Are you curious what we have planned for this coming year? At our recent Board of Directors and staff strategic planning retreat, we began planning for our anticipated growth over the next 12 months! Here's a sample of the impact we intend to have in 2016:

• Expand our partnership with a low-income Charlotte neighborhood currently in our Sustainable Neighborhoods Program to engage residents and our Community Corps volunteers on sustainability projects that meet the neighborhood's needs.

• Welcome an additional low-income Charlotte neighborhood to our Sustainable Neighborhoods Program thanks to funding from the Duke Energy Foundation.

• Make it easier, safer, and more fun for Charlotteans of all ages and abilities to walk, ride a bike, or ride transit to their daily destinations. More specifically, we're planning to bring you some very exciting new opportunities to ride a bike around Charlotte, planning Biketoberfest 2016, and continuing to work with other bicycle organizations.

• Bring you our biggest and best Sustain Charlotte awards yet! For the fifth consecutive year, we'll celebrate the amazing sustainability work being done throughout the area. Mark your calendar for the evening of Earth Day, April 22 and stay tuned for our announcements. We have an incredible sponsorship package this year that includes marketing benefits in a special Charlotte Business Journal Supplement. Click here to learn more.

Click to our blog and watch this short video to learn more!

Community support over the years has helped us accomplish so much! Please remember that the sustainability and effectiveness of our programs for 2016 depends on your continued support! 

Our goal is to raise $15,000 by the end of the year and so far we have raised $8,260! Can we count on you to help us reach $15,000 by December 31? 

There are only two weeks left to raise the funds needed to support our programs! Please make a year-end donation now. We welcome gifts both big and small! 

Prefer to donate a specific item to our organization? Check out our wish list! These items will help us run our programs, outreach, and internal operations as efficiently as possible in 2016!

Many thanks to our donor who sent us a brand new tablet and carrying case! How exciting it was to receive this surprise package at our doorstep! We look forward to using these items at our next event.

We're grateful to the folks at PM Environmental, Inc. who visited our office last week to give us a special holiday donation in the amount of $500! 

Our ‎Giving Tree has increased in its health and vibrance, growing 10 more leaves, 5 more roses, and a colorful butterfly all representing PM Environmental's support for our efforts to grow a healthier Charlotte region.

At last month's Citizen's Forum, we joined four residents from Villa Heights and Belmont in asking City Council to make Parkwood Avenue and The Plaza safer for all users! Click here to read more about the details of our suggested 'road diet' and how this will make these two roads safer for all users.

Our Bicycle Program Director, Jordan Moore, asking City Council for safer roads in Charlotte.

We're looking for a part-time Marketing Intern to join our team for the spring semester! If you are interested, or know someone who might be interested, please click here to learn more and apply online. The deadline for applications is December 20!

Join us on our journey through time by following our story of #‎5YearsofImpact on Facebook! 

We are happy to give a warm welcome to our newest members: Philip Sanford, Jamie Dalrymple, and Eric Orozco. We sincerely appreciate their support of our mission and your community through membership! 

Local residents like you play a critical role in ensuring we have the resources to carry out our work in the community to inspire choices that lead to a healthier and more vibrant community for generations to come! Help us do more by becoming a Sustain Charlotte member today for as little as $3/month -- that's one cup of coffee! Click to learn how easily you can support our mission and your community via membership: 

Dear City Council: Where are bike lanes to our new uptown park? [PlanCharlotte]

An open letter to Charlotte City Council members by Sustain Charlotte Director, Shannon Binns: "Today we are unveiling the new First Ward Park, which is extremely positive for our community.  With this new park and the developments that will follow, we have a tremendous opportunity to avoid mistakes we have made in the past with respect to providing safe infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians as well as motorists. However, already, we have missed an opportunity..." Read more.

Atlanta approves Streetcar expansion plan [AJC.com]

"The Atlanta City Council has approved a new Streetcar System Plan, which includes five crosstown routes in addition to 22 miles of streetcar service along the Beltline. All totaled, the plan consists of a 50-plus mile streetcar system throughout the city. 'Atlanta is a city that brings people together and connects them to opportunities,' said Councilmember Andre Dickens". This is great news and a good example for Charlotte to follow! 

Nope, Hipsters Aren't The Only Ones Who Ride Bikes [Huffington Post]

"Research shows that most bikers are from low-income, minority communities, so why are they left out of bike advocacy? Biking...has become one of the various indicators of the stereotypical urban hipster. Seen as a trendy, yet environmentally friendly, alternative mode of transportation, biking is on the rise across the U.S. But a large portion of city populations aren't riding bikes just because it's hip." We agree! Charlotte should be building cycling infrastructure so that people of all income levels have transportation choices!

* January 5: Sustain Charlotte + Green Drinks Monthly Mixer (NOTE: Event Location has Changed) *

6:00pm - 7:30pm @ Wooden Robot Brewery, 1440 S Tryon St, Suite 110. Join us for an informal and fun evening of conversation and networking! At 6:30 you'll hear from a Sustain Charlotte partner (TBD). There are no membership requirements and everyone is warmly welcomed! Click here to RSVP and invite friends!

December 16: March for Climate Justice at the Clean Power Plan Public Hearing in Uptown Charlotte

4:00pm - 6:30pm. Meet at 4pm @ Marshall Park, 800 E 3rd St, 28202 for a pre-hearing rally. Then at 5:00pm, march together to the Mecklenburg County Government Center for the Public Hearing on the Clean Power Plan for NC! Click here for more information. NC Central Piedmont Group of the Sierra Club is hosting this event. 

December 17: CROWN's Community Program: What's in your backyard?

7:00pm – 8:00pm @ McClintock Middle School, ​1925 Rama Road, Charlotte, NC 28212. CROWN's Leadership Team, made up of NWF Habitat Stewards and Central Carolina Master Naturalists will explain the process of enhancing the landscape you have whether it's brand new or has been evolving for decades. Click here for more information.

We are happy to announce that we now have a Platinum partnership level! We are proud to welcome Wooden Robot Brewery and TreeCycle America as our first two Platinum partners due to their tremendous support of our mission and your community! Click here to learn more about the benefits at this level!