Groundwork Erie

Groundwork Erie is part of the Groundwork USA network, the only national network of local organizations dedicated to creating healthy, resilient neighborhood environments in low-resource communities through meaningful community engagement and collaboration. Local Groundwork affiliates, called “Trusts,” transform neglected land and waterways into community assets and undertake other environmental improvements while building community capacity to effect change and transform their community. With continued city-wide, cross-sector, collaboration as our foundation, the mission of a Groundwork Erie will mirror that of Groundwork USA:

“to bring about the sustained regeneration, improvement and management of the physical environment by developing community-based partnerships which empower people, businesses and organizations to promote environmental, economic and social well-being.”

To advance this mission, Groundwork Erie will lead and support a variety of partnership-driven efforts that bring together the public, private and non-profit sectors to address complex environmental, social and economic challenges and sustain a long-term vision for neighborhood transformation. The vision for these activities should reflect the community’s four priority objectives to: 

1. Return vacant and underutilized land to productive, active, and inclusive use
2. Build the community’s collective capacity for growing food and increasing food access for all
3. Provide active learning opportunities for youth and adults that are focused on climate resilience and address environmental justice challenges
4. Create physical, social and heritage-based greenways to deepen community connectivity