CarShare NL, a group striving to jumpstart a car share program in St. John’s, has officially received its start-up grant from JustChange NL.

Sidenote: JustChange is a national network of “changemakers, committed to supporting the local community through giving circles.”

They give out two $1000 grants a month to support projects with a focus on social justice, environmental sustainability, economic and rural development, and improvements in public health.

CarShare NL was actually their first grant, and JustChange board member Matthew Hardy says it was an ideal project for their first grant, for how the initiative “perfectly mirrors” the goals of the grant.

Sharon Ho, co-chair of CarShare NL, says that CarShare NL will use the grant to help raise additional funds needed to start a car sharing service in St. John’s.

Anyone interested in getting involved with CarShare NL should email [email protected] or connect on Facebook or Twitter (@carsharenl).

This Saturday, Happy City and the Harris Centre will be partners in presenting a public forum on car sharing in St. John’s. It’ll take place in the Foran Room at City Hall, at 1 pm.

This event will combine a talk by Jason Hammond, president of the Federation of Canadian Carsharing Co- operatives, with a strategy session that will engage participants in laying the groundwork for a successful car share program in the city.