Environment/Sustainability Groups

ARTichoke Coop
800 Main Street, Worcester, MA
Contact: Kim McCoy, John Provost (volunteers)
Tel: (508) 752-3533
Purpose/Mission: The ARTichoke Coop seeks to create a healthier environment and more just society through meeting practical needs for access to healthy, inexpensive food.

Regional Environmental Council
Contact: Steven Fischer, Executive Director director@recworcester.org
recouncil@recworcester.org
(508)799-9139
Purpose/Mission:  Since 1971, the Regional Environmental Council (REC) has been dedicated to the development of environmental programs that promote a safe, healthy, and sustainable environment in Worcester, Massachusetts. REC is well respected in the city for being one of the few organizations working on environmental justice issues that disproportionately affect urban, low-income communities.
REC Urban Agriculture Projects

• YouthGROW is a youth leadership program serving teens from Worcester’s inner city, ages 14-17. YouthGROW participants gain leadership skills and knowledge as they work to maintain an organic farm in the heart of Worcester’s inner city.
• UGROW- is a city wide community gardening program that oversees a network of close to thirty urban gardens and over 300 gardeners.
• Main South Farmers Market takes place on the week-end, bringing affordable, local produce to low income consumers in the Main South neighborhood.

REC Environmental  Health/Justice

• Environmental Justice is an outreach, education, and advocacy program that works with residents of Worcester’s inner city neighborhoods to help them avoid exposure to the toxics that are commonly found in urban areas.
• Worcester Lead Action Collaborative is a coalition coordinated by REC that includes dozens of partners working to eliminate childhood lead poisoning in Worcester by 2010.

Earth Day a day of citywide cleanups in honor of Earth Day.

Earn-A-Bike:
Contact: Gray Harrison, volunteer and member of the Board of Directors
gray@worcesterearnabike.org
(508) 579-9093 http://worcesterearnabike.org
Purpose/Mission:  Earn-A-Bike is a non-profit, community bike shop dedicated to education, recycling and bulding bicycles, and creating a bike culture in Worcester.   

Worcester Roots Project/Toxic Soilbusters
Contact: Matt Feinstein (508) 335-7783, (508) 736-5822
Info@WorcesterRoots.org
http://www.WorcesterRoots.org
Purpose/Mission: These groups are working for social and environmental justice through the development of cooperatives including Worcester Roots Project, a youth-run program for soil remediation. This group has also held anti-violence marches in the Main South neighborhood.

VegWorcester
Contact: Drew Wilson (315) 834-2655
drew@VegWorcester.com
info@VegWorcester.com
Purpose/Mission: We are a community group that advocates vegetarian living in Central Massachusetts. We hold educational events about animal rights, veganism, and the ecological impact of meat production. Our programs include: humane-education in local schools, outreach, distributing a dining guide, free literature stands throughout the city, a monthly social meetup, college outreach and writers group. For more information, please visit our website: http://www.VegWorcester.com