DIY Lowell Blog

Happy New Year from DIY!

DIY Lowell wants to wish everyone an amazing 2021! There are so many things we missed last year–being able to gather and plan in person, all our community festivals and events like Points of Light and Folk Festival, and being able to meet with friends at restaurants and pubs. However, one thing we didn’t miss was Lowell’s amazing support!

Thanks to the community, we:

Image of Ghost Sign IlluminatedWant to help us out?

Check out the Ghost Signs Alive fundraiser on the Lowell Virtual Market the team is selling limited edition soap inspired by Ayer’s Cherry Pectoral and hand-crafted by Red Antler Apothecary and five distinctive postcards designed by the team–from a single postcard for $1.50 for a $15 for an entire gift basket.

Consider joining the Advisory Committee (link pdf) by emailing info@diylowell.org with interest.

Sign up for our mailing list to stay informed of all our activities and opportunities.

Thank you!

The Great Lowell Café Crawl!

Note: You may still donate, but the Great Lowell Re-Opening Café Crawl is over–stay tuned for the winners!

Great Lowell Re-Opening Cafe Crawl

Want to support local business and DIY Lowell at once? Join us on the Great Lowell Re-Opening Café Crawl!

For a $20 donation, you’ll receive a Café Crawl Card and two special thank-you stickers in the mail. When you present your card to a participating café, they will check off their name on the card and give you a special (cafés and specials listed below), limit one special per card per café.

  • Customers are limited to one special per café per card.
  • Share a photo on Twitter or Instagram at each café you visit tagging @diylowell and #diylowellcafecrawl to be entered into a weekly raffle for gift cards from participating cafés and more pulled each Saturday in November.
  • Email a photo of your card with as many punches you can get before Nov. 30, because each punch will count as a raffle entry for you in our FINAL RAFFLE on Dec. 1.
  • Cafe Crawl Card and two stickersIf your card is filled up with punches from every café, you’re entered into the grand prize: naming a drink for a week at Brew’d Awakening!

What are you waiting for? Donate with major credit cards or with a Paypal account by clicking the button below (donation is made secure via Paypal’s system but you can use any payment method)–make sure to share your current mailing address in so we can mail you the stickers and card! You may also pay by check with the instructions here. Don’t forget to email your mailing address to us at info@diylowell.org if you send a check.

Participating Restaurants

Brew’d Awakening61 Market St., Lowell, MA 01852$2 off a purchase of $5 or more
Coffee and Cotton250 Jackson St., 4th floor, Lowell, MA 01852  One free medium drip coffee (hot or iced) with any food purchase
Gallery Z167 Market St., Lowell, MA 01853 Coming soon!
Little Delights Bakery132 Merrimack St., Lowell, MA 01852Free Cupcake with purchase
Panela Restaurant7 Hanover St., Lowell, MA 01850Free hot Colombian chocolate, in-store or to-go, when you order any breakfast item
Purple Carrot Bread Co. 107 Merrimack St., Lowell, MA 01852Free medium coffee hot or iced with purchase of $3 or more
Rosie’s Café155 Middlesex St., #1B, Lowell, MA 01852Medium coffee + muffin for $5.00 (save 50 cents)
The Worthen House Café141 Worthen St., Lowell, MA 0185250% off one appetizer
Wham’s Café737 Lakeview Ave, Lowell, MA 01850Free Kahawa Coffee or Soda Can with each order or $1.00 off a 16oz or 24oz Smoothie or Frappe

Special thanks to all participating restaurants and to the DIY Lowell Advisory Committee for organization and support.

Centralville River Path Vision

Helping Centralville Connect by Improving the River Path

The Centralville River Path project is a multi-year initiative to improve the riverside path in Centralville between Bridge Street and Aiken Street–and its entrances at Gold Star Park and near the Ouellette Bridge. Over 2021, DIY Lowell advanced several community outreach efforts, including working with “Stitching Urban Fabric” for pro-bono landscape design services, to envision a welcoming, safe, and fun pedestrian and bicycle path. The vision was phased, with the intent that DIY Lowell would undertake short-term pop-up improvements in 2022, and larger interventions would start in 2023.

