Tuesday, September 27, 2022
World Cleanup Schedule
9:00 a.m.
Meet at the Blue River Plaza
9:10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
World Cleanup Happening
11:30 a.m.
Make your way to The Boot at Grand Timber Lodge for a cookout and prizes
EMAIL EKIMMEL@BRECKGV.COM TO RSVP BY SEPTEMBER 23, 2022
When you walk the streets of this beautiful mountain community, it is easy to forget that locals are struggling to feed, care for, and house themselves and their families. In fact, one in three households seeking the support of the Family & Intercultural Resource Center (FIRC) this year could not access the health care services, medicine, phone, or even the clothing they needed. Thousands of Summit County residents go hungry each day, skipping meals and running out of food before they have money to buy more. There is no doubt that people are stressed, and one in four clients report poor mental health.
People can focus on being a parent, employee, or student when their basic needs are met. To promote stable families and a strong community, FIRC offers a continuum of support, from housing, food, and medical-to-mental health and parenting services. This year alone, one in four Summit County residents will access the FIRC programs!
While the pandemic becomes endemic, FIRC has shifted along the continuum of crisis response, to recovery and resiliency. Our community’s needs have grown exponentially over the last few years and with your help, FIRC is meeting that need. Since January 2022, FIRC distributed $2,000,000 in food, with 70% of that food being fresh produce, meat, and dairy! Pre-pandemic, Food Markets supported 320 monthly visits. Demand for community food resources has tripled and FIRC now supports 1,380 monthly visits to the Food Markets in Breckenridge and Dillon.
The Family and Intercultural Resource Center is proud to serve our diverse community and FIRC cannot do it without you! Please consider volunteering at one of the Community Food Markets or the Breckenridge Thrift Store or by making a financial contribution. A $25 contribution provides a family with $200 worth of food and a $1,500 donation will prevent a family or senior from experiencing homelessness or leaving our community all together. Our workforce is the fabric of this community, and FIRC is here to help them overcome the challenges that come with Summit County’s high cost of living. FIRC is even partnering with our friends at Building Hope to provide the community with a nonprofit hub designed to make it easier on residents to access services. The Sol Center at Alta Verde will be a warm, inclusive space designed to welcome struggling families and individuals and provide them with the services they need to reach stability.
Your support – whether time, treasure or talent – can make a difference in our community.
Retro-fitted Motion Sensor Light Switches Installed
As Breckenridge Grand Vacations (BGV) heads toward its goal of reducing its Green House gas emissions by 50% by 2030, the company is constantly looking for new ways to improve our resorts and office buildings by means of energy efficiencies and energy conservation. The key difference between these two are that energy efficiency is using less energy to do the same amount of work, such as installing an LED light bulb (light emitting diodes); whereas energy conservation is using less energy by doing without the existing energy and turning off lights in areas that are not being used all the time. Many buildings today were built before new energy-saving technology and retrofitting these existing buildings has become the most cost-effective way to help reduce energy consumption and waste.
Recently, the Sustainability Team at BGV worked on an energy conservation project by switching out standard light switches and replacing them with motion sensor light switches located in low-trafficked areas at Lincoln West Mall on Main Street and the Connect Breck offices on Airport Road. These motion sensors use IR (Infrared Radiation), a low-frequency range of light, which scans the area for movement. Once the beam is broken and senses movement by the person entering the room, the switch is activated and makes the operation of the light extremely easy for our employees – hands-free! These motion sensors can be set to various time ranges for how long the light can be left on. Generally, they are set to one minute of no motion being sensed. Some sensors come with an option to read the amount of direct sunlight coming into the room and not turn on during the daytime. After the team’s first trial run with the motion sensor switches, they found them to be successful. BGV’s three resorts are now looking at adding these types of light switching in their “back-of-house” rooms.
A study by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) found that usage of motion sensor light switches can help save up to 60% of the light’s energy usage and reduce energy waste by as much as 68%, depending on the area installed. This leads to large cost savings on energy bills. When these switches are paired with an LED light bulb, even higher savings can be achieved. Breckenridge Grand Vacations looks forward to adapting its light systems with more sensors and keeps working toward its 50% gas emissions reduction goal.
Standard light switch compared to the new motion sensor light switch.
Our sustainability team member hard at work installing the motion sensor light switches…with expert canine supervision!
