Building Resilience for the Future with Girls Inc. of Carpinteria
The New Carpinteria Resilience Hub Provides Space for up to 500 Individuals and three Days of Solar Power
Girls Inc. simultaneously builds climate resilience in Carpinteria and educates the next generation about the impacts of climate change in our communities.
“Kids are living through more climate disasters now than in previous generations and lower-income communities are hit exponentially harder, without resources to rebuild. My job is to prepare kids for the future, and that includes climate change.”
During the Thomas Fire and the subsequent January 9 Debris Flow, access to and from Carpinteria was severely limited. Highway 101 was shut down. Extreme weather events in the following years also led to temporary closures. It became clear that Carpinteria needed to be prepared. Girls Inc. of Carpinteria, with its campus on Foothill Road, became part of the solution when it partnered with CEC to open a Resilience Hub.
Girls Inc. of Carpinteria Executive Director Jamie Collins, also a CEC Climate Stewards alumna, had already deepened her understanding of how climate change is impacting our region, how to communicate about these impacts, and how to take action. She was thrilled when GI was selected as a hub that can provide shelter and resources to community members during climate-related disasters and teach children how to talk about these events.
Today, during a disaster or grid outage, the campus can shelter up to 500 individuals and offer three days of solar power. Jamie sees this as an opportunity build climate resilience in Carpinteria, offering safe shelter, essential resources, and peace of mind to residents when emergencies strike.
“Kids are living through more climate disasters now than in previous generations and lower-income communities are hit exponentially harder, without resources to rebuild. My job is to prepare kids for the future, and that includes climate change,” Jamie says.
Jamie plans to incorporate her experience into future programming for the 1,000 girls her organization serves each year — and continue building strong collaborations with local nonprofits, including CEC, to support youth advocacy and foster climate resilience
