Merrimack Valley Project

Part of a growing faith-and values-based organizing movement rooted in the Gr. Mill and factory jobs sustained the Valley’s economy for over 100 years.

Lawrence, Lowell, and Haverhill communities and connected across Massachusetts & United States. The MVP Story

In the 19th century, the Merrimack Valley, with its miles of red brick mills, was the birthing ground of America’s industrial revolution. Beginning in the 1950s, the region began losing thousands of quality manufacturing jobs to cheaper labor markets in southern U.S. states, and later ove

rseas. By the 1980s, the majority of the old mill jobs were gone. Meanwhile, an influx of Latino, Southeast Asian, and later, African immigrant groups transformed the face of the Valley’s cities. The combination of job losses and new immigration spurred an exodus of white, middle-class residents to the suburbs, creating dramatic economic and racial segregation. In 1989, a group of faith, labor, and community leaders created the Merrimack Valley Project to unite people across the region’s widening racial, ethnic, and economic rifts in common action to strengthen our communities. Since 1989, people like the Rev. Victor Jarvis, an evangelical pastor from Lawrence, Annia Lembert, a Dominican immigrant and Malden Mills inspector and union member in Lawrence, Father Jim Dukowski, a Catholic priest from Lowell, and Eric Kintner, a physicist from an Episcopal church in Westford have worked together to save over 1,600 manufacturing jobs in the Valley, protect over 600 units of affordable housing, improve the job prospects of the region’s growing temporary worker population, and bring over $10 million to the Valley for housing, job training, and community development. MVP’s innovative campaigns to fight plant closings, create democratic economic institutions such as the tenant-owned Amesbury Gardens in Lawrence, and to address the explosive growth of the temporary labor industry, which employs over 15,000 Valley residents and 70,000 people in Massachusetts, have offered state-wide and national organizing models and have had an impact far beyond our region. Today, MVP has grown to more than 30 member groups, including congregations, local labor unions, and community-based organizations from Amesbury, Andover, Chelmsford, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, North Andover, and Westford. We are now part of a growing faith-and-values-based organizing movement in America. In 1998, MVP helped found the InterValley Project, a regional organizing network that unites the power of 6 community organizations to advance faith-and-values-based organizing throughout New England.

Photos from Merrimack Valley Project's post

08/06/2026

📢 10 DAYS AWAY / FALTAN 10 DIAS
The People’s Agenda Regional Town Hall / Foro Comunitario de la Agenda del Pueblo

For months, our communities have come together to identify the issues that matter most. Now it’s time to bring those priorities directly to the people asking for our vote.

Durante meses, nuestras comunidades se reunieron para definir las prioridades que más importan. Ahora es el momento de presentarlas directamente a quienes buscan representarnos.

Join us, bring your voice. Help shape the future of the Merrimack Valley. Acompáñanos, trae tu voz. Ayúdanos a construir el futuro del Valle de Merrimack.

🗓 Sunday, August 16th | Domingo 16 de agosto
🕓 4:00–6:00 PM (Doors open at 3:30 PM)
📍 Location: Elks Lodge, 652 Andover Street, Lawrence, MA

Our Valley. Our People. Our Power. / Nuestro Valle. Nuestra Gente. Nuestro Poder.

RSVP: bit.ly/mvp-peoplesagenda

07/27/2026

📢 The People’s Agenda Regional Town Hall / Foro Comunitario de la Agenda del Pueblo

For months, our communities have come together to identify the issues that matter most. Now it’s time to bring those priorities directly to the people asking for our vote.

Durante meses, nuestras comunidades se reunieron para definir las prioridades que más importan. Ahora es el momento de presentarlas directamente a quienes buscan representarnos.

Join us, bring your voice. Help shape the future of the Merrimack Valley. Acompáñanos, trae tu voz. Ayúdanos a construir el futuro del Valle de Merrimack.

🗓 Sunday, August 16th | Domingo 16 de agosto
🕓 4:00–6:00 PM (Doors open at 3:30 PM)
📍 Location: Elks Lodge, 652 Andover Street, Lawrence, MA

Our Valley. Our People. Our Power. / Nuestro Valle. Nuestra Gente. Nuestro Poder.

RSVP: bit.ly/mvp-peoplesagenda

07/24/2026

Are you interested in shifting the balance of power back towards the people? Hear what the voices across the Valley have spoken in the listening sessions we've held, see what the biggest issues affecting your neighbors are, and learn how we can come together to bring about the change that this community deserves. Together, we can usher in a new era of hope built by the people, and for the people.

Join us, and help us shape a People’s Agenda for the Merrimack Valley this weekend!

