Fresno non-profit Stone Soup switches to solar power

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- It's was an electrifying morning for a local non-profit in Northeast Fresno.

Stone Soup, Fresno, finally flipped the switch, turning on their newly installed solar panels.

This was made possible through a partnership with GRID Alternatives and the city of Fresno.

Kids and staff at Stone Soup were all smiles on Wednesday morning.

The shift to solar power is saving them big bucks - over $8,000 each year.

This will help them better serve the Southeast Asian refugee families they help.

"With the savings, we are able to purchase more books, we are able to do more programming, more family services, not just the kids, we look at the entire family and the life cycles of family," said May Gnia Her.

It's been months in the making.

The solar panel system didn't cost them a dime thanks to GRID Alternatives, volunteers and a grant through the city of Fresno's Community Development Block Grant Program.

"This is a culmination of a great partnership. As a result, we've come up with a solution to the energy issue that was facing Stone Soup," said Paul Caprioglio, Fresno City Council President.

Not only did Stone Soup get clean power, but this allowed dozens of volunteers to get hands-on experience installing solar panels.

"There were about 80 volunteers that took part and of those volunteers, all of them got training with employable job skills they can take from this training and move on and get real jobs, make some money to sustain their families," said May Gnia Her.