OUR PARTNERS

ACTION FOR BRIDGEPORT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (ABCD)
The Greater Bridgeport Community Enterprises, Inc., doing business as The Green Team, is an affiliate of Action for Bridgeport Community Development, Inc., ABCD, one of the historic community action agencies founded in 1964 at the time of the war on poverty, serving more than 30,000 people in our 6-town area.

BRIDGEPORT HOUSING AUTHORITY
The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport is committed to advancing the progress and well-being of its residents, and to serve as the regional leader in developing and maintaining affordable housing. The BHA owns approximately 2,500 apartments located throughout Bridgeport that provide affordable housing for people with low or moderate incomes. BHA apartments are homes for more than 5,700 Bridgeport residents including adults, children, seniors, and people with disabilities. BHA also manages Section 8 vouchers that subsidize the cost of rental for low-income families and individuals. Through its community services department, BHA manages a multitude of programs for its residents. There are also family services and employment programs to assist residents in eliminating barriers to leading self-affirming lives.

FAIRFIELD COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
Since its creation in 1992, with the merger of five small community founda­tions, FCCF has awarded more than $100 million in grants to Fairfield County organizations. The Foundation brings together fundholders, community leaders, policy makers, nonprof­it leaders, private funders and other experts to work together to close the achievement gap in our urban public schools, increase affordable housing, help low-wage women caring for dependents achieve economic security, and strengthen local nonprofits so they become even more efficient and effective at gaining the most good from every dollar.

In June of 2009, the Fairfield County Community Foundation (FCCF) invested $18,000 in GBCE/The Green Team as a grant in support of the Green Team’s Energy Conservation Enterprise Development program. The program’s principal funding emanates from the US Department of Labor’s Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) Initiative of which GBCE is an awardee of the first round. This program will prepare ten low-income Bridgeport area residents for employment as Weatherization Technicians.  The FCCF grant has permitted The Green Team to complete, in part, the funding necessary to provide administrative costs, community outreach and marketing for the new enterprise, and to develop a carpentry component for the Weatherization training program.

SIEMENS BUILDING TECHNOLOGIES
Siemens Building Technologies is an Operating Group of Siemens AG and was founded on October 1, 1998, through the acquisition of the industrial activities of Electrowatt Ltd. (Zurich, Switzerland), thus integrating and combining several decades of experience in building automation and fire safety. Today, Siemens Building Technologies with its four divisions Building Automation, HVAC Products, Fire Safety & Security Products and Security Systems combines offerings for building security, life safety and building automation within one company as a service and system provider and as a manufacturer of respective products.

MINORITY BUSINESS ASSOCIATION
Bridgeport is a minority/majority city. The success of its economic development program depends upon the growing health of its minority businesses. We have initiated the first steps of federating local minority businesses around City contracting opportunities, attracting large company mentors to lead bidding opportunities, creating a county-wide network with the cooperation of the three major municipalities, unions and minority business consortia. Through the Bridgeport area consortium, the CDC provides technical assistance to small, disadvantaged and minority businesses assisting them in registering with state and local jurisdictions for contracting opportunities and offering courses to strengthen their businesses. More than 100 companies are members of the MBA-CJV including companies in construction, goods and services, and professional services.

UNITED ILLUMINATING
Sponsor of the Green Team's study of Green Economy jobs in the region, as well as the conference “Understanding Green Collar Jobs”.

THE WORKPLACE, INC.
Our local workforce board, which conducted the Green Team's study on Green Ecoomy jobs in the region.

COMMUNITY PARTNERS - WISE KIDS ARE HEALTHY KIDS PROGRAM
• Bridgeport Land Trust & Community Gardens
• Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo
• Regional Aquaculture School
• Regional Vo-Ag School
• University of Bridgeport
• YMCA

Community Leaders Gather to Celebrate "Green" Grads

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. –September 29, 2009 — Greater Bridgeport Community Enterprises, Inc. (GBCE), also known as The Green Team, recently held a graduation ceremony to honor 14 newly trained graduates who have successfully completed Weatherization Technician Training...