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“You say you love the world, so love the world.”
— Ada Limón
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Be a Park Hero:
Join the Earth Day Event of the Year!
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Activism can take many shapes and forms in our community, and one way that Groundwork Lawrence (GWL) works towards changing places and changing lives comes from our annual Earth Day Cleanup. Earth Day is one holiday we look forward to celebrating at GWL, and our cleanups have been a central part of our programming. But did you know, the first cleanup in our community began as a partnership with Timberland in 2006, 2007, and 2008. These cleanups were so successful and such a powerful movement in our community that they have become crucial touch points in Lawrence ever since.
As we celebrate 25 years of meaningful contributions to our community, we are eager to announce our plans for our 2024 Earth Day cleanup. This year we will be cleaning up our parks, as well as planting trees and shrubs at our selected sites: Gagnon, Bennington, Donovan, Shawsheen and Costello, and Immigrant Place Parks. Sign up now and be a hero for Lawrence's parks! Let's show the world the power of community and environmental stewardship. Sign up today to join the Earth Day festivities on May 4th, 2024.
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A Labor of Love:
Community Tree Planting for Arbor Day!
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Since its inception in 1872, Arbor Day has grown from a local holiday celebrated in Nebraska to a global movement, with communities all over the world embracing tree planting to enhance biodiversity, combat climate change, and foster a deeper connection to nature. At Groundwork Lawrence (GWL), we too celebrate Arbor Day as we educate and inspire our community with tree plantings each year.
GWL has been at the forefront of this green revolution; with an average of 400 trees planted per planting season, our commitment to greening Lawrence has long standing effects for all life from humans to animals, and plants.We all can benefit from more trees in our great city. And we aim to share this knowledge and build community with the next generation of leaders. In fact, what really makes Arbor Day so special is visiting local middle schools in Lawrence and working with students to plant trees at their school. This year we will be planting 5 trees with Bruce middle schoolers as they learn about the benefits of trees and how to care for them over the next few years.
We know that trees are not just ornaments but essential components of a sustainable urban ecosystem. One of the key benefits of having trees in the community is the cooling effect shrubs and trees have on our city streets. By providing shade and releasing moisture into the air through transpiration, trees mitigate the urban heat island effect, making our neighborhoods more livable especially during scorching hot summers.
Additionally, it is important to note that planting trees is a form of environmental justice in urban communities like ours. We are champions of the concept of shade equity, recognizing that not all communities have equal access to the cooling benefits of trees. By strategically planting in some of the hottest neighborhoods in Lawrence we ensure that everyone can enjoy the respite provided by leafy tree canopies, regardless of their zip code. This commitment to equity ensures that as our cities evolve, they do so with equity, inclusivity and justice at their core.
And we do this work with our neighbors, our friends, and our loved ones. We see familiar faces and meet new people that commit to doing the work too. Tree planting is the ultimate labor of love in our community, and we know with our collective efforts, our cities will be greener and cooler for generations to come. Our hope is to see all the beautiful trees we have planted this year thrive at our 50th anniversary celebration 25 years down the road.
So, this Arbor Day consider signing up for our Earth Day Event on May 4th so you can join the tree planting fun as we cultivate coolness and community one tree at a time.
đź’ˇDid You Know?
Shade equity is fairness or justice in the way people
have access to tree shade in their communities
regardless of their social identity (e.g., race, ethnicity, income, etc.)
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Congratulating Our New Development
and Communications Director!
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Last month, Megan Davis became the new Development and Communications Director. She first joined the Groundwork network in 2017 as a Development and Community Outreach Coordinator and became a Development Manager at Groundwork Lawrence in 2021. She has over 13 years of nonprofit experience with a focus on food security, sustainability, and environmental improvement. As Development Manager, Megan drove the organization’s grant cycle from start to finish, coordinating efforts across program areas. She is excited to grow in her role as the Development and Communications Director and bring her passion for supporting community-driven change. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking and biking Massachusetts' many trails, crocheting, and reading a good book. She looks forward to collaboratively developing and implementing a robust organizational fundraising strategy to advance our work in Greater Lawrence.
Please join us in congratulating Megan on her well deserved promotion!
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What Will You Create?
Celebrating 25 years with Eco-Art
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Eco-Art has been a staple of our annual Glow Gala celebration for many years, and this year we are looking for talented artists to join us at one of our biggest Glow events to date–the celebration of 25 years of GWL! Embrace the principles of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Repair as you craft your next artistic masterpiece. Over the years, we've witnessed incredible eco-art transformations from local artists, turning repurposed and recycled materials into stunning pieces of Eco-Art, ranging from musical instruments to light fixtures and metal fabricated sculptures. Join us in making a positive impact through art as we showcase and auction your innovative and sustainable creations during our 25th year celebration. We can’t wait to see what you create!
