Williams College Students to Weatherize Homes for Annual Winter Blitz

Media contact: Noelle Lemoine, communications assistant; tele: (413) 597-4277; email: [email protected]

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass., November 3, 2015— On Saturday, Nov. 7, Williams College students will participate in the eighth annual Winter Blitz, a day of service dedicated to weatherizing homes in Northern Berkshire County.

Organized by student interns and volunteers for the Zilkha Center for Environmental Initiatives, students head out in teams of 4 or 5 and prepare local homes for the upcoming winter. Each group has a team leader trained by experienced students and Pittsfield-based nonprofit Center for EcoTechnology. All materials are paid for by the Zilkha Center.

This year, more than 100 volunteers from Williams and partners Bennington College, Southern Vermont College, and MCLA will weatherize more than 40 homes, installing storm windows, door sweeps, and energy-efficient light bulbs. Cracks around doors and windows in homes result in heat loss, which drives up energy costs and requires more energy use. Weatherizing homes saves money and energy for the residents and contributes to broader energy conservation efforts. It also helps foster connections between students and local residents. There has been great interest in the program from nearby residents – with over 90 homeowners expressing interest in home weatherization. With such a large number of interested homeowners this year, the Zilkha Center is looking to expand the project through the fall and early winter.

Student leader Divya Sampath ’18 says the best part of Winter Blitz has been receiving feedback from families and homeowners about how much they have appreciated having Williams students take an interest in the community. “I think it really highlights how closely environmental initiatives can align with social justice,” she says. “We’re entering a conversation about the local challenges we’re not always able to see from our campus, with a goal of finding sustainable low-cost solutions.”

Recently, the college announced an ambitious set of goals aimed at addressing climate change by reducing the college’s greenhouse gas emissions, achieving carbon neutrality, and investing in sustainability projects on campus and off. The Winter Blitz project supports these goals and reflects the college’s commitment to direct, meaningful action in the fight against climate change.

For more information on sustainability initiatives, visit the Williams College sustainability website at http://sustainability.williams.edu.

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Founded in 1793, Williams College is the second-oldest institution of higher learning in Massachusetts. The college’s 2,000 students are taught by a faculty noted for the quality of their teaching and research, and the achievement of academic goals includes active participation of students with faculty in their research. Students’ educational experience is enriched by the residential campus environment in Williamstown, Mass., which provides a host of opportunities for interaction with one another and with faculty beyond the classroom. Admission decisions on U.S. applicants are made regardless of a student’s financial ability, and the college provides grants and other assistance to meet the demonstrated needs of all who are admitted.

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Published November 3, 2015