📅 Sunday, July 26, 2026
🕓 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Doors open at 3:30 PM)
📍 St. Augustine Parish, 43 Essex Street, Andover
🍽️ Food Provided

RSVP here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd1LqVVz6I5XiFY2saUjbYRazNamBeB8AsGC3E--wcRYFBk7A/viewform

07/22/2026

In 1989, a group of faith, labor, and community leaders created the Merrimack Valley Project (MVP) to unite people across the region’s widening racial, ethnic, and economic rifts to strengthen their communities. Today, MVP is a grassroots, multi-faith, multi-racial community organizing network that develops grassroots leaders, strengthens civic engagement, and builds power to advance systemic change for social, racial, and economic justice across the Valley.

Our organizing starts with listening to our communities and taking action together. Whether we're expanding opportunities for residents, strengthening housing and economic stability, or ensuring our most vulnerable neighbors have a voice, our communities can be stronger and empowered for change.

Interested in learning more and getting involved in our work? Please visit https://www.merrimackvalleyproject.org/"

07/15/2026

We’ve spent months listening across the Merrimack Valley—to workers, students, immigrants, faith leaders, parents, teachers, and neighbors. Many of our communities face different challenges and share the same hopes for the future.

Join us as we come together to hear what we’ve learned, identify shared priorities, and help shape a People’s Agenda for the Merrimack Valley.

📅 Sunday, July 26, 2026
🕓 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Doors open at 3:30 PM)
📍 St. Augustine Parish, 43 Essex Street, Andover
🍽️ Food Provided

⸻

Hemos pasado meses escuchando a personas de todo el Valle de Merrimack: trabajadores, estudiantes, inmigrantes, líderes religiosos, madres, padres, maestros y vecinos. Una cosa está clara: muchas de nuestras comunidades enfrentan los mismos desafíos y comparten las mismas esperanzas para el futuro.

Acompáñanos para escuchar lo que aprendimos, identificar prioridades compartidas y ayudar a construir una Agenda del Pueblo para el Valle de Merrimack.

📅 Domingo 26 de julio de 2026
🕓 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Puertas abren a las 3:30 PM)
📍 Parroquia St. Augustine, 43 Essex Street, Andover
🍽️ Habrá comida

Tu voz importa. Nuestra comunidad tiene poder. Construyamos juntos lo que viene. ✊🏽
Your voice matters. Our communities have power. Let’s build what’s next together. ✊🏽

07/15/2026

In May 2026, Julio Mejia, Executive Director of Merrimack Valley Project, presented to the philanthropic community at Social Innovation Forum’s annual Showcase with the goal of speaking up and speaking out for social change in their community. Watch now!

En mayo de 2026, Julio Mejía, Director Ejecutivo del Proyecto Merrimack Valley, presentó a la comunidad filantrópica en el Showcase anual del Foro de Innovación Social con el objetivo de hablar y hablar por el cambio social en su comunidad. Mira ahora!

2026 Showcase: Merrimack Valley Project In May 2026, Merrimack Valley Project presented to the philanthropi...

06/26/2026

Tenants across Lowell deserve to know their rights and have a voice in the decisions that impact their homes and neighborhoods.

Join Merrimack Valley Project as we launch our Tenant Rights Campaign and connect with residents working to build a stronger, more informed tenant community across the city.

📍 Lowell Masonic Center
🗓 Thursday, July 2nd
⏰ 6:00 - 8:00 PM

Lowell works because working people make it better. It’s time for tenants to have a stronger voice in the future of their spaces and our city.

https://forms.gle/vdLtFMnNrGBYZeJA7

06/05/2026

Join us THIS SUNDAY, June 7th, 3:30-5:30pm at the Lawrence Public Library for Our Communities, Our Future: People's Assembly! Across the Merrimack Valley, people are facing rising rents and displacement, attacks on immigrants, cuts to healthcare and public services, and growing feelings of isolation and powerlessness. Too often, decisions about our communities are made without us.

Join the Merrimack Valley Project as we come together to build relationships across our differences, reflect on the challenges facing our communities, and begin shaping a shared vision for the future of the Merrimack Valley! RSVP here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc6Y1ZpAhJmkdH_zvpFUo3ib8stvECDDcXABR1VcXpX8ZYJvQ/viewform

05/22/2026

Something is shifting across the Merrimack Valley. Join us for Our Communities, Our Future: Merrimack Valley People’s Assembly — a space to connect, build community, and shape what comes next together. ✨

Algo está cambiando en el Merrimack Valley. Únete a Nuestras Comunidades, Nuestro Futuro: Asamblea del Pueblo del Merrimack Valley — un espacio para conectar, construir comunidad e imaginar juntos lo que viene. ✨

🗓 Sunday, June 7, 2026
🕒 3:00 PM — Doors & food
🕞 3:30–5:30 PM — Program, then Networking
📍 Lawrence Public Library, 51 Lawrence St, Lawrence, MA

Come through. Bring a friend. ❤️
Ven con amistades y familia. ❤️

RSVP: https://bit.ly/MVPAssembly

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Telephone

+19786860650

Website

http://www.merrimackvalleyproject.org/

Address

1045 Essex Street
Lawrence, MA
01841

Merrimack Valley Project

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