E3 INNOVATE is raising funds to provide healthy home services to families across Nashville and Middle Tennessee who are most in need. Your donation will support our efforts to evaluate homes and make recommended energy-saving and indoor air quality improvements. Your support will also help our efforts to educate local builders, codes officials, and policy makers on the importance of indoor air quality and how best to incorporate these design strategies into new construction.
Our homes are the foundations of our lives. We live, work, learn, and grow from our homes. They are our safe haven. However, we don't often think about the health of our homes. What is a healthy home and why is it important?
A healthy home is one that is designed, constructed, maintained, and rehabilitated in a way that is conducive to good health for the people who live there. Healthy housing is important for everyone. When it comes to our health, the air we breath is just as important as the food we eat and the water we drink, but because we can't see it, most of us don't think about air pollution indoors.
Unfortunately, indoor air can be as much as five-times more polluted that outdoor air in large cities, according the EPA (1). Indoor air pollutants can include volatile organic compounds, mold, radioactive radon, combustion gases like carbon monoxide, rodent and insect debris, dust and dander, and other unwanted particles.
Studies have shown that our indoor environment and air quality impact things such as productivity, allergies and asthma, concentration and brain function, and even our immune system. For example, research shows a correlation between toxic mold exposure and some cases of Alzheimer's (2), that many common VOCs are carcinogenic (3), and that cockroach debris is among the leading causes of asthma in inner city neighborhoods (4). Clearly, the air we breath effects our health.
While working, learning, and playing at home will be more common in the future, we want to ensure that the people most in need have safe and healthy places to live and thrive.
How will families in need find our service?
E3 INNOVATE will launch a series of press releases and social media campaigns that will help spread the word about this opportunity in our community. We will partner with other local organizations, such as the Tennessee Environmental Council and others to reach new audiences. We will also visit community centers such as churches in targeted neighborhoods to share information about the company, our services, and this Safe Home Initiative.
How will families be selected for our services?
People who are interested in applying for home improvement services will be asked to complete an online application. A small committee made up of E3 members and others from the community will review applications once a month. Applications will be due on the first of every month and the review committee will make selections within three weeks. The selection process will depend on the following:
- Location
- Financial support needed
- Services needed
- The homeowners’ and family members personal story
- Available funds
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How much money will need to be raised?
This is an ongoing campaign, so the more funds we raise, the more people we can help. To get things started, we are looking to raise $25,000, which will allow us to start receiving and reviewing applications, and select our first two households to receive home upgrades.
Different homes will need different services, which may range in cost. Therefore, we will offer services in bundles of $5,000 increments. For example, an award of $5,000 may include attic air sealing and insulation, while $10,000 may include crawlspace encapsulation or a new energy efficient HVAC system with new air-sealed ductwork.
In addition to monetary donations from the community, we are opening up the campaign to industry partners who wish to contribute by donating building supplies or equipment. Or, if an industry partner would like to contribute funds, we are offering special sponsorship opportunities. For more information on sponsorship opportunities, email the campaign coordinator, Lesley Herrmann, at Lesley@E3innovate.com.
How do I donate?
Visit our GoFundMe campaign page by clicking the DONATE link below. Here you can select the amount you'd like to contribute. You can stay connected with our stories as they evolve on our Facebook page too. We greatly appreciate all the support from our community.