January 2017
Fellows Serve Their Communities on MLK Day
"...A foot soldier for justice and a giant of the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. King lifted the quiet hopes of our Nation with the powers of his voice and pen. Whether behind his pulpit in Montgomery, at a podium on the National Mall, or from his jail cell in Birmingham, he beckoned us toward justice through non-violent resistance and oratory skill. Dr. King fought not merely for the absence of oppression but for the presence of opportunity. 

His soaring rhetoric impelled others to take up his cause, and with struggle and discipline, persistence and faith, those who joined him on his journey began to march. America was watching, and so they kept marching; America was listening, and so they kept sounding the call for justice. Because they kept moving forward with unwavering resistance, they changed not only laws but also hearts and minds. And as change rippled across the land, it began to strengthen over time, building on the progress realized on buses, in schools, and at lunch counters so that eventually, it would reverberate in the halls of government and be felt in the lives of people across our country...."

President Barack Obama
January 13th, 2017

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'" As AmeriCorps members making a positive impact in their communities, our CivicSpark fellows throughout the state spent January 16th giving back to their regions via acts of service, ranging from feeding the hungry to planting trees in their local area.

North Coast Region
North Coast fellows spent their service day with the Eureka chapter of "Food Not Bombs", a group of volunteers who cook-up wholesome vegan meals for the residents of Old Town Eureka every Sunday. Food Not Bombs recovers food that would have been discarded, and uses it to prepare vegan meals that are shared with the hungry while providing literature about the need to change society and as a way of protesting war and poverty. Fellows assisted in meal preparation and clean-up, and took home leftovers of homemade applesauce they had helped prepare that same afternoon.
Sacramento and Sierra Nevada Regions
The Sacramento and Sierra fellows attended an event with Harvest Sacramento, a collaborative effort of area residents, non-profits, community groups and businesses that harvest surplus fruit and vegetables from backyards and small orchards and donate it to local food assistance agencies. This event is hosted by Soil Born Farms. The fellows went gleaning for oranges, lemons, and grapefruit in the Oak Park neighborhood, and the citruses were donated to the Sacramento Food Bank. The fellows gleaned over 700 pounds of fruit in about three hours.

Bay Area Region
The Climate and Water fellows in the Bay Area served the City of Richmond on various projects, including assisting in building a new public bicycle terrain park with Dirt World, planting trees and beautifying the Richmond Greenway trail and park with Groundwork Richmond, and creating a rain garden with the Watershed Project.

Central Valley Region
The Central Valley fellows attended the Martin Luther King Jr parade and march in Downtown Fresno in honor Dr. King's legacy of equality for all. The parade brought together people from all backgrounds including a large students from the YMCA California Youth and Government conference. The fellows arrived before the parade to assist in staging area organization as well as any necessary set up. During the parade, the fellows assisted in any parade route monitoring or placement that was required. 
Central Coast Region
The Central Coast's Water and Climate fellows came together for their service day and served alongside the Environmental Center of San Luis Obispo (ECOSLO), a local non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and enhancing the natural environment through community-based action, advocacy, and education. Fellows assisted in repairing the Escondido Trail, and picked up trash they found along the trail. 
Southern California Region
For their service day, the Southern California CivicSpark Water and Climate fellows joined the Human Rights Campaign, which is the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer civil rights organization, and the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles to assemble collection drive items into care packages for city's homeless LGBT youth population.
Project Spotlights
Sustainable Groundwater Management in the Bay
Water fellow Kori Johnson-Lane is serving with the Clean Water Fund on their Groundwater Matters project. Her service primarily focuses on the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) of 2014. SGMA provides a framework that requires the most heavily used groundwater basins in California to be managed for long-term sustainability by 2042. Kori is working to provide local knowledge and resources to small communities most affected by groundwater and create more inclusive, sustainable groundwater participation in the SGMA process. Kori is managing the Groundwater Matters Blog (including writing her own blog post about Groundwater Sustainability Agencies) and hosting the educational Groundwater Matters Webinar Series.

Energy and LEED in the Central Coast
Kristyn Payne is working with the San Luis Obispo County Energy Section to benchmark and baseline energy consumption for San Luis Obispo County and numerous Community Service Districts. Additionally, Kristyn is working with Serena Desai, another fellow placed with the County, to host monthly trainings for County employees to become well-versed in LEED certification and accreditation. Kristyn hopes to pursue LEED AP accreditation herself before the end of the service year. Kristyn and Serena are also supporting the County's Strategic Action Planning process by defining goals and actions for the section to carry out over the next few years, particularly highlighting the role of future CivicSpark fellows. 

