|spaces and Build Me a World. It was modeled after two programs: Socially Equal Energy Efficient Development (SEEED) in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Manitoba Green Retrofit in Alberta, Canada. The 12-week program offers paid training and job shadowing opportunities using a blend of personal development, technical training, and community outreach to create workforce-ready young adults. BIG is specifically focused on energy efficiency, sustainability, and residential weatherization improvements.
The need for energy efficiency is great, because energy-draining housing puts an expensive burden on low-income Tennesseans. But BIG is helping fill a service gap in these neighborhoods. According to Dawn Hjelseth, Chief Development Officer for green|spaces, "There are homeowners that make $1 too much to qualify for current home improvement programs or have absentee landlords. We can work with these residents to make home improvements and help them lower their utility bills."
For Shropshire, learning about the technical side of green building was interesting, but what he valued most was the sense of "community that was built in my class of ten brothers from all different sides of town." He found it inspiring to come together and work on projects and discuss issues of daily life. Participating in BIG turned out to be even more lucrative than Shropshire expected; after graduating from the program in Spring 2018, he was hired by green|spaces as a Program Outreach Coordinator for the Empower Chattanooga program, and later by CALEB. In June, Build It Green was awarded a 2020 Governor's Stewardship Award in the category of Environmental Education and Outreach. The Governor's Environmental Stewardship Awards program, now in its 34th year, recognizes exceptional voluntary efforts that contribute to the protection and improvement of Tennessee's natural resources and wildlife.
Since 2018, BIG has graduated 38 people, with an 80 percent placement and retention in employment. One of the most powerful factors of BIG's success is its focus on leadership and personal development. As Hjelseth explains, one reason the program is important is because it is designed to "create pathways out of poverty" and build community leaders. With other cities interested in creating similar programs in their towns, green|spaces has been giving presentations across the Southeast about BIG.
In the wake of pandemic uncertainty, the future of Build It Green will look a little different. Green|spaces is currently in the process of becoming an AmeriCorps Opportunity Youth Service Initiative (OYSI) host site. As a result, Hjelseth says that they "will be able to work with individuals for a longer period of time and do even more for the community through home improvements, community projects and supporting other nonprofits." In October, they will begin to host 12 half-term members and 2 full-time members through the program. Shropshire is thankful that the BIG crew "saw something in me that at first I couldn't see or put my finger on." Seeing the potential in others is transformative, and Shropshire intends to pass it on. He says, "Now I am in a position of leadership and I plan to continue to build more leaders in my community and build more people power."
Despite being a relatively new program, Build It Green has made an impressive impact, and it's clear that they are just getting started. Contact Allie at enews.sierratn@gmail.com