In 2007, THE ASSOCIATED launched a task force to explore and promote environmental preservation throughout THE ASSOCIATED system. The Green Task Force was comprised of professionals and lay leaders from fields ranging from marketing, information technologies, facilities, operations and campaign. It examined opportunities to make our operations and practices as ecologically friendly as fiscally possible.

The task force, in many ways a Jewish Baltimore grassroots initiative, blossomed, leading to innovative green initiatives in the Krieger Building and throughout the system. In 2008, THE ASSOCIATED was awarded "The Green Nonprofit of the Year" by The Baltimore Business Journal for our implementation of environmentally sound practices.

About two years ago, THE ASSOCIATED, with the help of the Baltimore Jewish Environmental Network, secured a stipend from the Marty and Dorothy Silverman Foundation to launch The Green Loan Fund. The fund provides a $100,000 line of credit, of which a portion can be borrowed by any Jewish organization to carry out a greening project at its facility. Projects are generally restricted to lighting projects, though organizations can discuss other options. While the money is only a loan and organizations are required to pay it back in less than two years, the projects generally pay for themselves in less than that time. The greening results in substantial money savings.

In 2010, Aleeza Oshry was hired to serve as the system’s Green Coordinator. Oshry, worked out of the Pearlstone Conference and Retreat Center, where “green” is a big part of the mission. Her position was made possible through generous grants by The Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Fund,The Crane Family Foundation and The Meyerhoff Charitable Funds.

Today, Aleeza serves as the Manager of the Sustainability Initiative, a new part of THE ASSOCIATED's Community Planning and Allocations Department. She oversees the Sustainability Initiative Committee.

For more information, contact Aleeza at 410-843-7423 or aoshry@associated.org.