Fellow Spotlights
Question of the Month: "As an AmeriCorps member, service is a critical component of the CivicSpark model - How do you give back to your community? Why is service important to you?"
Elliot Goodrich, North Coast Region
A: "Now more than ever, I see service as a crucial element of global citizenship and a way to counter the divisiveness that is so pervasive throughout the world. Climate action must occur at all levels, including the local level, so service is also one of the keys to slowing climate change! Most of the volunteer work that I have done has been working at community gardens to help cultivate nutritious, sustainable food for those in need. I also have started volunteering at my local humane society because there aren't enough dogs in my life."

Elliot Goodrich is an Oregon native and graduate of the University of Oregon's Planning, Public Policy, and Management program. He is interested in finding sustainable, planning-focused solutions to climate-related problems. Among his work and research experience are alternative transportation outreach and urban heat island measurement projects. Outside of the planning world, Elliot is an avid outdoors enthusiast, bicyclist, ultimate frisbee and disc golf player, and writer. He is looking forward to spending the 2016-2017 service year in the North Coast region working on electric vehicle and alternative fuels infrastructure plans.

Janelle Del Campo, Sacramento Region
A: "
Whether it is purchasing an item that provides funds to local programs for animals or disadvantaged communities or volunteering with my family, I like to try and find ways to give back to my community. Contributing to one's community leads to being successful and comes with great dedication and responsibility.
Service is important to me because it is a way to learn about causes and communities, to help others, and grow as a leader. It is a way to be an active participant and directly involved with a cause or project that is important to me."

Janelle has a Bachelors degree in Environmental Studies as well as a Masters in Natural Resources and a Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Natural Resources from Oregon State University. Throughout her education she has worked on restoration projects in Southern California and environmental projects requiring conflict resolution in communities in Oregon. She would like to pursue a career in sustainability.

Amanda Schallert, Southern California Region
A: "I try to give back to my community by being an active member of it and caring for the people I meet. All my role models are people who have made service a priority in their lives, whether through education or criminal defense-related work."

Amanda Schallert is a CivicSpark Water fellow at the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority, where she works to involve overburdened communities in planning for water management projects. Schallert studied atmospheric, oceanic and environmental sciences at UCLA and was the news editor at the school's student-run paper, the Daily Bruin. After graduating, she covered courts and law firm business in Southern California for the Daily Journal, a legal newspaper.

CivicSpark Great Stories
Chris Sturken, Climate - Bay Area Region
"I arrived at Hayward's Water Pollution Control Facility (WPCF) looking for answers to questions like-'Is meter number 17P683 a smart meter?' and 'Is the solar array grid-tied or building-tied?'-and received more than I bargained for."...
 
Ali Coblentz, Water - Central Coast Region
"When I moved into my apartment, I was shocked to discover that the complex did not offer recycling nor green waste bins."...

Elektra Fike-Data, Climate - Southern California Region
"It was only a month ago that I sat in the lobby of the newly LEED certified Civic Center of Vista, California, waiting to meet with my new project manager after weeks of emails and transitioning."...

Read these Great Stories and more at http://civicspark.lgc.org/blog.

Upcoming Events
CivicSpark 2017-18 Project Partner Informational Webinars

Over the past 2 years, LGC's Governor's Initiative AmeriCorps CivicSpark program has provided over 130,000 hours of support to more than 100 public agencies while implementing 80 Projects in support of state climate and water priorities. 

If you are a public agency or an NGO with a climate or water action project need, register TODAY for one of FOUR upcoming webinars to learn about how CivicSpark can support your efforts.
Wed, 2/15| 9am-10am
Fri, 3/3| 1pm-2pm
Wed, 3/8| 9am-10am
Fri, 3/17| 1pm-2pm

Registration is NOW OPEN for the Business of Local Energy Symposium! Join government, business, and community leaders from across the state to accelerate California's shift to a clean energy economy.  Don't miss this opportunity to network, exchange ideas about Community Choice Energy programs and learn about current energy policy, regulations, markets, and technology. The event is being organized by the Center for Climate Protection, Local Government Commission, and Local Government Sustainable Energy Coalition. Visit localenergybiz.com to learn more about this event and to sign up for updates. Register here

About CivicSpark
CivicSpark is a statewide Governor's initiative AmeriCorps program implemented by the Local Government Commission in partnership with the Governor's Office of Planning and Research. Regional hubs host 68 fellows across California, building capacity for local government agencies to address climate change and water resource management. The 2016-17 service year starts on Oct. 9th, 2016 and will go through Sept. 2017.
Local Government Commission-Energy Related Emails, 980 9th Street, Suite 1700, Sacramento, CA 95814
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