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If you enjoyed the delicious treats at the Extreme Green Gala, you have Lauren Von Der Pool and her gourmet catering business to thank.

Von Der Pool Gourmet provided much of the great food at the Gala and even brought along servers and support. The catering company was founded by 25 year-old renowned chef of Le Cordon Bleu Paris, Lauren Von Der Pool. They specialize in exotic vegan and raw food cuisine and provide traditional catering services, in addition to health consulting and workshops on healthy eating for children.

In addition to running Von Der Pool Gourmet, Lauren also operates a green non-profit that focuses on raising consciousness of HIV, obesity prevention and holistic healing, specifically among youth. The non-profit is unique in its methods because it teaches young people how to grow their own food, how to cook the food and how that food affects their overall health.

Healthy living for kids is particularly important to Lauren who was raised in an environment where violence, drugs and alcohol abuse was more prevalent than a balanced diet. She says she escaped that difficult world by focusing on a mission bigger than herself.

Lauren will also be assisting CarbonfreeDC with some of our upcoming workshops. You can learn more about Lauren and Von Der Pool Gourmet by visiting her website.
 
 
Eco Coach founder Anca Novacovici has been contributing her expertise to CarbonfreeDC for a long time. Several months ago, she presented energy efficiency tips at one of our green living workshops. Most recently, she coached our job seekers on the best techniques for finding a green job.

Now, Anca's company is completing all of the eco-audits on our Extreme Green Neighborhood Makeover participating houses.

Thanks to Anca and Eco Coach for all of the amazing help. Check out our interview with Anca Novacovici below.
 
 
We're proud to present another local business sponsor of the Extreme Green Neighborhood Makeover. My Green Neighborhood will be donating a lot of great professional services and products to help us take our green renovations to the next level.

Check out our interview with LA Davis, owner of My Green Neighborhood as he discusses how discovered CarbonfreeDC, what his company is contributing and why this project is important to him.
 
 
E2CO House (pronounced Eco House) is contributing energy audits to the Extreme Green Neighborhood Makeover. We caught up with Zach Dobelbower, President of E2CO House to ask him about his business, why they're helping CarbonfreeDC and what an energy audit is.
 
 
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To carry out the Extreme Green Neighborhood Makeover, we will be working with many partners from the community.  Meet GreenDMV, one of our main organizational partners.

GreenDMV is a non-profit organization seeking to promote sustainability as a pathway out of poverty in low-income communities across America.  One way GreenDMV does this is through their green job training program - The Green Job Corps.  

We are proud to announce that the first graduating class of this program will be helping us with the Extreme Green Neighborhood Makeover as their first green job assignment!  
 
 
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Eco-Coach, Inc. is one of CarbonfreeDC's business partners for the Extreme Green Neighborhood Makeover. This eco-consulting firm specializes in helping businesses and individuals become more environmentally friendly, energy efficient and healthy. For the Makeover, Eco-Coach will conduct eco audits in our deserving homes so we know the best way to make the biggest impact.

Back in November, Eco-Coach's founder, Anca Novacovici, gave a presentation at a CarbonfreeDC workshop on Energy Efficiency. If you're interested in greening your own home alongside the work CarbonfreeDC is doing in Deanwood & Shaw, follow some of Anca's tips below.
  • Seal air leaks: Using caulk, spray foam and weather stripping to seal air leaks around doors, windows, in crawl spaces & in basements will keep outside temperatures out and inside temperatures in. Most leaks are easy to detect, simply use your hand to feel for differences in temperature around these areas.
  • Manage air temperature: Installing a programmable thermostat will allow you to schedule temperature changes in your home so the A/C or heat is only working while you're there. Keep the A/C set at 78 degrees in warm months and at 73 degrees in cool months. Clean or replace your A/C filter on a regular basis. Use a fan when air conditioning is unnecessary.
  • Improve Your Appliances: If you're running old appliances in your home, consider replacing them with Energy Star rated ones. Run the dishwasher and laundry machine full. On the dishwasher, turn off the "heat dry" setting and on the laundry machine, wash clothes in cold water. Vacuum the coils on the back of your refrigerator. Air dry clothes when possible.
Learn more about energy effeciency and Eco-Coach on their website!
 
 
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The Extreme Green Neighborhood Makeover is not just about greening 20 deserving homes, it's also about educating our community on individual actions that will reduce DC's environmental impact.

To that end, CarbonfreeDC is planning several ways to make this project a learning experience for everyone.

Before we launch these programs, take a moment to familiarize yourself with the many eco-friendly shops in DC that carry all the supplies you'll need to green your home.

The following are not only great eco-shops in our area, but they're also sponsors of the Extreme Green Neighborhood Makeover!
 
 


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Come help.  Take part in the community.  Gain recognition for your business! 

 On July 22, 2009, CarbonfreeDC was chosen as one of five winners of Green Effect, National Geographic’s high-profile competition that grants $20,000 to implement green ideas in local communities.  With our awarded $20,000, we hope to green 20 low income homes in DC and WE NEED YOUR HELP!  

With only $1000 for each home, we are asking you to help up leverage our dollars and reach our goal of making 20 homes more energy efficient and eco-friendly.