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“Veraneando, se va el tiempo volando”
Summertime Goes by Fast!
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Changing the World & Changing Lives | |
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The Green Team Summer program has been a successful staple of Groundwork Lawrence for 20 years. With 11 Green Team members in its first year, the program has grown to a sizable cohort of 52 students! The program itself is a 7-week exploration of urban agriculture, environmentalism, stewardship, community engagement initiatives, and service learning. Green Team members are paid for their work and gain leadership skills they carry with them throughout their lives. Some of the youth value and enjoy working with Groundwork so much that they return as adults, joining our staff as capable and inspiring leaders sharing their knowledge and experience. Green Team plays an important role at Groundwork, contributing to our mission in valuable ways, whether they are working on our urban farm, tending to Lawrence parks and trails, or helping at our 5K and Spicket River Cleanup.
This year, Green Team (GT) went to the Massachusetts State House where they spoke directly with legislators about environmental initiatives. Walking through the State House, they gained first-hand experience of our political system in the heart of our legislative state capital. GT was joined by Senator Pavel Payano and Representative Francisco Paulino, fellow Lawrencians who inspired our young leaders with their stories and knowledge of the legislative process. Not only did Sen. Payano and Rep. Paulino share their wisdom, but they also took the time to discuss the state's functions and operations and gave Green Team members the platform to share their ideas and talk about the environmental initiatives at GWL. A special shout-out to Auditor Diana DiZoglio's office for providing valuable insights into the indispensable role of the State Auditor in ensuring transparency and efficiency.
The relationship between our political representatives and the people is a sacred one built on trust. For our youth to meet the very people who protect their interests and to have the opportunity to share their ideas is the exact reason our democracy is so powerful. When we all contribute our ideas, we see the magnitude of how much power the people have.
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Racing Into August:
Celebrating the Success of the Greenway 5K!
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We had an amazing cohort of racers earlier this month at our Greenway 5K! The 5K is a great reason to get outdoors, move your muscles, and build community, and we couldn’t be more grateful for the beautiful weather and the racers and volunteers who came out on a Sunday morning. Thank you for your support, dedication, and time. And congratulations to each and every one of you! We also want to extend a thank you to our sponsors New Balance, Lawrence General Hospital, Cedar’s, and Bagel Boy.
Check out these pictures here to see all the magic of the Greenway!
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And Now…
Sign Up For The Spicket River Cleanup!
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Want to join hundreds of volunteers beautifying the city of Lawrence? Want to be part of one of the best and biggest volunteer events of the year? Then sign up for the Spicket River Clean Up on September 23rd. Why? Here are a few reasons:
1️⃣ Making a Difference: you will have a direct impact on restoring the health and vitality of our beloved Spicket River. Every piece of trash removed creates a safer habitat for humans, plants, and animals.
2️⃣ Community Engagement: there is nothing more powerful than making a difference in the company of good people in your community.
3️⃣ Transforming Spaces: witness the transformation of the Spicket River and the parks along its banks - Manchester Street Park, Kennedy Playstead, Hayden Schofield, Immigrant Place Park, Scarito Park, and Misserville Park - and the resulting benefits to the community.
4️⃣ Public Investment: you’ll be a part of an initiative that ensures continued support for developing and maintaining the Spicket River Greenway for years to come!
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💡Did You Know?
Since the start of the Spicket River Cleanup in 2004 we have removed over 32,496 lbs of trash. That’s enough trash to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool!
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Learning Keeps Us Alive:
The 2023 Brownfields Training Conference
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 |  | Lesly Melendez’s grandmother had a memorable saying, “The day you stop learning is the day you die.” For Lesly, learning is an ongoing process of discovery, reflection, and collaboration, so it stands to reason that she was excited to attend The National Brownfields Training Conference in Detroit, Michigan earlier this month. Brownfields are contaminated pieces of land that require cleanup before they are considered safe for use. Since the Industrial Revolution, sites across the country that have been contaminated by harmful pollutants have been designated as brownfields. They exist across the US and, not surprisingly, are disproportionately found in low-income communities and communities of color. The benefits of revitalizing brownfields are clear: reinvesting in these lands increases local tax bases, facilitates job growth, utilizes existing infrastructure, and both improves and protects the environment. The Brownfields Training Conference focused on topics covering financing and community engagement to promote the cleanup and revitalization of contaminated sites. One of the goals of the conference explored how to revitalize brownfields without contributing to other social inequities.
One workshop Lesly attended called “Displacing Displacement” centered on one of the real effects of brownfield re-development—which is the displacement of the current population or the rise of gentrification which is a process in which a lower-income urban area is changed by wealthier folks moving into the community. The displacement occurs when current residents can no longer afford to live in the community due to the rise in costs of living like housing. Connecting with professionals in the field from across the country to explore best practices in addressing these critical issues is what makes conferences like these an important cornerstone of professional development and growth.
