Julia's blog

by: John Raser

I’m a family doctor in Lawrence. Like my colleagues around this country, I spend much of my effort caring for people with obesity-related chronic illnesses: Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease. Partnering with patients to control these disorders is important and rewarding work, and I feel fortunate to be able to help. Yet I can’t shake the frustration of knowing all the pain, the disability, and the costs to individuals and to our economy related to these illnesses are almost entirely preventable.

Please read on for a guest blog post by our partners at MSGA, the Massachesusetts Smart Growth Alliance:

Massachusetts is falling behind. While roads and bridges across the Commonwealth are falling apart and public transportation continues to deteriorate, other states are investing in a stronger economic future and better quality of life.Yesterday, Governor Patrick outlined the choices state legislators must grapple with to keep Massachusetts competitive.

Groundwork Lawrence currently has a job opening for an Education Program Coordinator! The job description has been updated, so to view all current information regarding the position, please click here!

The official application deadline is January 25th, 2013.

Start the year right with healthy, seasonal eats by signing up for a CSA Share with Farmer Dave's!

Also Announcing a New Spring Share in Lawrence!

This December, Root Cause’s Social Innovation Forum selected Groundwork Lawrence as one of five innovative, results-oriented organizations in Greater Boston to receive more than $115,000 in cash and capacity-building services from Root Cause and its partners! GWL was named the 2013 Healthy LifeStyles Social Innovator for promoting healthy behaviors in our community projects. At Groundwork, we are very grateful for the recognition, as well as the generous awards that come with it.

We want to let you know about a program we’re supporting called the Sandbox Entrepreneur Program. The goal of this program is to encourage as many people from the Merrimack Valley to share their ideas for products, businesses, and solutions to problems – and then help get those ideas closer to reality.

As a part of the Urban Waters Grant Program, the EPA awarded $60,000 to Groundwork Lawrence for the “Spicket River Restoration Partnership”. The grant, one of two given in Massachusetts, is part of $2.7 million that the EPA awarded nationally to 46 organizations in 2012.

2012 Impact Report

Check out this report that features Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance's with Groundwork Lawrence's and Lawrence CommunityWorks' in partnership the city and N. Canal Coalition and how they are attempting to improve the Lawrence community through the Great Neighborhoods initiative!