GWL In-Person Earth Day is Back!
Join Us for the Citywide Gathering and Cleanup Event on
Saturday, April 30!
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The health of our planet – and our community – depends on us. Since 1970, Earth Day has been celebrated as a way to educate and act on environmental issues that affect our planet. Here at Groundwork Lawrence, we gather with volunteers of all ages and walks of life: students, business owners, non-profits, and local organizations, to learn about the environment and clean our local parks, gardens, and recreational areas. We are extra excited to honor Earth Day this year. Due to the pandemic, the event has been held virtually for the past two years, but now we are back together in person! Come be part of the celebration as we kick off the day, head to one of 14 sites to clean and green, and then regroup with a post-event celebration and lunch provided by Lawrence Public Schools and their launch of the Summer Meals Program.
Event Start: 8am
Location: Campagnone - North Common*
*Located between Haverhill, Lawrence, and Jackson Streets in Lawrence. Use 200 Common Street (City Hall) or 155 Haverhill Street (the Center) for GPS.
We encourage you to register online but you can also register in person on the day of the event from 8am-8:30am.
See you there!
Thank You To Our Event Sponsors!
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Check Out Our Other Events |
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More information and how you can participate here.
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Sponsor a GWL Event
We have many ways to customize your sponsorship package as well as how you can double the impact of your giving through the Community Investment Tax Credit (CITC) program. Contact Sharon at smason@groundworklawrence.org to find out how you can be a sponsor!
YOUR LOGO CAN GO HERE!
(And on all other event promo materials.)
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Summer Green Team and Urban Adventures
Ready to Roll
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Warmer Days Mean GWL Summer Youth Programs!
Responding to interest and need, our Summer Green Team (GT) expanded last year from 30 to 40 high-school-aged Lawrence youth. We’re hiring 4 cohorts of Green Teamers again, and these groups of 10 youth each will experience a professional work setting while learning about the environment and healthy living choices. Green Team positions are paid, making the program one of the largest employment opportunities for Lawrence youth in the city. Whether working on our Urban Farm at Costello Park, stewarding our parks and green spaces, working to reduce waste and promote recycling, or engaging residents in environmental and healthy living activities, GT members develop the skills to become change agents in their community while forging life-changing friendships and relationships.
Our Urban Adventures (UA) program is gearing up as well, getting ready to engage over 100 middle-school youth in fun activities that will focus on environmental and healthy living topics through guided discoveries and games. Working with our partners at the Boys and Girls Club, Esperanza Academy, and the Lawrence YMCA, students will explore topics they feel are important to their community through hands-on interactive experiences. Last year, the Urban Adventurers investigated healthy food access in Lawrence. Who knows what they’ll discover this summer! Be sure to watch for more information in this newsletter and on our social media.
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Would you like to be a part of these programs?
We are hiring leaders for our Green Team Program and counselors for Urban Adventures!
For more information on these and all GWL open positions visit our website
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Welcome New Staff Members!
The Flowers Outside Are Growing As Is the GWL Educational Team! We Are Happy to Have Recently Welcomed the Following Staff
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Alyssa Ballou - Alyssa joined Groundwork as a Program Coordinator for the Education Team in the summer of 2021. She leads GWL's enrichment programs in the Lawrence Public Schools and supports the Green Team as well as manages our Urban Farm at Costello. Alyssa is currently working towards a BS in Business Management to continue her education focus on agriculture and sustainable farming practices. Alyssa’s dedication to our youth and environmental farming practices is a true asset to GWL. Welcome Alyssa!
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Raphael Cartagena - Raphael officially joined us as full-time staff in August 2021 but has a long history of being part of our GWL family. Born and raised in Lawrence MA, he was a Green Team member from 2014 through 2017 and served as a Green Team Leader in 2021. He aspires to be an elementary school teacher and is currently enrolled in NECC, with plans to transfer to a 4-year college to get his BA. Raphael is passionate about Lawrence and helping to make his city a better place. We are so lucky to have him as part of the organization. Welcome Raphael!
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Jorge Hernandez - Jorge joined GWL as a Resident Task Force member in 2021 and he joined the Ed Team as the Education and Workforce Programs Director in early 2022. Jorge is a successful leader and educator who has brought strong and effective solutions into higher education, districts, schools, and the nonprofit sector in the areas of justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. He received his master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Lesley University and pursued his interest in education further by earning a Diversity and Inclusion certificate from Cornell University. Welcome Jorge!