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Summer Bucket List:
Sliding into Storrow Park
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| |  | In June, GWL staff member Dariana committed herself to visiting each one of Lawrence’s 48 parks. Having had a great time at Reservoir Park last month, this month she headed to Storrow Park located on Prospect Hill between High and Pleasant Street. The park is surrounded by the greatest shade a person could ever ask for–a natural canopy of trees shading the walking paths and protecting playground users from the scorching heat this summer. Storrow is a great example of how we do our work--the renovations are a reflection of carefully gathered community input. They include a new playground, two new slides, and a reconfigured path for more comfortable switchbacks as well as more trees and shrubbery. Ultimately our goal was to enhance the existing natural beauty with structures that complemented the gorgeous view and opened the space up to a variety of park-goers. And it worked. From mothers and grandmothers playing with their children to skateboarders practicing their moves to dedicated domino players, like an independent ecosystem, everyone was able to share space and enjoy the park. Melix, Performance Coordinator at Movement City, was eager to share his thoughts on Storrow Park as he shepherded a group of 50+ youth through the park playing basketball, volleyball, and using the playground equipment. Melix loves Storrow because it feels like it is outside of the cacophony of the city–a place to trade blaring car horns for chirping birds. It’s a place where his students can further relax and play after a day of swimming at the public pool down the road. We are so pleased that Storrow is being enjoyed to its full potential, because what’s better than more time outdoors? Absolutely nothing!
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"A River Called Justice":
Examining The Climate Crisis
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*Intersectionality is a framework of understanding how a person's various social and political identities combine to create different modes of discrimination and privilege.
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On Thursday, August 24th the PEG Center for Art & Activism in Newburyport hosted an important conversation on climate justice and its connections to racial inequity and how important community action can impact these issues. The event, “A River Called Justice: Evidence, Experience, and What We Can Do” invited Executive Director Lesly to speak about the work of Groundwork Lawrence highlighting our approach to empowering residents as stewards of their community to advocate for environmental change. Joining Judith Black and Dr. Neenhah Estrella-Luna, the event was a great opportunity for Lesly to share her expertise and champion for an intersectional* approach to climate change. | | | |
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The Quick Facts:
Saving Money & Energy All Year Round
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While the beginning of summer saw thunderstorms aplenty, the weather's long sunny days are heating up our streets. There’s no doubt this summer has seen its fair share of sunny days, and with temperatures rising, it’s no surprise running our air conditioners and fans is increasing our electricity bills. Groundwork Lawrence is working with Community First and MassSave to help Lawrence, Methuen, Haverhill, Andover, and North Andover with energy efficiency options this summer, much like we did in the winter. Here are just a few of the ways our energy work is impacting our community:
➔ More than 155 energy assessments for homeowners and renters have been scheduled.
➔ Estimated annual cost savings to Small Business Customers: $236,746.48.
➔ 70+ smaller businesses from Lawrence and Methuen will have their energy assessments done this summer.
Have you signed up for an energy assessment? It’s never too late to start seeing savings. A free energy assessment provides cost-saving, energy-efficient solutions to residents (owners and renters), small businesses, places of worship, local non-profits, and other energy-dependent entities.
Energy Advocate at GWL, José Ayala will help guide you through the energy assessment process at your home or small business. During the free assessment, José will help you identify and implement energy savings opportunities, such as insulation, heating, and cooling equipment upgrades that will help keep those energy bills in check for all seasons to come.
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Don’t Let It Lapse:
Renew Your MassHealth Coverage
Groundwork Lawrence is partnering with Health Care for All (HCFA), MassHealth, and the HealthConnector on the MassHealth Redetermination Campaign. This is an effort aimed at people who currently have health insurance through MassHealth and are due to renew their coverage. The goal of the campaign is to ensure Massachusetts residents stay covered as MassHealth resumes its annual redetermination process after a three year pause in deference to COVID. Groundwork Lawrence is proudly partnering with HCFA to ensure the healthy well-being of the community and make information about the renewal process easy and accessible.
Check out this flyer or visit our farmers’ markets for more information on how to make sure you remain covered under MassHealth.
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Changing Systems:
Resources For Social Change
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Our feature “Changing Systems” this month celebrates our youth. We want to highlight a few young adult (YA) reads that will make these last few weeks of summer that much sweeter. And the best part? You don't have to be a "young adult" to enjoy these books!
Check out these texts and more at your local public library, purchase them from your favorite bookstore, or from our community partner and local Lawrence bookstore, El Taller Cafe & Bookstore.
And if you would like more resources, please reach out to Dariana for more information or find us on Instagram and share your favorite reads!
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