This grassroots organization empowers low-wage workers throughout the community to combat workplace abuses and improve wages and working conditions. How do these local powerhouses do so? By providing training related to workers’ rights and occupational health and safety, orchestrating campaigns to combat wage theft, promoting employer compliance with the law, and organizing to push for…
The designers of the Peggy Ryan Williams Center, Food Bank of the Southern Tier, their own NET-ZERO ENERGY OFFICE RENOVATION (read more about that here) and much, much more. HOLT Architects keep social, economic, and environmental sustainability at the forefront of all their designs and pride themselves on understanding their clients’ goals, so they can make them realities! Over on their Facebook page, they have a weekly series called ‘What Are We Thinking Wednesdays’, comprised of segments where the architects ponder how thoughtful design can benefit us as we navigate our changing world. To learn more about these folks, visit their website.
NYPAN-SFL, a chapter of the statewide umbrella group New York Progressive Action Network (NYPAN), is a grassroots organization dedicated to the promotion of progressive issues at the local level. They were inspired by the political movement started by Senator Bernie Sanders, but are open to participation from all progressives regardless of their political-party affiliation. Their leadership members meet regularly to plan activities (including public outreach and education around the issues), to build networks, and to recruit and support candidates for public office. To see what they’re up to, visit their Facebook page. To get involved, check out their events calendar and jump in!
Develop your green thumb during quarantine! Fruition Seeds has you covered with 300 varieties of certified organic vegetables, herbs & flowers to surround you with beauty & abundance. They also select varieties for early maturity, productivity & disease resistance here in the short seasons of the Northeast so you & your garden will thrive in every season. They’ve even got a “Plant Now! Guide” (like this one for the month of April) to set you up for success. Check it out! 🌱🍅🌽🥦🌺🌼✨
Did you know that Cinemapolis is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit? They are supported not only by ticket sales, but also donations and fundraising. In response to the statewide “stay at home” order, they are offering a weekly slate of new films for patrons to view at home, so you can enjoy current indie films while supporting local business. To see what’s playing now and what’s coming soon, visit their website🍿🎥📽🎭🍫✨
What better way to lift your own spirits in these hard times than to catch some rays and move your body? Trails in the Ithaca area are still open to the public. On the Ithaca Trails website, you can search the areas trails, and can even narrow your results by activity, difficulty, length, dog friendliness, lake views and much more! Such a valuable resource. Check it out! 🚵♀️🌳🌞🍄🏃♂️✨
17th Century Suds is an environmentally conscious and socially responsible manufacturer. Since 1999, they’ve been producing our own recipes of beeswax lip balm, bar soap, liquid soap, olive oil shampoo, and creams with organic coconut oil, American organic sunflower oil, American Northeast beeswax, the world’s finest 100% water processed essential oils produced by small farmers around the world, European olive oil, and their own garden-grown fresh calendula. They are also an approved vendor for the season at the Ithaca Farmers Market! Stop by and show them some love 💗 Or, purchase their products online! For more info, visit their website. 🛀🧽✨
Windsong Farm raises grass-fed and grass-finished beef and lamb, and makes excellent fleeces, sheepskins and an array of wool products. They also produce pastured chicken and duck eggs, duck and fruit jams and jellies. They are another one of the approved vendors this season at the Ithaca Farmers Market, and you can even order online ahead of time and pick up there! For more info, visit their website.
Ithaca Welcomes Refugees 👨👧👧🌏✨ (IWR) is a volunteer-led community initiative that fosters a welcoming and fair environment for refugees and at-risk immigrants who come to the region. IWR provides a variety of resources and support services, like the Global Roots Play School that offers affordable, accessible childcare to parents eager to learn English, and Response Projects focused on responding to the specialized needs of both newly arrived refugee families and at-risk immigrants who have lived in the Ithaca area for a longer period. Want to get involved? Visit their website to see open volunteer positions 🙂
PathStone serves as the Constituency-Based Organization for the NYSERDA Community Energy Engagement Program in the Finger Lakes area, helping low to moderate income families access subsidies for energy efficiency, Clean Heating and Cooling technologies, and Solar for All. Pathstone also has grants that can assist with home rehabilitation projects. They are a non-profit and focused on helping local families improve the safety and comfort of their homes, in addition to providing other career and employment services, education and health services and much more! The folks over at Pathstone are absolute rockstars! For more info on their work, visit their website.
e2e Materials, which stands for earth-to-earth, is based in Ithaca, New York, develops, designs, engineers, and innovates the next generation of furniture, cabinetry, and other wood-based products, that are smarter, stronger, and cheaper; made in the USA with uncompromised sustainability. e2e’s products use locally produced, annually renewable resources, including soy flour, and natural grass fibers, such as jute, flax, and kenaf. Additionally, e2e uses only a small fraction of the energy required for wood composites, saving billions of pounds of CO2. See the listing on our map for contact info!
ETM specializes in solar energy systems. They install solar electric systems and solar hot water heaters on residences and commercial buildings and repair existing solar energy systems. They also sell small wind turbines. Their prime directive is to bring environmentally friendly solar power to as many people on planet Earth as possible. For more info,…
Words Into Deeds brings cutting edge methods, and resources designed to promote greater youth awareness of and engagement in local and global human rights issues, helping them develop skills and confidence as informed, empowered, active citizens through the use of workshops, seminars, individual consulting, access to global platforms, and classroom activities. Right now, they’re working on Teaching Global Citizenship Skills in Uganda and Teaching Youth About Healthy Consumer Practices. For more info, visit their website.
Love the idea of eating locally-grown fruits and veggies? Want to support your local farmers and local economy? Don’t know where to begin? buylocalfoodny.org, a project of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County, is a great place to start. There you’ll find a directory of places to find local food, tips for saving money, and much more. A wonderful resource to take advantage of, for those new to buying local and all you seasoned buyers!
Crow and Owl Farm is a farm startup on White Hawk Ecovillage in Danby. Farm-owner, Steve Woinoski, is currently prepping fields for hazelnuts and berries. He’s also a member of the New York Tree Crops Alliance (NYTCA), which is a small group of tree farmers from Tompkins County and the surrounding areas who helped to make Steve’s dream a reality!
Read more about Steve’s journey and NYTCA here!