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- What is Groundwork Elizabeth?
Founded in England in 1979, the Groundwork program engages the public sector, the private sector and the community in addressing challenges in urban communities. more information
- What type of projects and programs are being done now?
Groundwork’s mission is to improve places and in doing so to improve the lives of people within the Elizabeth community and beyond. more information
- How can I get involved?
Groundwork welcomes individual group and corporate volunteers and sponsorships. more information
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Learn about Career Opportunties in Green Related Fields
more information about free class registration
Groundwork Elizabeth Summer 2012 Newsletter click to view
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Coming Events
Groundwork Elizabeth, in cooperation with Union County College, hosts 3rd “Green Workforce Initiative Program at Kellogg Building, June 17-24.
SPACE AVAILABLE -email elizabethnj@groundworkusa.org: Course Description for June 17, 18, 19, 24 Green Workforce Initiative Course (FREE) at the Union County College's Kellogg Building 6-9 p.m. The following is the course description, which will be taught by GW Green Team leader David Wiener:
"Vegetable gardens, no matter the size, from small container to urban farm, provide us with the opportunity for healthier living, saving money, and satisfying careers. This course is a step-by-step program that will enable students to begin small with indoor container gardens, then develop their abilities to create larger outdoor vegetable gardens in an urban setting. We will learn to construct raised bed vegetable gardens that can be placed anywhere – even on a driveway or parking lot - for larger crop yields. How to find urban farming jobs or develop your own part-time to full time business related to urban farming will also be covered. A visit to a working urban farm in Elizabeth will allow us to literally get our hands dirty as we apply in the field what we have learned in class. Classes will also teach how to more skillfully use the internet for research and problem solving."
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Groundwork Elizabeth Announces successful Brownfield Task Force Program, reported on the Together North Jersey Blogsite:
http://togethernorthjersey.com/?p=16583
Adriana Morocho, Green team member, winning an Environmental Hero Award from Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders
Adriana Morocho, Green Team member for Groundwork Elizabeth, developed a recycling program for her High School, the Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy in 2012. In 2013 Elizabeth Public schools followed her lead and is in the process of setting up recycling programs in many of Elizabeth’s other public schools. She was nominated for a Union County “Environmental Heroes” award for her efforts, and is shown here posing with Groundwork associates during the award ceremony, Sunday, April 28th, 2013 at Trailside Nature Center.
In Photo: Jonathan Phillips Executive Director, GW Elizabeth, Adriana Morocho, Green Team, David Wiener, Lead for Green Team, Sal Coppa, GW volunteer and nominator for award.
Come Grow With Us planting seeds of success in established and new garden locations in Union County
Elizabeth, N.J. February 19, 2013 - Food deserts, neighborhoods where healthy foods are almost impossible to find, exist in many Elizabeth and Union County neighborhoods and residents of these locations personal health is impacted by these deficiencies.
In order to address this challenging situation, Groundwork Elizabeth and the Come Grow With Us! Union County community gardening program is working with its existing garden stakeholders at more than a dozen locations as it prepares to plant, maintain, harvest, share healthy foods and programming with neighborhoods-in-need.
For 2012 gardens were installed at the First Baptist Church on Union Avenue, at the Housing Authority at Ford Leonard Towers, at Jewish Family Service on Westfield Avenue, all in Elizabeth, and at a firehouse in Union. Beds were added at the Dill Avenue location in Linden, added at Sonic Restaurant, and restructured at the Portuguese Instructive Social Club. For Spring 2013 two to three more gardens are being planned, one at the YMCA in Elizabeth on Jefferson Avenue. Come Grow With Us is being assisted by a partnership with Garden State Urban Farms at it prepares to cover its first greenhouse at the Portuguese Club, and to start plants in ‘earth boxes’ for a head start to the Spring gardening season.
Educational and nutritional programs are also being planned for the Spring.
To find out more about the program please email Groundwork Elizabeth at: elizabethnj@groundworkusa.org, and ask for information on the Community Gardening Program.
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Groundwork Elizabeth Task Force studies reuses for “Top 100” vacant brownfield properties in Elizabeth
Elizabeth, N.J. February 19, 2013 Groundwork, with seed funding from the NPS RTCA and other entities has organized a Brownfield Task Force for the purpose of examining the “Top 100” Brownfield properties in Elizabeth. The overarching goal is to be able to strategically direct redevelopment and remediation resources to these sites, continuing to fulfill our mission of “changing places, changing lives,” through sustained urban regeneration.
Kelsey Brooks, Graduate Student from Rutgers Bloustein School for Public Policy, and Scott Warner, Political Science at Fairleigh Dickinson, Groundwork Elizabeth interns supported by Executive Director Jonathan Phillips, are helping to lead the efforts to inventory the brownfield properties. The Task force committee has met twice since December to study current State of NJ Brownfield inventory lists and to update them. Task force participants include members of the City of Elizabeth Department of Planning and Community Development, Councilwoman Pat Perkins Auguste, the State of NJ DEP, Region 2 EPA, the Elizabeth Development Company, Union County’s Department of Parks and Community Development, City of Elizabeth Engineering Consultant, and others.
A digital and print document will be completed at the conclusion of the program for public and private sector sharing. GW Elizabeth is hopeful that this exercise can serve as a template for GW organizations located in other brownfield distressed cities and for City, County, State, and Federal agencies.
For more information on the program please contact Groundwork at 908-289-0262, or log onto www.groundworkelizabeth.com.
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“Tour de Elizabeth” Committee Announces May 19th, 2013 as date for 10th Annual Bicycle Event
Elizabeth, N.J. February 13, 2013 Ladies, gentlemen, and cyclists of all ages, mark your calendars. The 10th Annual Tour de Elizabeth is set for May 19th, 2013. Each year the family oriented event has seen more and more riders. Last year nearly 750 eager participants, from 8 to 85 years and of all rider skills pedaled in the 9th Annual Tour de Elizabeth, a community and family oriented 15 mile bicycle ride.
This non-competitive cycling event is supported by Mayor Chris Bollwage, a host of City agencies and non-profits, community minded sponsors and volunteers, and is escorted by the Elizabeth Police Department through streets closed to the riders.
In anticipation of the 10th anniversary of the Tour, its Bicycle Committee will be sharing the Tour’s progress with the community at large. From press, to websites (such as the City of Elizabeth site www.elizabethnj.org and Groundwork Elizabeth www.groundworkelizabeth.com the non-profit which organizes the Bicycle Committee), to a Tour de Elizabeth Facebook page, the Tour shares photos, ideas, and stories to and with its riders and the entire community.
For the 10th Anniversary ride, the Tour committee is asking the public to think about the “top 10” items of interest in the City. Past, current, and future riders and the public at large are encouraged to seek out the Tour de Elizabeth Facebook site, to take a survey and submit it online, so Tour organizers can continue to make the Tour an exciting and anticipated event.
The ride begins at 9 a.m. sharp and registration begins at 7:30 .m. Advanced registration is available online at the Groundwork www.groundworkelizabeth.com, and City of Elizabeth websites www.elizabethnj.org, and riders are encouraged to sign up before May 10th, which has been assigned for the cutoff date for signature t-shirts and/or hats to be distributed to the pre-registrants. Opportunities to sponsor the ride are available by contacting Groundwork.
click here to view flyer
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Come Grow With Us!
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Green Team
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Tour de Elizabeth
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