June 4, 2022
As someone who hopes to start a nonprofit organization and improve the health and sustainability of my community, it is always inspiring for me to see other young people find success in their climate-related endeavors. I was especially impressed this week by the story of Domingo Morales, the founder of Compost Power, who strives to expand the practice of composting in New York City and make it available to underprivileged communities.
Struggling financially and devastated by several losses of friends and family members, Morales found solace and hope in community gardening and climate education, which he became involved in through Green Peace Force, an organization that trains public housing residents in environmental work. In 2020, he received the $200,000 David Prize, a grant given to individuals on a mission to improve the quality of life in New York City. Morales has used this money to create odorless composting systems in five public housing facilities, teaching the residents about the practice and helping them grow nutritious food.
Morales’s driving goal is to break down the stereotype of composting as an upper-class, elitist activity and make it easily accessible to people who would otherwise not have the resources to execute it. I greatly admire his commitment to an initiative that not only has immense environmental benefits, but also improves the lives of so many people.
