There are so many great things happening in Portland to make our city the most environmentally sustainable city in the nation.  Individuals in every neighborhood are doing their part by taking responsible actions in their daily lives, and there are multiple programs and initiatives at all levels of government and the non-profit sector.  Neighborhood associations can play a key role in approaching necessary solutions by acting in a more organized way. 

Neighborhood Sustainability Committees are a great way to organize the community for action.  Aside from the environmental benefits of this type of committee it also provides a great community building opportunity.  A sustainability committee offers an opportunity to get new volunteers involved in the neighborhood. 

So what can a sustainability committee do?  The committee could be as simple as a small discussion group that meets to discuss important topics, or as ambitious as a neighborhood wide group that takes action to address specific issues.  There are examples of sustainability committees right here in Southeast Portland that could be used as models, or your group could be unique and do something completely different.  The important thing is to take advantage of the existing resources and values of your neighborhood.

Spotlight:  Sunnyside Neighborhood Sustainability Committee

The Sunnyside Neighborhood Association formed one of the first sustainability committees in the city this year.  What started out as a small idea has now turned into a group of committed members meeting regularly and working on a project that they hope will impact many residents of the neighborhood.

To start the committee the SNA Sustainability Committee Chair started by brainstorming a list of neighbors he knew of that he thought would be interested in working with him.  He sent an email inviting them to bring their thoughts and ideas to a kick off meeting.  He also wrote an article for the neighborhood newsletter to invite the rest of the neighborhood residents.

The committee members shared their ideas for what they would like the group’s purpose to be.  They decided that their first step towards making their neighborhood a more sustainable place would be to focus on energy efficiency in homes.  They developed a program to help residents reduce their energy consumption, and are now in the process of implementing their ideas.   

Working Step-by-Step

With a little bit of organization starting a sustainability committee can be easy.  Here are a few steps to get started:

Step 1:  Basic Outreach to Form the Team 
Find a core group to get the committee started.  Don’t limit yourself to people already involved with the neighborhood association.  Remember, this is about engaging new participants.

• Put up posters and brochures at farmers’ markets and community gardens
• Write an article for the newsletter
• Talk about the idea at monthly meetings
• Think of friends and neighbors who might be interested and invite them personally

Step 2:  Call a Meeting 
When you have a group of committed team members call your first meeting.  Make this an event people will be excited about, and prepare an agenda prior to the meeting. 

• Define goals and objectives
• Brainstorm to identify issues and opportunities in your neighborhood

Sample meeting agenda:

1.  Greeting 5 min
2.  Introduction of members 10 min
3. Why are we here? 10 min
   - The need and benefits
4. Create mission statement 25 min
   - Goals and objectives (benchmarks)
5. Frequency of future meetings and communication methods10 min

Step 3:  Create a Timeline for Next Steps
Once you have a vision for what you want your committee to accomplish find small steps that your group can take to move toward your goal.  It should be something large enough to make a difference, but small enough to be managed by the members of your committee.

• List resources in your neighborhood that could be useful
• Contact environmental organizations that might be able to help
• Assign some small tasks to committee members     

Step 4:  Evaluate Progress and Seek New Opportunities
Your sustainability committee has been formed.  As you move ahead you can do more aggressive outreach to recruit more participants, and research funding resources for neighborhood projects if necessary.

Additional Resources:

Workshops and resources for community organizing for local action:

Center for Earth Leadership
www.earthleaders.org