News

Greening Western Queens

North Star Fund Chosen to Administer $8 Million Environmental Justice Program

In the fall of 2009, North Star Fund will launch the "Greening Western Queens Fund," a new $8 million initiative to invest in energy-efficiency and environmental projects in the Western Queens community affected by a July 2006 electric power outage. This program is supported by funds from the community's settlement with Con Edison. The Public Service Commission of the State of New York selected North Star Fund to administer the project because of our expertise in facilitating community led grantmaking processes.

We will develop a Greening Western Queens Fund Community Advisory Committee of local stakeholders and environmental experts to distribute grants to local groups for tree planting, energy efficiency, job training and open space enhancement projects. The projects will incorporate conservation education and replicable models that will have an impact beyond the neighborhood.

According to Hugh Hogan, Executive Director of North Star Fund, "These projects will make Western Queens a model for partnerships between the public and private sector, partnerships that will move all of us to a sustainable, just, and innovative economy."