About:

 

Green Drinks is an international group following one monthly goal -- meeting to discuss environmental concerns and issues. The group is known for bringing people together from various backgrounds including academia, the community, government, businesses and more.

 

The local group, known as Green Drinks Greensboro, is a grassroots organization that began 10 years ago. They have always taken a collaborative stance since Brian Higgens established the organization, originally partnering with Sustainability Greensboro.

 

After Higgens left Greensboro, Mary Ellen took over the collaborative and replaced the folded group Sustainability Greensboro with her organization, Reuse Alliance.

 

Only five years ago, Kathe Latham took over part of the leadership and expanded the group after Ellen moved and the Reuse Alliance folded. Latham currently is one co-coordinator of the Green Drinks Greensboro collaborative, with Sarah Dorsey of UNCG’s Sustain-L and Nicole Spivey of the Sierra Club making up the other partners.

 

Originally, the organization focused on networking with bar owners and others throughout the city; however, the group has evolved. In 2016, the group took a more organized stance by meeting monthly at Scuppernong Books in downtown Greensboro.

 

Green Drinks Greensboro regularly invites Emerging Ecology and NC One to present at their meetings.

Each month, the group meets on either Thursday or Friday nights, generally between 5-7 p.m. They begin with 30 minutes of networking, announcements, a short speaker presentation and close with discussing the select monthly topic.

 

“We want to be open to present their ideas and learn from others,” Latham said.

 

To do this, Latham said their discussions regularly have 20 to 30 attendees, making the group “small enough to have dialogue.”

 

Anyone is welcome to join the meetings. For dates and times, either check the group’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Green-Drinks-Greensboro-532133783526425/ or look for an upcoming Meet Up page for this information.

 

However, unlike the national and international organization, Green Drinks Greensboro has been expanding their topics towards social justice issues and politics.

 

Latham said a few of 2017s themes included fake news, ecofeminism, changing narcissism to mutual care for others and inviting the sustainability council to discuss transportation.

 

In the future, Latham wants the organization to be used as a tool by the community.

 

“We have brought people together, who in the past have not worked together or collaborated,” Latham said. “It’s always been my goal to bring people together as an activist.” She sees this as a crucial achievement for the organization and the community alike.

 

Though volunteers are not used right now, Latham would like people to assist the organization through their skills in networking and programming.

 

“If we had volunteers, we could do so much more,” Latham said.

 

For more information about Green Drinks Greensboro, visit UNCG’s Sustain-L Listserv link next to the word "website" listed above.