SSE Awarded Grant from BBVA Compass

In recognition for its support of underprivileged, low-to-moderate income people and communities, SSE was awarded the grant from BBVA Compass Foundation.  SSE qualified in the Foundation’s area of focus for environmental work, particularly to provide projects with significant impact on the environment and sustainable practices and to promote public education on those issues.

“Our BBVA Compass San Diego Foundation and Volunteer Chapter voted unanimously to approve a grant for SSE because the environment and sustainability are one of the five areas we have selected to support, said Senior Vice President Lucy von Buttlar.   “SSE's goals and mission are aligned with BBVA Foundation's environmental focus, as well as its work to help the disadvantaged.”

The grant award was for $2500 for general support of SSE’s programs and makes BBVA a Green Leaf Program Sponsor.  “I am very impressed with BBVA’s environmental and natural resources program promoting sustainability,” said SSE executive director Sue Prelozni.  The BBVA Group promotes its Global Eco-Efficiency Plan, an initiative to reduce the company's carbon emissions by 20 percent.  

Datron Continues to Support Mission of SSE

For the second year in a row, Datron World Communications Foundation has gifted $10,000 to Sustainable Surplus (SSE) to support its ENGAGE! San Diego program.  The Foundation’s mission

is to positively impact the lives of others today and in the future. Datron provides for this fund by tithing 10 percent of its quarterly operating profit into the fund.

ENGAGE! is an innovative program to magnify SSE’s engagement with local businesses, their employees and the community.  ENGAGE! is a reuse/recycle campaign that fosters corporations’ social responsibility through the donation of items for repurposing, as well as engages their employees in volunteerism and sustainability. 

Datron has been an asset donor to SSE for four years, donating everything from office supplies and furniture to electronic equipment.  “We are very grateful to Datron for supporting our mission to build a sustainable community by helping local organizations,” said executive director Sue Prelozni.

Datron employee Danny Pate sponsored SSE to request the gift from the Foundation.

The gift arrives at a key time for SSE.  Due to the increasing surplus donations, SSE has had to increase its operations and manpower to manage the inventory and get it redistributed to local educational, nonprofit and start-up organizations.

SSE Executive Director Elected to CRRA Council

SSE Executive Director, Sue Prelozni, has been elected to the California Resource Recovery Association's (CRRA)Technical Council for Prevention, ReUse & Repair.  She will serve on the Executive Committee of that Council.

SSE has been a member for about two years.  Ms. Prelozni presented at their Zero Waste convention in LA last year in 2015.  "I am happy to serve on this committee and I know I will be working with top leaders focused on sustainable solutions to waste and conservation of our resources," said Prelozni.

For more information about CRRA:  http://www.crra.com/

SSE on ESPN Real Talk San Diego Radio

Catch SSE executive director Sue Prelozni on the ESPN's Real Talk San Diego -- featured on the Live Well San Diego radio hour.
Sue talks about the challenges of starting a nonprofit, what it's like to be a CEO of a start-up and why SSE is the right choice for everyone in the community and our environment

http://www.realtalksandiego.com/podcasts/

Second Annual Christmas in July Event

SSE is hosting its second annual Christmas in July warehouse sale event and is opening the facility to the general public.  This is a fund raiser to support SSE operations and to keep this awesome program going.

DATE:     Friday, July 22
TIME:     1 pm - 6 pm
PLACE:  760 Shadowridge Dr., Vista

Items on sale:  chairs, file cabinets, computer monitors, printers, tables, lovely coffee tables and so much more!

SSE Receives Harrah's Grant Award

As part of the "All in 4 Change" grant competition offered by the Harrah's Resort Foundation, Sustainable Surplus received $3,000.  Harrah's sponsored an online voting campaign to spike community interest in local organizations.  They awarded a total of $100,000.
"We open up voting to everyone in our community. The finalists take home twelve grants that will help make Southern California a more vibrant place to live and work," said Sheryl Sebastian, Harrah's Manager of Communications & Community Relations.

Executive Director Sue Prelozni with
Board Advisor Bill Brenza

EmPOWERment of Women

SSE executive director, Sue Prelozni, joined Carlsbad Council Member Lorraine Wood and several other local women leaders as featured speakers at the Power of Women event.  The leadership event was created by WIN Consulting and its director, Therese Cisneros, and took place at sponsor Point Loma Credit Union’s facility in La Costa.

The topics ranged from creating a network of strong women to finding the confidence in yourself to follow your passion – with a common theme of women empowerment. 

Kaye Van Nevel, director of Soroptimist International (Vista) was the keynote speaker.  Soroptimist is an international volunteer service organization working to improve the lives of women and girls throughout the world. Ms. Nevel spoke on the issue of human trafficking and how it is triggered by disrespect, especially of women by men.

Other guest speakers included Carol Fehr, Mary Kay consultant, Carmen Contreras of Point Loma Credit Union and Maria Burns of the Hispanic Chamber of e-Commerce.