Community engagement has been an integral part of the process and a driving force behind the design. Initial input gathered from an online survey was used to develop
three different design concepts for the path and trailheads. The community then provided feedback on those concepts at two pop-up public meetings and a second online survey. The concept was vetted at a final public meeting in Spring 2022. The result was a captivating vision of a clean, safe path with bold entrance signage, signature pergolas, ecologically friendly pollinator gardens, selected invasive removal, and ADA-accessibility. You can view the entire concept document–including short-term and long-term plans here. (PDF, 17 MB)

DIY Lowell is now raising funds toward a $20,000 goal and a $40,000 stretch goal for the quick-build demonstration improvements outlined in the document. Use the button below to donate to the River Path project, or email info@diylowell.org if you know of a grant or sponsorship opportunity!

It won’t end there! We are proud to work with Lowell Litter Krewe, who will lead the creation of permanent improvements over 2023 with funding secured by the State Delegation. They’re going to work hand-in-hand with us and the community that uses this amazing resource making the vision a reality!

You can still help! Join our mailing list if you want to know about future clean ups and other opportunities. Please email us at info@diylowell.org if you want to be involved in any other way.

Map of River Path
Map of the River Path, with Blue Star Park labeled “Bridge St. Entrance”

Email info@diylowell.org with any questions or comments.

THE RIVER PATH project facilitation is funded by the Solomon Foundation’s Streets for Recovery program.

DIY Lowell stands in solidarity–and is listening

Dear friends and family,

During the past ten days, DIY Lowell has witnessed and listened to the Black members of our community and the other diverse voices calling for reform in cities across the United States, including our own.

DIY Lowell’s utmost values are diversity, inclusivity, and community involvement. Our mission includes bringing people of different backgrounds together to learn from one another on how to make meaningful change in our community. We focus on public spaces, supporting projects that are inclusive, non-discriminatory, and provide a forum for diverse people to enjoy Lowell on equitable ground.

As we’ve discussed this mission in light of the national—and even more importantly, the local—conversation, we have come to agree that we must focus on promoting an idea: community spaces must be actively anti-racist. People of all backgrounds must feel safe, welcome, respected, and free from harassment. Our community must ensure this regardless of their race, their circumstances, or their appearance. We wish to let everyone know: we support the Black Lives Matter movement and the nationwide protests in the wake of the death of George Floyd at the hands of police. We add our voices to the urgent calls for reform.

DIY Lowell is committed to actively invite and include everyone. Over the last year, we have sought grants to reach out to more diverse members of our community, through meeting them where they’re at, translating and interpreting, and holding special focus groups. We’ll redouble our efforts and prioritize this work.

Just as importantly, we’ll continue listening and urge anyone who feels so moved to contact us and let us know how we’re doing. We don’t always hit the mark, but we want to know if we’re aiming in the right place. Please tell us.

A community leader friend once told us that Do-it-Yourself Lowell would be more accurately called “Do-it-Together Lowell.” We believe in the power of community members learning from one another, gaining the skills and connections to claim their Right to the City. We believe that not only must our public spaces be equitable, but also that all aspects of our city must be equitable. We look forward to playing a role in achieving that equity for all.

Thank you,
– The DIY Lowell Team

DIY Lowell Program Director Job Opportunity

Previous Program Director Emily Ferrara working with youth

Previous Program Director working with youth

DIY Lowell has an exciting job opportunity! We’re looking for someone special to take over leadership of our program in 2020 and beyond. We’re seeking a Program Director, a 12 hour/week position ideal for anyone wishing to become immersed in the City of Lowell’s thriving arts and multicultural community. We need someone ready to work with diverse folks, including young people (ages 12-21).  We encourage people interested in community development, nonprofit administration, and/or all-ages civic engagement education to apply.

