ABOUT

GVI’s formation was inspired by the Westport Plastic Bag Ban, which “woke us up” to the possibility that our region could be a leader in figuring out and modeling how to live more intentionally in these complex times.  We focus narrowly on our region but undertake a wide range of projects within it.

Our goal is sustainability and community-building through focus on localization, local food and education of all kinds.  We work in partnership with many other nonprofits, including towns, schools, nature centers, senior centers, state parks, arts centers, and PTAs.  We believe that collaboration across nonprofits is a critical step forward.

When we started GVI, we searched for other organizations and regions.  To our surprise, there was no ready model for what we were trying to do. As a result, we have made it a priority to model our successes to inform and encourage others.  In everything we do, we always have in mind the ultimate goal of acting locally in order to influence wider change.