Our Collective Energy:
The Power to Make Change
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“It is in collectivities that we find reservoirs of hope and optimism.”
― Angela Davis
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Bread & Roses Strike (1912) |
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"City of the Proud" March (2012) |
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Lawrence has a steep history of activism that began during the inception of the city, long before Groundwork Lawrence existed. By the mid-1800s, Lawrence was a booming industrial city, and attracted workers from all over Europe hoping for new opportunities for financial freedom and stability. However, the working conditions in the mills, built to take advantage of the power provided by the mighty Merrimack River, were not safe, and, with the strike of 1912, Lawrencians protested and began a labor movement that reverberates to this day. In modern history, Lawrencians (and our adjacent neighboring communities) have protested to preserve Den Rock Park, protested the narrow-viewed narratives given to us by media outlets, have painted our streets in bright bold lettering to stand with Black Lives Matter and the movement for antiracism and equity, and have worked with the city to honor and recognize Pride (celebrated every June). In Lawrence, we celebrate the voices of those who have been suppressed with rainbow colored sidewalks, a ceremonial Pride flag raising, dialogue groups, sit-ins, peaceful demonstrations, and gatherings meant to uplift, preserve, honor and respect the lives of those fighting for their rights.
Being a city originally founded for enterprise, we have evolved to one that also embodies protest and activism. At Groundwork Lawrence we support student leaders and young activists hoping to make a change in our city with programs like Green Team, and Urban Adventures, where students learn about legislation and actionable methods of activism. At Groundwork, we proudly call Lawrence our home. We are proud members of a city of activists, leaders, artists, and change makers all working together to champion, ultimately, for the human rights and dignity of us all.
Environmental justice is a lens that informs systemic issues in our community; this lens focuses GWL’s championing for clean air, open spaces, and food access. We recognize how they are affected by a legacy of historical systems of oppression. Similarly, the thread of racial justice, trans rights, and the rights of all LGBTQIA+ community members is one connected by similar structures of injustice. These issues, tied as they are, do not exist in a vacuum, nor are they impervious to change. We look back at the history of Lawrence and see how far we’ve come as a community and society; we see our activists roots everywhere and the difference that they’ve made. And, with pride, these roots serve as symbols to inspire the future. This June, we welcome you to hold space for the LGBTQIA+ community. This June, we hope you found ways to participate in your communities’ Juneteenth events. This June, we welcome you to explore our city and relish in the legacy of activism, because, this June, we want you to know that it vibrantly inspires our work.
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Big Shoes To Fill:
A Big Golden Shoe Thank You!
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Groundwork Lawrence thanks WalkBoston for presenting us with a 2023 Golden Shoe Award in conjunction with our partners at Merrimack Valley Transit (MeVA). WalkBoston annually celebrates and rewards those who have bettered the walking environment in their community and who exemplify the ideals that guide WalkBoston like accessibility and equity. We’re proud to be among four local recipients of the award that included the City of Lawrence, Merrimack Valley Planning Commission, and the MeVa Advisory Board.
Groundwork Lawrence is proud to be amongst other superstar organizations that are increasing the walkability of the city of Lawrence and promoting health for everyone. Thank you WalkBoston for this honor!
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Summer Farmer's Market Begins |
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Our 2023 summer market season began on Wednesday June 14 and runs through the end of October. With the market offered three days a week (Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays) at three different locations, you can find a market convenient (and fun!) for you. Check out our flier for times and locations.
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Interested in being a vendor at one of our markets?
We Accept / Aceptamos
Cash, Debit, Credit, EBT/SNAP/Food Stamps, HIP, WIC, Senior Coupons, and Groundwork Lawrence coupons.
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🌶️ Recipe Alert: Maria's Fresh Guacamole
This yummy and fresh guacamole comes from Healthy Living Programs Manager, Maria Natera.
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Your Eco-Art Can Change The World:
Submit Today!
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Our 2022 Glow Gala was a huge success in part because of local artists who dedicated their time to create Eco-Art. The Eco-Art concept asks artists to create pieces with one of the four R’s in mind: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Repair. These principles guide our submission process and have produced some really amazing pieces–everything from musical instruments to light fixtures to metal fabricated sculptures. We have been amazed at how local artists have transformed repurposed and recycled materials into beautiful – and sellable – Eco-Art!