The DIY Lowell Program Director will be the sole permanent paid position in DIY Lowell and will focus on marketing and fundraising, along with program facilitation and outreach.

Please click here for the full job description and information on how to apply (pdf). Application period closes on May 29, 2020.

2020 Community Chill Night - Chili and Stew Contest

Community Chill, March 13 6:30 pm at the Onyx Room (Western Ave Studios)

We're inviting you to our fourth annual chili and stew contest with music, games, community awards, and a DIY "Chilly" Dessert. Our goal is to build community in Lowell by bringing together young people and elders, downtown and neighborhoods, townies and newcomers. This annual fundraiser celebrates the projects and events that have activated our underused spaces, brought diverse populations together, and made Lowell better.

$5 Suggested Donation in Advance/$10 at the Door - Donate and RSVP in advance at https://diylowell.brownpapertickets.com

Spread the word at https://www.facebook.com/events/500819843906859/

...and check out previous award and contest winners here!

We Need Your Help!

We need your help in the following ways. Nominations due February 15 and chili and stew entries due February 25!

Award Nominations * Chili Entries * Sponsors * Volunteers


Nominate a Community Member or Group

We need nominations for people and groups you think have made a difference in making Lowell's public spaces more vibrant, exciting, kid-friendly, colorful, walkable, or better! All nominees will get a mention in our award ceremony, and winners will get a $20 giftcard for individual and 10 volunteer hours for a group!

Nominate a Group


Submit a Chili or Stew Entry

This year, we're hoping for a mix of cultural and ethnic stews with American chilis - anything tasty can compete! We are looking for all kinds: traditional and totally off the wall, meat or vegetable based—you name it. No cost to enter; categories for restaurants and individuals.

Enter a Chili


Get a VIP Table or Become a Sponsor

We honor all our 2020 Meteor Shower and Comet sponsors at this special event! Special perks for being a sponsor include VIP treatment for your organization, a banner at the event, and promotion on social media and on our mailing list.

Even if you aren't from an organization, a donation would be a big help! After a year of Strategic Planning with our Advisory Committee, we're kicking off a new era of DIY Lowell and raising funds to hire our first-ever part time Program Director. Donations big and small will help us reach our goal.

Check out our sponsor information (pdf) and email info@diylowell.org with expressions of interest.


Volunteer to Help Out

We need help setting up activities, counting chili ballots, scooping ice cream, and more! Please consider helping us out on March 1. Click on the button for a form with all volunteer opportunities.

Volunteer!

*Thanks to Marte Media for the photos of our '17 event!

DIY Community Chill Night Flyer

A DIY Lowell Appeal In Verse

Fall vines on a brick wall

We wanted to share this lovely appeal from our Program Director, Emily Ferrara:

As the Last Leaves Fall

Squirrels gather nuts, then bolt up trunks.
Skunks bulk up at night on fallen apples.

Monarchs skirt the milkweed-silken fields.
Birds take wing to fairer ground, warm climes.

Here in Lowell, we’re hunkering down
For the next New England winter

Of snow emergencies, slick sidewalks
Of holiday blues and cheer.

As light declines and Thanksgiving nears,
Let the season’s windfall lift our hearts.

Let’s count our blessings (and our funds),
invest today in the promise of our much-loved city.

◊   ◊   ◊   ◊   ◊   ◊   ◊   ◊   ◊   ◊   ◊   ◊   ◊   ◊   ◊   ◊   ◊   ◊   ◊   ◊   ◊

Dear Readers,

Although I don’t often write “occasional poems”,  I decided to give it a try for this special DIY Lowell occasion — our annual fund appeal.