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To learn more about our team visit our website
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Saturday, 5/14 and 5/28, 10am – 4pm, at 238 Essex Street
Great produce, live music, special vendors, family activities, and more!
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GWL Summer Farmers Markets Starts Soon!
Verano Mercado Agricola
June 15 - October 29
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We Accept / Aceptamos
Cash, Debit, Credit, EBT/SNAP/Food Stamps, HIP, WIC, Senior Coupons, Holy Family Hospital Farmers Market Voucher
Thank You to Our Sponsors
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Pa'lante Celebrates One-Year Anniversary
Pa'lante is a Spanish verb meaning to go forward or forward movement. This is why the Resident Task Force chose it as their name as they work on the Resilient Corridors Project funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Pa’Lante members are Lawrence residents passionate about solving the city’s climate, health, and equity challenges. The name is fitting because it truly captures what the task force is: a group of devoted community partners and residents moving Lawrence forward. The project was established in 2021 through a partnership between Groundwork, the Conservation Law Foundation, and the City of Lawrence.
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Meet our Current Pa'lante Resident Task Force Members |
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Anthony Curtis
Anthony, a GWL Green Team alumni and a current UMass Lowell student, lives in Lawrence and is passionate about social justice, and advocacy. During a year at Brandeis University (2015-2016), Anthony served on the Climate Justice Alliance which focused on environmental issues and consisted of faculty and students. Anthony was instrumental in the organization of a fundraiser aiding the victims of the Flint Water Crisis in Michigan and in setting up a panel of professors, students, and local climate activists to discuss environmental racism.
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Destiny Gonzalez
Destiny is a proud 20-year-old Lawrencian who has lived in the city her entire life. She previously worked in government and plans to attend law school. A dedicated public policy advocate, joining the Resident Task Force allows her to give back to her hometown in the same way that it has given to her.
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Martha Leavitt
Martha has lived on Prospect Hill in Lawrence with her husband, Robert O'Koniewski, and their two sons, Thomas and Tait, for the past 30 years. She works for the Merrimack Valley Transportation Management Association as a consultant and is passionate about the work of the task force.
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Evelyn Y. Rodriguez
Evelyn is the Lawrence/Methuen Community Coalition's Drug-Free Communities Coordinator. She is a 20-year veteran of the human service field, who has spent the last seven years in prevention. She recently earned a certificate in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from Tufts Institute for Nonprofit Practice and the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life. She is currently studying for her BA and MS in Youth Development at IDEA.
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Interested in Joining this Committed Crew?
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Breaking Ground at Stockton Park
GWL Joins Mayor Brian A. DePeña, City Councilors, and Other Community Leaders at the Groundbreaking Ceremony for
Stockton Park Renovations
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Stockton Park, named after Howard Stockton, treasurer of the Essex Co. from the 1880s to 1932, is a 16,268 sq. foot triangular piece of land at the intersection of South Union Street, Winthrop Avenue, and Dorchester Street in Lawrence. Gifted to the City in 1897, the park has been through many iterations and is now poised for a major renovation. Sitting as it does at one of the gateways to Lawrence, the plan is to make Stockton Park an art park that celebrates the city and the people who live here.
There has been a great deal of community interest in renovating this underutilized parcel of land. Following months of planning and multiple community input sessions, work has begun to renovate the park to reflect the vibrancy of the City and its residents.
An official groundbreaking was held on March 9 and we are excited to be partnering with the City of Lawrence to make this long-held dream a reality. Watch the video of the groundbreaking and stay tuned for more information as the project progresses.
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Tree Talk with The Tree Guys is Back!
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Did you know that planting a tree in your yard can lower your energy costs? Trees are not only nice to look at but help the ecosystem by providing shade, retaining water, and preventing erosion. And these are just some of the benefits!
Tune in to Tree Talk with the Tree Guys to learn more astonishing and perhaps surprising facts about trees from our own GWL tree maestros, Eric Lundquist and Tennis Lilly. Topics include anything tree-related such as the benefits of planting trees, how to request free trees, and how to care for planted trees.
Tree Talk relaunched earlier this month. If you missed it, you can catch it here. Airing every three weeks, the next video will premiere on our social media on 5/17. Let us know what you think!
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