News
Boston Low-Income Families Get Help From 9/11 Community Service Event Funded in Part By Innovative Incentives, Inc.
As part of the the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance established this spring by Congress with the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, several non-profit groups are “greening” the St. John St. James Episcopal Church in Roxbury and the nearby Madison Park Village housing complex by installing energy-efficient light bulbs. The bulbs were funded in part by a generous donation from Innovative Incentives, Inc.
The energy efficient bulbs were installed on 9/11 by the Massachusetts Episcopal Diocese young adult intern program. “We’re called to serve our neighbors and be good stewards of our planet and our Sept. 11 project is a symbolic and practical way we’re answering that call in partnership with others”, Bishop Bud Cederholm of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts said.
“We’re proud to support LiveCooler and this 9/11 community service event,” said Sarah McMaster of Innovative Incentives, Inc. “Our gift softens our impact on the environment while helping a local Massachusetts community.”
Massachusetts Interfaith Power and Light and LiveCooler (www.LiveCooler.org) a massachusetts-based non-profit are partnering with the diocese to get make the project possible.
The bulbs will save the families in Roxbury collectively over $11,900 in electricity bills over the life of the bulbs.
About the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts
The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts comprises 72,000 Episcopalians in nearly 200 congregations in cities and towns throughout eastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod and the islands.
About Massachusetts Interfaith Power and Light
Massachusetts Interfaith Power and Light is a non-profit, interfaith group that helps over 150 congregations across Massachusetts committed to Reducing energy consumption, lowering operating costs, and promoting clean, renewable energy in houses of worship and related buildings. In short, we are a mutual ministry working with the community of faith toward environmental justice and care of creation.
About Innovative Incentives, Inc.
Innovative Incentives, Inc. is a family owned full service incentive travel company located in Barre, Massachusetts. Our custom-designed incentive travel programs assist our clients in motivating their teams, rewarding top producers, and reinforcing superior performance.
About LiveCooler Foundation, Inc.
LiveCooler Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit that enables donors to offset their carbon footprints while giving back to local low-income families. With funding from our donors we install energy efficient light bulbs in low-income family homes. The families get lower electricity bills and less coal is burned to create electricity, improving air quality and fighting climate change.
LiveCooler.org Offers Discounted CFLs to Civic Groups Looking to Buy at Least 50
ACTON, MA., - January 17, 2009 - LiveCooler Foundation, Inc. announced a new program that offers church and other civic groups the opportunity to leverage the discounts that LiveCooler receives for bulk CFL purchases. If a group is looking to purchase at least 50 CFLs in order to reduce their electricity bills and help the environment by needing less coal to be burned to create electricity, they may contact LiveCooler and place an order. LiveCooler will ship the bulbs UPS Ground from the supplier’s warehouse in either Wisconsin or Massachusetts, whichever is closer. To create an additional incentive for groups to purchase and install CFLs, for each 50 purchased LiveCooler will donate and install 2 bulbs to a low-income family.
The bulbs are high-quality bulbs, brighter than the incandescent bulbs they are replacing. They come in paper packaging rather than plastic packaging and in the case of the low-mercury bulbs, the paper is recycled paper.
Below is a sampling of the bulbs available and how they compare to CFLs from Home Depot and incandescent bulbs in general:
For more information about the Earthmate low-mercury CFLs, here is the Earthmate web site.
For more information please contact:
Jay Barnes, Executive Director
LiveCooler Foundation, Inc.
866-787-6630
jaybarnes at livecooler dot org
The LiveCooler Story
LiveCooler.org Selected As Carbon Offset Solution for Massachusetts’ DNC Delegates
State Leaders Endorse Use of Charitable Offsets for Denver Convention; Cite Local Energy Savings, Environmental Benefits
ACTON, MA., - June 23, 2008 - LiveCooler Foundation, Inc. (www.LiveCooler.org) today announced a partnership with the Massachusetts Democratic Party to enable delegates attending this August’s national convention in Denver to offset their travel by investing in charitable carbon offsets that benefit low-income families in Massachusetts. Carbon offsets from MA-based non-profit LiveCooler.org will lead to the installation of energy efficient compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs in the homes of low-income families who can’t afford them, thereby reducing energy costs and demand.
