A GRID Alternatives client in San Diego is showing that the benefits of solar energy and the Single-family Affordable Solar Homes (SASH) Program extend beyond individual families to support community engagement. A SASH Program client, Mrs. Lakisha Mczeal Stukes, belongs to group of twenty women called the “Babes of Virtue” that prepare meals for people going through tough times, including people at a women’s shelter (Rachel's House) and those living on the street. The meals are funded out of the “Babes” own pockets, although they themselves live on a lower income. Mrs. Mczeal Stukes comments, “if each one helps one, all those little bits will make a whole lot of difference.”

The Stukes family received a SASH Program photovoltaic installation in June, which will reduce the family’s utility bill by around 70%. Some of those savings may help fulfill the mission of this generous group of women and their families, as they strive to reduce hunger in their community.
 

Mrs. Mczeal Stukes is the second person from the left in the photograph.