Charitable Foundation Volunteer Activities - Operation Caulk

The Charitable Foundation of the Energy Bar Association (“CFEBA”), in conjunction with the Young Lawyers Committee of the Energy Bar Association (“YLC”), recently kicked-off the Foundation’s community service activities by participating in Operation Caulk.

Operation Caulk is a service project sponsored by GreenHome to improve the energy efficiency of 53 homes for low-income residents being constructed by Habitat for Humanity in Northeast, Washington, D.C. Operation Caulk’s project director, Nick Mastrota, supervises volunteers and schedules the Operation Caulk activities, based upon construction progress.

On August 2, 2003, the CFEBA, in conjunction with the YLC, participated in its first community service project by providing volunteers to Operation Caulk. Although notice was short, EBA members met the tasks. The first EBA volunteers were Caryn Houck, Rea Hederman, Bryan Clark, and myself. We met at the construction site at 8:00 a.m., signed the necessary waiver forms and received a short orientation with other Operation Caulk volunteers. That day we worked on three houses in varying stages of completion. We applied caulk and insulation foam to strategic places on the walls, ceilings, doors, and windows.
After discussions with Nick Mastrota, he agreed to partner with CFEBA to hold an EBA-exclusive day for Operation Caulk. On September 27, 2003, eight EBA volunteers met at 8:30 a.m. at the construction site to participate in Operation Caulk. The volunteers were Alexandra Metzner,Alexandra Metzner, Amy Jiron, Debora Schweikart, Monica Gonzalez, Kris Chase, Sean Neal, Walter Hall, and myself.

Walter became a roofer for the day. While Sean, Amy, and the rest of us focused extensively on caulking and applying insulated foam in the interior of two houses. We also used duct tape to seal joints and gaps in air ducts.

CFEBA donated $250 to assist GreenHome in procuring materials for Operation Caulk. Operation Caulk uses approximately $25 dollars worth of material during each outing.


These inexpensive, easy and seemingly minor tasks greatly improve the energy efficiency of the heating and air conditioning systems used within the homes. Houses use less energy for heating and cooling, which saves resources and reduces energy-related pollution. These efforts will benefit the homeowner by providing a comfortable draft-free house and reduced energy costs.

Additional opportunities to participate in Operation Caulk, as well as numerous other volunteer activities will be forthcoming. I strongly encourage anyone interested in volunteering to participate in our next community service activity. We also invite individuals to donate to the CFEBA. If you have any questions regarding the CFEBA or the YLC, please feel free to contact me.

Mr. Dyson is the Chair of the Young Lawyers Committee and a Board Member of the Charitable Foundation of the Energy Bar Association.