The MA Green Delegate Challenge program was announced today by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, Senator John Kerry, Boston City Councilor Mike Ross and Marc Pacheco, Chair of the State Senate Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change. “LiveCooler’s innovative approach to both fighting global climate change and helping low-income families reduce their energy costs is a win-win,” said Senator Kerry.
The 2008 Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) has challenged all attending delegates to offset their carbon emissions, and will recognize the state with the highest percentage of participating members during the Convention in August. LiveCooler.org’s solution is the only offset program specifically designed to benefit low-income families in the delegates’ home district in Massachusetts.
Dan Ruben, who led the effort to “green” the 2004 convention in Boston, and is now Executive Director of Boston Green Tourism, “When we greened the DNC in Boston four years ago it was a big step forward for the environment and the Democratic party. I’m delighted that the DNC and especially the MA delegation are building upon this tradition by making the connection between energy efficiency, local action and global warming.”
Going Green: How It Works
MA Delegates and supporters go to www.LiveCooler.org/massdems, to sponsor offsets.For a $15 donation, delegates and supporters sponsor a one-ton offset which is equal to 5.5 CFL bulbs installed. This donation installs enough bulbs to reduce 1,800 KWh of electricity use over 5 years, which saves $300 and reduces carbon dioxide emissions by one ton (2000 pounds), which meets the DNCC challenge standard (one ton per delegate).
“I’m proud to work with LiveCooler to make Massachusetts the greenest delegation in the nation,” said Boston City Councilor Mike Ross. “Working together our delegation is going to offset thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide, directly assist low-income families and make an immediate yet lasting impact on our environment.”
Jay Barnes, Executive Director of LiveCooler Foundation noted, “While LiveCooler’s national charitable offset program already operates in several Massachusetts municipalities, delegates and donors who live in locations in which LiveCooler does not yet operate can request that a program start in their municipality. This further localizes the offsets for the delegates - installing energy efficient bulbs in low-income homes within their community - saving their constituents energy and money.”
Delegates can work with LiveCooler to start programs in their local communities. Friends, family and supporters of the delegates can make tax deductible donations in honor of their favorite delegate or the MA delegation as a whole.
About LiveCooler Charitable Offsets
Using nominal, tax-deductible donations, LiveCooler purchases and installs energy-efficient CFL light bulbs in low-income homes.These charitable carbon offsets cause a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and reduced electricity bills for low-income home owners.
“Though LiveCooler is installing CFL bulbs throughout New England and in Washington DC as well, the focus of this partnership with the Massachusetts Democratic Party is for installations in Massachusetts.” said Mr. Barnes.
“The structure of LiveCooler’s carbon offset gives it a distinct advantage in the marketplace,” said Nick d’Arbeloff, Executive Director of the New England Clean Energy Council. “Since the money they collect is going to energy savings that wouldn’t occur otherwise, and that’s extremely important.”
LiveCooler uses donations to buy and install compact fluorescent (CFLs) lightbulbs in the homes of low-income families. In order to keep program costs down, LiveCooler works with non-profit, low-income family assistance organizations to get the CFLs installed. These assistance organizations install the CFLs within 60 days of the LiveCooler donation and provide paperwork for an audit trail. Once installed, less electricity is used, thereby burning less coal and putting less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The low-income families or their non-profit support groups using the CFLs save roughly 5-10% on their electric bill every month for 10 years (the estimated lifetime of the CFL).
About LiveCooler.org
The LiveCooler Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization whose mission is to fight global warming while helping the less fortunate. LiveCooler’s contribution is the Charitable Carbon Offset. LiveCooler installs free energy-efficient lightbulbs (CFLs) in the homes of low-income families that can’t afford them. Switching to CFLs achieves:
• Lower monthly electricity bills for the low-income families.
• Less CO2 created by electricity power plants.
For more information please contact:
Jay Barnes, Executive Director
LiveCooler Foundation, Inc.
866-787-6630
www.livecooler.org