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.
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. ❤️
Earlier this month, over 100+ Lowell residents, leaders, and families came together for MVP’s Lowell Housing Community Assembly!🔥
Folks showed up ready to share their stories, face the housing crisis head-on, and build a new path forward for our city. In a divided moment, our community chose to come together to build people-power.
If you want to get involved, learn more about our campaigns, or check out upcoming trainings, visit merrimackvalleyproject.org.
04/28/2026
📣 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲! 📣
As part of SIF’s (tag) 2026 Accelerator Cohort, MVP will take the stage at SIF’s upcoming Showcase to share our mission, vision, and the impact we’re building.
This year’s theme, Speak Up and Speak Out for Nonprofits, is all about showing up, using our voices, and making space for the stories and solutions that matter most. This dynamic event brings together 300+ leaders from the philanthropic, business, and local community spaces—all committed to supporting bold ideas through investment, partnership, and leadership/volunteerism.
We’d love to see you there! ✨
🗓 Thursday, May 14th, from 5:00 to 8:30pm at Artists for Humanity Epicenter () in Boston.
👉 Get your tickets today at the link: www.tfaforms.com/5209561. Early bird pricing is $150 until 4/30.
𝑾𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒋𝒐𝒊𝒏 𝒖𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒔𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅!
Innovation Forum
04/15/2026
Lowell — we need you in the room. 🏠✨
Rising rents, displacement, and families getting pushed out. We talked about it in March—now it’s time to do something about it. Join MVP’s Lowell Housing Team as we build people power and take real steps toward affordable housing justice.
📅 Wednesday, April 29th | 6:30–8PM
📍 Middlesex Community College (50 Kearney Sq.; Federal Building)
🍽️ Food and refreshments provided
Bring your friends, family, and neighbors—we hope to see you there. 💪
——————
Lowell — te necesitamos en el espacio. 🏠✨
Rentas subiendo. Desplazamiento. Familias siendo expulsadas. Ya nos reunimos en marzo—ahora es momento de hacer algo al respecto. Únete al Equipo de Vivienda de MVP en Lowell para construir poder comunitario y tomar acción por vivienda asequible.
📅 miercoles, 29 de abril | 6:30–8PM
📍 Middlesex Community College (50 Kearney Sq.)
🍽️ Habrá comida y refrigerios
Trae a tus amigos, familia y vecinos—así es como ganamos. 💪
03/18/2026
What an incredible Immigrants Day at the State House!!
For our 30th annual event, we had more than 1,000 folks in the room! It was beyond packed and the energy was amazing ❤️
Thank you so much to EVERYONE who was apart of this day! We send immense gratitude to our volunteers, MIRA Staff & supporters, our COMMUNITY MEMBERS, Governor Maura Healey and our state leaders, representatives and elected officials who made the time to meet with our directly-impacted neighbors. THANK YOU!
It took immense courage for everyone to show up today and this movement is only possible when we organize together.
May we continue to collaborate and unite to pass legislation that will protect our immigrant communities in Massachusetts and beyond!
03/12/2026
🏠 Lowell Housing Community Meeting!
Rents in Lowell keep rising and families are being pushed out. Join the MVP Lowell Housing Team for a community meeting about rising rents, displacement, and what residents can do to win real housing solutions in Lowell.
Come meet neighbors, share your story, and help shape the next steps for housing in Lowell.
RSVP here: bit.ly/LowellHousingMtg. Bring a friend or neighbor!
⸻
🏠 Reunión Comunitaria sobre Vivienda en Lowell
Las rentas en Lowell siguen subiendo y muchas familias están siendo desplazadas. Únete al equipo de vivienda de MVP en Lowell para conversar sobre el aumento de rentas, el desplazamiento y cómo la comunidad puede organizarse por soluciones reales de vivienda.
📍 UTEC – 35 Warren St., Lowell
📅 Jueves, 26 de marzo
⏰ 6:30–8:00 PM
🍕 Habrá pizza y refrigerio
Conoce a tus vecinos, comparte tu experiencia y ayuda a definir los próximos pasos para la vivienda en Lowell.
RSVP aquí: bit.ly/LowellHousingMtg y trae a un amigo/a o vecino/a.
03/12/2026
02/05/2026
This past week Haverhill & Lowell faith leaders from MCAN affiliate Merrimack Valley Project and MVP’s Executive Director, Julio Mejia, stood with Congresswoman Lori Trahan to speak directly to our community about recent federal immigration actions and the Department of Homeland Security funding vote in Congress. They condemned what they’re seeing on the ground and lifted up the real fear neighbors are carrying.
This is #17 in our series - catch up with the earlier posts and come back for more.
Learn more and join us at: mcan.us/dignitywethepeople
MCAN is Berkshire Interfaith Organizing Pioneer Valley Project Worcester Interfaith Merrimack Valley Project Essex County Community Organization - ECCO I Have A Future Brockton Interfaith Community United Interfaith Action of Southeastern Massachusetts
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