Energy Investment Helps HSRC Focus on Its Mission
Humboldt Senior Resource Center (HSRC) will make energy-efficiency improvements to its main location at 1910 California St. in Eureka through a partnership with Ecology Action and funding from the U.S. Department of Energy.
The investment is part of the Department of Energy’s Renew America’s Nonprofits program, an initiative designed to help nonprofit organizations reduce energy use and carbon emissions, improve the health and safety of their facilities and lower utility costs.
Ecology Action was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to help nonprofit food banks and food distribution organizations plan and implement energy-efficiency projects through the Western State Food Bank Network Energy Efficiency Program. They will work with HSRC throughout the process, providing technical expertise and project management from initial planning through completion.
Potential improvements include upgrades to refrigeration systems and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC); energy-efficient lighting; and advanced energy controls. These improvements can reduce energy consumption while creating more efficient and sustainable facilities.
For HSRC, the project is an investment in long-term sustainability. Reducing utility cost allows the agency to direct more of its resources toward its primary mission: serving older adults who live in Humboldt County. Lower utility costs will mean HSRC can use its resources more efficiently while improving the facilities from which it serves the community.
Energy efficiency may be something that happens behind the scenes, but its impact is felt throughout HSRC at its main Eureka building, which began life as the old Washington Elementary School in 1902 and later served as a WWII barracks, housed the Coast Guard and was a warehouse until HSRC restored it in 1984. These improvements create more efficient, comfortable facilities for employees, volunteers and hundreds of participants who use HSRC spaces each day, while lower energy costs allow more resources to be directed where they matter most—supporting older adults throughout Humboldt County.
HSRC is grateful to Ecology Action for this meaningful partnership.
Andrea L. Richardson is HSRC’s director of fund development.
Email: arichardson@humsenior.org.
