December 2020
Farm Fresh Produce Even in Winter
Our winter farmers market season is well under way! The market runs twice per month through May, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM (check the schedule below for dates) at The Center on Haverhill Street in Lawrence. Stop by and get your fresh fruits and veggies all throughout the winter season.
Thank you to our farmers market sponsors:
Restaurant Program Returns
Last spring, working with our partner MassDevelopment's TDI, we launched an innovative restaurant program that offered economic support to local businesses struggling to remain viable in the face of the pandemic and assisted individuals and families dealing with heightened food insecurity. With support from our funders, we were able to extend the program for 10 weeks, providing more than 15,000 meals. Nine months in and facing a COVID-19 surge, the need for food assistance is still as prevalent as before, and as restaurants enter the winter without outdoor dining, support of their business will go a long way. That's why we're teaming up with our partners to bring this program back, providing full meals to families in need and helping our restaurants remain viable throughout the winter. After discussing the merits of this program with surrounding communities and offering our assistance, the City of Haverhill started its own program, and we are talking to other municipalities as well.
Thank You - A Successful Glow
Thank you to all who attended and supported our 2020 Glow Gala. It may have looked different, but it was a wonderfully successful celebration of all we accomplished throughout this year in no small part because of you. If you weren't able to join us, know you were missed. You can watch the video of the event here. We look forward to seeing you next year when we gather again for the Glow Gala we all love!

Thank you to our lead sponsor, the New Balance Foundation. Click here to view all our Glow Gala sponsors.
A Record Breaking Harvest
Our Urban Farm at Costello Park had a record breaking year this year, harvesting almost 9,000 lbs of fresh fruits and veggies. The entirety of this harvest was donated - our GT members and volunteers took fresh produce home, while the majority of crops were donated to area food banks and soup kitchens to provide healthy, fresh food to help with food security in this time of increased need. While adjusting for COVID-19 safety protocols, this work was led by our Project Manager Tom Paulsen and supported by our passionate Green Team and several volunteer groups.
Thank you to the Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare Foundation for supporting our volunteer work at Costello Urban Farm.
Learning About the Past to Improve the Future
This past year, GWL has worked with GWUSA's Climate Safe Neighborhoods project to study how discriminatory housing policies impact the effects of climate change in Lawrence. The findings from this work allow us to work closely with residents and stakeholders to organize, mobilize, and affect systems change to make our community more resilient to extreme heat and flooding. Building off of this work, Elevated Thought was recently awarded a grant to create public art pieces that visually translate ideas about place, climate, and policy. Through the history and narratives captured through a series of community discussions facilitated by both GWL and Elevated Thought youth, we will produce two murals in the city that will seek to educate, engage, and empower residents to contribute to spatial justice in Lawrence. Stay tuned for updates on this exciting project!
Creating Climate Resilient Corridors
GWL, in partnership with the Conservation Law Foundation, was awarded a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to continue our work on the Lawrence Greenway Framework (see image above). This work will support the development of a climate resilient community by engaging residents in the transformation of their neighborhoods. Incorporating the ideas of climate resiliency, the projects will focus on planning for increasing urban tree canopy, expanding access to open spaces, and connecting residents with alternative modes of transportation throughout the city.
Lending a Helping Hand
As our community has faced the economic challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, non-profits and small businesses turned to local banks for financial assistance through the Federal government's Paycheck Protection Program. Four of the banks who provided significant assistance to organizations and businesses in need - Enterprise Bank, TD Bank, Bank of America, and Eastern Bank - were recognized in a recent article in the Boston Business Journal. These banks have been and continue to be strong supporters of GWL's work, and we thank them for their consistent support of our community.