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Tasty Traditions:
Sign Up For Free Cooking Classes Today!
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Our offices at 50 Island Street have had us feeling like we’re back in our grandmothers’ houses with the fresh smells of amazing food cooking on our stoves and baking in our ovens. We are lucky at GWL to have a fully functional kitchen where healthy cooking classes are a staple of our fresh food and healthy living programming. Each cooking class is an opportunity for participants to learn more about utilizing fresh ingredients in their dishes but what makes these classes so special is the individualized attention each participant gets; classes are intentionally kept small, to around 15 participants per class so everyone can receive personalized instruction. In a notable field trip around 30 participants (2 class groups) went to the supermarket together to learn how to read food labels, compare prices, and create a healthy meal on a budget.
Maria Natera, Healthy Living Programs Manager has been teaching our cooking classes since 2013. Maria enjoys sharing her wealth of knowledge and her recipes with participants and when asked about why these cooking classes are meaningful for her, she had this to say: "It is important to bring our typical dishes to their natural state. I mean, the way our grandparents and great-grandparents used to make them with fresh ingredients grown in their own backyards. It is not a secret that our ancestors lived longer than we do now. I think that the secret to their longevity was because they ate freshly grown natural food and worked hard. It is better for our health and the environment to cook with fresh and healthy ingredients; if we can grow them ourselves, even better."
So, if Maria’s words inspire you, consider registering for the upcoming cooking classes in May! Classes are open to Lawrence residents, are free, and will run once a week starting May 7th –June 11th, 2024. There are only 15 spots available so reach out to Maria for more information!
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One More Month of WINTER Farmer's Market!
We are thrilled to say our March Winter Farmers Market concluded on a strong note with sales of over $25,000 and a customer attendance rate of 550 people! The significant sales and community engagement are a testament to the need and desire for fresh fruits and vegetables in Lawrence; in addition, the farmers and other local vendors like Soney Bees benefit from the local community investing their money into these staples of the Merrimack Valley. You can find our winter market in the lobby of the same building as our office -50 Island Street, Entrance B.
There are only a handful of WINTER Farmer’s Markets left this season before we transition to summer so be sure to get your seasonal produce before summer markets start up in June!
We Accept / Aceptamos
Cash, Debit, Credit, EBT/SNAP/Food Stamps, HIP, WIC, Senior Coupons, and Groundwork Lawrence coupons.
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Building Teams, Trust, and Connection:
Staff Wellness Retreat 2024
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 |  | In March, GWL staff participated in a health and wellness retreat facilitated by A'dahi Baira, owner of local wellness organization, Colectiva Wellness & Healing. This is our second wellness retreat spearheaded by Executive Director, Lesly Melendez, who cherishes moments with staff to reflect on our work and mission while also encouraging wellness and healing. At GWL, our staff work so hard to provide safe, inclusive, and just programming for others that sometimes we forget to care for ourselves. But as Baira from Colectiva Wellness has taught us, wellness in our communities also starts with us. Together we strengthened our commitments to our team while participating in activities that required us to put a little trust in our colleagues as Community Engagement Manager Alejandra adds, “I liked the wellness retreat this year because of the size of the space and all the team building activities we took part in like the trust walk where one of our colleagues led us around the room while we were blindfolded. This was scary at first but taught me to trust my partner and let go, having faith in the process. One takeaway from the retreat is that while we are all different, there is a thread of connection between each of us, and that is a beautiful thing.”
Focusing on employee wellness ensures that our staff have the inner reserves to continue giving their all to the many community members we serve while strengthening and building the teams we call our family. Isae Grullon, Operations Manager here at GWL summarizes it best, “The retreat gave us a moment to pause and give space to better connect and reaffirm our relationships with our coworkers. I appreciate the effort that it took to make our retreat a success!”
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Changing Systems:
Celebrating National Poetry Month
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April marks the start of national poetry month, a beloved time of year where people all around the country celebrate poetry and the beauty it can offer our lives. In fact, this April we want to share the work of Ada Limón the 24th Poet Laureate of the United States. Limón’s signature project called, “You Are Here” will launch during National Poetry Month in April and will continue throughout the year with installations of poetry as public art in national parks across the country. Limón even has a prompt for all to consider: What would you write in response to the landscape around you? You can share your response if you choose using the hashtag #youareherepoetry #GroundworkLawrence
Check out these books 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, please reach out to Dariana for more information, or find us on Instagram and share your favorite reads!
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