As many of you know, not quite 6 months ago, I became the first program director of the wonderful grassroots organization known as DIY Lowell. Building on nearly 5 years of volunteer-driven success, I have been lucky to collaborate with the founders, advisory board, community of volunteers and supporters to implement the fourth annual Community Idea Summit program and launch four new projects for the 2019-2020 cycle. At the same time, we’ve been working to grow the organization’s capacity, and to expand our outreach efforts to promote broader and more diverse participation.

As giving Tuesday approaches, please consider making a donation to help DIY Lowell continue its work to empower residents to dream up and effect positive change in Lowell.  Thank you!

Donate

(photo by Emily Ferrara, cross-posted from https://emilyferrara.wordpress.com/2019/11/22/a-diy-lowell-appeal-in-verse/)

Four Projects for 2020!

We had an amazing turnout at our fourth annual Community Idea Summit with more than 40 people ready to volunteer their time and energy to kick off community projects. We hope we’ll see great success by summer 2020 for all four! You can help by attending their first meeting or, if that time doesn’t work for you, emailing info@diylowell.org with thoughts or interest.

Gateway to St. Anne's

Underground Railroad Monument will look at a potential short-term walking path with signs and long-term interpretive signs at key locations teaching about the anti-slavery movement and the underground railroad in Lowell. They’ll need folks good at fundraising, knowledgable about history, or connected with diverse communities to help!

Their first meeting is Sunday, October 6, 2019 at 6:30pm at Coffee and Cotton.

 

Teens working in studio

Open Arts Spaces is DIY Lowell’s first Young Idea Project. They will identify a space or spaces for young people (ages 13-21) to explore visual or performing arts in a youth-focused environment with mentorship from local artists. They need input from young people, visual and performing artists, educators, and other community members who want to help make this idea happen!

Their first meeting is October 17 at 4:00 pm at Lowell Community Health Center, 6th floor Community Health Education Center, 161 Jackson Street, Lowell.

Ghost sign projection

Ghost Sign Projections will select three historic signs – maybe including the Lawrence Mills mural near the Riverwalk, the Coca-Cola sign downtown, and one other ghost sign to create a living projection. They’ll need people with knowledge of projector equipment, working with downtown building owners, and making animated art.

Their first meeting is Wednesday, October 23, time TBD at 491 Dutton Street.

Did You Know Sign

Did You Know Signs for Lowell will work with community leaders to zip-tie temporary signs with facts about Lowell’s zoning, land use, and more to inspire people to think about how Lowell’s laws shape its community and become interested in local government.

The first meeting is being chosen by poll to be on Friday, October 18 or Friday, November 8 at 7 pm.

Welcome to the DIY Lowell Street Team

DIY Lowell’s Street Team spends the summer getting out into the community and spreading the word about DIY Lowell! Please say hello to them if you see them at an event or on the street. They also are in charge of DIY Lowell’s social media and tend to be outstanding folks in general.

See them in action at festivals and groups! Want DIY Lowell to visit your group? Let us know at info@diylowell.org! Hear about them in their own voice:

Amina Bangura

Amina Bangura

Hello, my name is Amina Bangura, and I am a birthed Acre resident. I have lived in Lowell pretty much my whole life. I am a 16 year old student attending Lowell High School, and I am approaching my senior year this fall. I enjoy volunteering at community events and programs, and I am involved in an Environmental After School program at the high school and Girls, Inc. Lowell, and I am very passionate about making the world more sustainable so we all can live efficiently. I also enjoy helping people and learning new objectives.

Isabella CacioliIsabella Cacioli

Hi! I’m Isabella Cacioli, and I’m a 2019 DIY Lowell Street Team Member. I’m originally from New Haven County in Connecticut, but moved to Lowell for college. I’m soon approaching my senior year at UMass Lowell, and am majoring in Journalism while minoring in marketing.

Carter NewellCarter Newell

Hi! My name is Carter Newell. I love photography and I am a Psychology major at Middlesex Community College. My passion in life is helping people, and I get a chance to do that here at DIY Lowell!