We invite you to tap your creative self and submit your interpretation of a piece (or pieces) of Eco-Art that thematically represent one of the 4 R principles. Feel free to have your art reflect the social issues that are in the forefront of today’s conversations or your take on an issue of importance to you. Artwork will be juried and then auctioned at Glow Gala to a gathered community who love the environment and are looking to buy your art! We value your time and artistry and the profits of your work are split with us 50/50.
If you’re interested in learning more about our Glow Gala, the idea of Eco-Art, or how you can submit your art, please reach out to Megan Davis or learn more on our website.
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Summer Bucket List:
Visit Our Beautiful Parks & Green Spaces
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This summer, GWL staff member Dariana Guerrero has a lofty goal: to visit all 48 parks in her hometown of Lawrence. A city of only 7 square miles, it is extraordinary to have such a rich treasure of green space. GWL is proud that, in partnership with the city, we have helped create and/or reactivate more than 25 parks. And Dariana is determined to take full advantage of all that Lawrence has to offer.
One such park is Donovan Park located on Andover Street between Beacon Street and Amherst Street. Renovations are set to start this summer to open and improve the space for more folks to enjoy. Several public meetings were held where residents shared their feedback with the South Lawrence West Neighborhood Association who worked with Groundwork Lawrence and the city of Lawrence to make these renovations come to life. Our conversations with residents highlighted a few common priorities including more lighting, a multipurpose outdoor space, and a space to walk and get exercise outdoors. Excitingly, all of these changes including a renovated playground space will be making its way to the site this summer. The redesign will meet all accessibility and safety requirements and will be an inclusive park for everyone to enjoy.
The other exciting updates include an entrance on Diamond Street that will be more accessible to the Beacon Courts residences, Greater Lawrence Community Action Center daycare, and other multifamily housing projects being created in the area this summer.
Donovan Park exemplifies how important open spaces are in our community—they are meeting places, fitness centers, and above all, a space to enjoy fresh air! Our goals for increasing accessibility and inclusivity in all of our parks highlight why the re-designs of Donovan are so important—they will truly bring people together.
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A Soaring Success:
The Kite/S.A.L.S.A. Festival!
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The Kite/S.A.L.S.A festival took flight on Saturday, June 3rd, filling the sky with personalized kites and lots of joy! We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: rain or shine, we show up, and the kite festival was no exception!
Despite the dark clouds hovering above, our Green Team worked closely with more than 150 attendees and helped them build their own kites, giving tips on how best to fly them after receiving training themselves from guest artist and kite expert Archie Stewart of Kite Education.
Including kite flyers, we welcomed around 600 participants to Pemberton Park to take part in the festivities and learn more about healthy and active living. Over 20 organizations participated in the festival and had an opportunity to share with the community what they had to offer to support healthy living in Lawrence and the Merrimack Valley. We couldn’t have done this work without our remarkable community partners including the YWCA, Lazarus House Ministries, Lawrence General Hospital, MeVa, Lawrence Public Schools, and Greater Lawrence Family Health Clinic (GLFHC). We also want to give a special shout out to one of GWL’s own tree guys, Eric Lundquist who helped us give away 50+ free trees to residents looking to make their yards and neighborhoods a little greener!
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💡 Did You Know?
We had so much fun learning about all the different
ways people say the word “kite”! Here’s what we found out: over 60% of the responders use the term “kite,” but about 20% of you use the word “Chichigua” and another 20% use the term “cometa” or another word not listed. Thank you to everyone for participating!
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Changing Systems:
Resources For Social Change
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Our feature “Changing Systems” has been a welcome addition to our newsletters. Providing resources to our community on topics we are passionate about is important to us and this month we want to share work by black queer activist, Charlene A. Carruthers. Carruthers new book, Unapologetic: A Black, Queer, and Feminist Mandate for Radical Movements is a great text for anyone looking to understand the connections between the social movements of our time. Carruthers notes in chapter 1 of Unapologetic, “The resilience evident after decades of Black, queer, feminist organizing proves that identity politics can expand our paths to collective liberation” (20).
Carruthers challenges us to engage in social justice
struggles to make the movement for Black liberation more radical, more queer, and more feminist.
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Check out Unapologetic A Black, Queer, and Feminist Mandate for Radical Movements by Charlene A. Carruthers 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.
If you would like more resources on racial justice, please reach out to Dariana for more information!
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