Feel Good Friday - Rising Sun Center for Opportunity

Today's Feel Good Friday is personal. I got a Green House Call from Rising Sun Center for Opportunity last week, and I still can't get over the fact that the whole thing was free!

Founded in 1994 as Rising Sun Energy Center in Santa Cruz and now headquartered in Oakland, California, the mission of Rising Sun Center for Opportunity is "building career pathways for economic equity and climate resilience."

Rising Sun's Climate Careers program hires and trains Bay Area youth ages 15 to 24 as paid Energy Specialists, sending them out to deliver free in-home Green House Calls while they build real-world experience for green careers.

Here's what that looked like at my house. Two Energy Specialists came at the appointed time and evaluated my appliances, replaced some old lightbulbs with LEDs, and measured the water flow from every faucet. After walking me through their recommendations and answering all my questions, they left me with a bag of gifts, including a smart power strip, a phone-controlled lightbulb, a portable induction burner with a compatible pan, and a few other energy-saving extras. All free!

Rising Sun's other core program, Opportunity Build, is a pre-apprenticeship that prepares adults for union careers in the building trades. This includes Women Building the Bay, one of the few all-women cohorts in the country. 

Rising Sun has had a big impact on the region. Since they began, they've delivered no-cost Green House Calls to more than 66,000 households and trained over 3,450 youth and adults for careers in the green economy.

This summer's Green House Call season is happening right now across the Bay Area and Central California, so if my experience has you curious, there's no better time to sign up.

If you'd like to support the work of Rising Sun Center for Opportunity, you can make a donation or amplify their message on social media. Follow them on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or YouTube, and help spread the word about the program that's quietly saving Bay Area households money and energy, one house call at a time.

 

Feel Good Friday - Brennan Center for Justice

Tomorrow, America turns 250, and it felt like the right week to spotlight an organization working to make sure that milestone still stands for something: the Brennan Center for Justice.

Founded in 1995 and headquartered in New York City, the mission of the Brennan Center for Justice is "to hold our political institutions and laws accountable to the twin American ideals of democracy and equal justice for all." The nonpartisan law and policy institute marked its own 30th anniversary in 2025, and in its latest annual report, it ties that milestone direction to this year's 250th anniversary, writing that America still has it in its power to begin the world over again.

The Brennan Center's Democracy Program fights for free and fair elections through research, litigation, and advocacy that reaches every level of government. Earlier this year, their attorneys represented the League of Women Voters and other allies in a lawsuit challenging an executive order that would have required documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote, something research shows millions of eligible Americans don't have on hand. A federal judge agreed, ruling that the Constitution puts states and Congress, not the president, in charge of election rules. They've also worked with allies across the political spectrum on dozens of friend-of-the-court briefs that helped lead to a landmark ruling blocking the administration's worldwide tariffs. That's the kind of quiet, unglamorous work that keeps a 250 year old system of self government functioning.

Beyond elections, the Justice Program pushes for a fairer, more effective criminal justice system, and the Government Power Program works to balance safety with constitutional rights. 

If you'd like to celebrate Independence Day by supporting an organization fighting for  the democracy and equal justice this country was founded on, there are many ways to do so. A monetary donation to the Brennan Center helps fund the litigation and research that keeps these fights moving, and you can also explore their Take Action page to weigh in on live legislation. As always, you can amplify their message on social media too. Follow the Brennan Center on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or YouTube, and help carry their case for democracy forward.

Here's to the next 250 years.

Feel Good Friday - CenterLink

June is Pride Month, and what better way to close out the celebration than by spotlighting CenterLink, an organization working quietly behind the scenes to make sure LGBTQ+ community centers across the country can keep their doors open.

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, their mission is explained on their website, "CenterLink strengthens, supports, and connects LGBTQ community centers and LGBTQ serving community-based organizations." 

As the world's largest association of LGBTQ+ centers, Centerlink’s network spans more than 375 member centers across the US and internationally, collectively serving more than three million people each year. They operate on the belief that LGBTQ+ community centers are the true heart of the movement, offering health care, mental health support, youth programming, elder care, housing assistance, and safe spaces for connection, and that the strength of the entire LGBTQ+ community depends on the strength of those local centers.

CenterLink builds that strength through five programs. The Leadership Institute provides training and strategic planning support for center executives and board members. YouthLink helps youth-serving centers foster collaboration, and uplift young LGBTQ+ voices across the network. HealthLink  advances health equity by training providers in affirming, evidence-based care and supporting centers as policies shift. SAGELink, launched in 2024, ensures LGBTQ+ older adults are connected, valued, and cared for across their lifespan. ActionLink keeps member centers and advocates informed and mobilized, tracking 533 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced in 2024 and working alongside national partners to stop most from becoming law.

The results are meaningful. In 2024, CenterLink distributed $1.27 million in grants directly to member centers and trained more than 200 leaders at their annual Leadership Summit in Chicago. Their biennial Community Center Survey found that 97% of member centers provide community and social programs, 86% offer basic needs support like food and housing, and 55% provide mental health care. The network is growing, and so is its impact.

If you’re looking for a way to support hundreds of LGBTQ+ centers at once, CenterLink can help. Make a monetary donation and amplify their message on social media. Follow CenterLink on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn, and share their stories of resilience and community with your network.

Happy Pride! 🌈