MACG is pleased to announce that we have been selected to organize the Cully Neighborhood in NE Portland for the Clean Energy Works Portland home energy efficiency program!

MACG and Cully Neighborhood Leaders have named the project “Changing the Climate in Cully” to recognize that making energy efficiency improvements to a large number of homes (100) within one neighborhood:

• Helps the planet by reducing climate change

• Creates living wage, local jobs

• Increases the comfort and value of homes

• Brings neighbors together

• Saves energy

This is a big opportunity for MACG!  The Sustainable Jobs Action Team has been advocating for a neighborhood based project like this for the last two years and now we have the funding to make it happen!  This is a chance for MACG to prove that community relationships make a difference in influencing homeowners to make choices that benefit themselves, the community and the planet.  We’re in the spotlight, nationwide, as others watch to see if a neighborhood-based approach is a successful model to replicate in other cities.    City and county leaders are watching too.

There’s a lot of work to be done, and a lot of fun to be had to make this project a success – not just for Cully residents, but for MACG members also.  Mark your calendars for these upcoming events!

Click HERE for a printable SAVE THE DATE FLIER.

MACG Changing the Climate in Cully Events: 

MACG Cully Member Kickoff

Thursday, July 15

7:00 - 8:15 PM

St. Charles Catholic Church

5310 NE 42nd Ave.

This event is targeted to MACG members who live in Cully or the 97218 zip code area (almost the same, but not quite!) to find out about getting a retrofit, and/or getting involved in some other way.  All others are welcome to join us!

Neighborhood Lit Drop #1

Sunday, July 18

1:00 - 4:30 PM

Rigler School

Front Lawn

5401 NE Prescott St.

One of the first volunteer opportunities is for a literature drop in Cully – a great family activity to walk in the neighborhood.  We need a minimum of 40 volunteers.  More is better (more fun, shorter time).  NOTE: Bring a water bottle!

Neighborhood Lit Drop #2

Sunday, July 25

1:00 - 4:30 PM

Rigler School

5401 NE Prescott St.

A second great family activity to walk the Cully neighborhood, and a great service activity for youth groups. NOTE: Bring a water bottle!

Weekly Information Sessions 

Tuesdays, Starting July 20

5:30 - 6:30 PM

Rigler School

Front Lawn

5401 NE Prescott St.

For anyone living in Cully who wants more information on an energy improvement for their home, come to these information sessions by the beautiful garden in Rigler School!

Ice Cream Social Kick-Off Event!

Thursday, July 29

7:00 - 8:30 PM

Rigler School

 5401 NE Prescott St.

Invite your friends to a fun neighborhood kick-off party hosted by MACG and Rigler School!  There will be music and ice cream, family friendly activities, and public/private partners joining in the celebration.  [We’ll share specifics when confirmed.]

Read more about the winning proposal and the program below:

Homeowners who apply for the program – called Clean Energy Works Portland (CEWP) -  can receive loans up to $18,000 with no upfront costs, and paid back on monthly utility bills.  The goal is to save enough energy through enhancements like maximized insulation and maximum-efficiency furnaces to significantly reduce energy costs.  Each individual project takes affordability for the homeowner into account.  In many cases – because of reduced energy usage – the homeowner’s payment for work will be approximately the same monthly amount they were previously paying.  The improvements also significantly enhance the home’s market value and sales potential.

MACG’s winning proposal represents a $1 million investment in Cully by the program – Clean Energy Works Portland (CEWP)!  It was supported by an ethnically and culturally diverse coalition of neighborhood participants and supporters in the Cully area, including the Cully Association of Neighbors (CAN), the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA), and Verde Inc., as well as local Sierra club leaders.

In addition, all of MACG’s partner contractors signed agreements with the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA) to ensure that all Cully CEWP workers are guaranteed a living wage with benefits.  We estimate that 17 new local jobs will result from the pilot, in addition to jobs for 16 existing home-weatherization workers. LiUNA’s training program, connecting to many community pre-apprenticeship programs such as Portland YouthBuilders and Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc., will be a major portal for job seekers from disadvantaged backgrounds looking to get training in this new green industry.

MACG, the highest-rated of four proposers, chose Cully because the neighborhood includes many homes eligible for the upgrades and enough homeowners who could benefit.  Cully has a high percentage of homeowners who are above the income guidelines for county weatherization assistance, but who may not be able to afford direct individual financing – the “middle bracket” that often gets missed in these types of programs.   The key MACG institution in Cully is St. Charles Catholic Church, and several other MACG institutions have significant ties to the area, including the Redeemer Lutheran Church/Enterbeing community and St. Andrew Catholic Church.

MACG will be developing and managing neighborhood community organizing and outreach to Cully homeowners, working with specific contractors and subcontractors who perform the work, and reporting results for program evaluation.