• Located in Western Massachusetts

• Lies between the Connecticut River and the Mount Tom Range

• Population: 40,124

ETHNICITY

4946

41

HISPANIC- 49% W HITE- 46% BLACK- 4% ASIAN- 1%

OUR ECONOMY • Unemployment Rate: 8.5%

• Median Household Income:

$34,961

• Main Economic Engine: The

Holyoke Mall (7 million in taxes)

-The interior of the Holyoke Mall-

ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

1. High school drop-out rate: 48%

2. Highest teen pregnancy rate in the state

3. Poverty level is 4 times the statewide level

4. Highest poverty levels in families led by single women-66% of Holyoke families

5. Food Inequity– the lack of access to healthy foods by low income families; this is a multifactorial problem

-Trash outside an apartment complex in Holyoke, MA-

FOOD INEQUITY Contributing factors:

1. Poverty: healthy food is more

expensive than junk food

2. Low availability of healthy

foods:

local markets sell mostly

processed food

98% of restaurants offer

unhealthy food and fast

foods

Capitalization on

poverty

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS: #1 FARMER’S MARKETS

The Holyoke Farmer’s Market- every

Thursday from May 20th to October 31st

Sells local farmers’ products

SNAP + SAVE program:

Customers that use their EBT card

(food stamps) receive two products for the

cost of one

SNAP & SAVE EXPLAINED..

For example: If you swipe your EBT card for $10 at a local

farmers’ market, you’ll get $20 worth of tokens to spend on fresh

fruits and vegetables. It’s a great deal!

$10 in SNAP= $20 in tokens

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS: #2 NUESTRAS RAÍCESNuestras Raices: a non-profit

organization started by Puerto

Rican migrant farmers

Mission: To create healthy

environments, celebrate agriculture,

and advance their vision of a just

and sustainable future”

Own a 30 acre farm called “La Finca”

(The Farm)

The farm promotes the health and

emotional well-being of residents

through the cultivation of culturally

appropriate and locally grown food.

Produced 15 community gardens

within the city of Holyoke, Ma.

Launched a Youth Apprenticeship

program

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS: #3 OUR FOOD PROJECT• Engages

Holyoke families

in community

food

• Pilot Program

with high school

• Offers nutritional

cooking classes

to high school

students

• Created first high

school

community

garden

“This project is teaching students how to cultivate their own food and encouraging them to consume healthier food.” – Project Manager, NeftaliDuran

GLOBAL INNOVATIONS1. Africa: The Hippo water roller-

a drum that can be rolled on the ground, making it easier for those without access to water haul larger amounts of water faster

2. Tokyo: Pasona O2- an urban farm in Tokyo that grows over 100 types of produce indoors, underground, and on the exterior walls of the nine-story office-style building

3. Berlin, Germany: Frisch vomDach- (Fresh from the Roof) An aquaponics project started on the rooftop of a former malt factory

1.

2.

3.

GREEN PROJECTS: ENERGIA

Energy Efficiency in Pioneer

Valley:

Energía, LLC is a socially responsible energy services company that provides energy efficiency upgrades for residential and commercialproperties. Energia, aims to reduce utility costs and energy use throughout western Massachusetts.

Mission:

To create efficient and healthy buildings in the Pioneer Valley.

MGHPCC• Massachusetts Green High

Performance Computing Center- An energy-efficient, high-performance computing center, in Holyoke that opened in 2012.

• Built by a coalition of universities and tech companies

• Computers at the MGHPCC run millions of virtual experiments every month!

Director of Planning and Economic Development at City of Holyoke, Ma.

Developed a $6.6 million

Compact Fluorescent Light-bulb

residential subsidy program,

aimed at working-class and low-

income citizens in Puerto Rico.

Supervised progress of energy

projects under PlaNYC, New York

City’s long-term sustainability plan,

and managed the Public Utility

Service, a business incentive

program with transactions of up to

$5 million every month.