Members of the UMass Medical School and UMass Memorial Health Care community took part in the annual United Way Day of Caring on Sept. 12, as they worked to clean and paint Betty Price Park in Worcester.
A team of volunteers from UMass Medical School and UMass Memorial Health Care participated on Sept. 12 in the annual United Way Day of Caring, as they do each year. Organized by the United Way of Central Massachusetts, the Day of Caring engaged nearly 1,500 volunteers from more than 60 companies and institutions at 93 sites across the region.
The UMMS/UMass Memorial team led the clean-up of the Elizabeth “Betty” Price Park, in Worcester’s Bell Hill neighborhood. Located in a densely populated neighborhood, this small “pocket park” serves as a recreational outlet for neighborhood kids who have limited access to other outdoor facilities. Thanks to the volunteers, the park was transformed in a few hours, improving its quality and attractiveness for neighborhood families. On Wednesday, the park was overgrown with weeds and brush, playground equipment was littered with graffiti, and benches and other outdoor furniture were marred by peeling paint and rust. By Thursday afternoon, the park was cleared and trimmed, the graffiti had been replaced with a fresh coat of paint, and the furniture was cleaned and repainted.
The generous work of the UMMS/UMass Memorial volunteers is a fitting tribute to the park’s namesake. The late Betty Price lived a life of service, benefiting not only the residents of Bell Hill, but also the entire city of Worcester. She was the founder and director of the Prospect House, a human services agency helping the poor. She was the first African American woman elected to the Worcester School Committee and later served as an elected member of the Charter Commission that created Worcester’s present-day form of municipal government.
If you would like to learn more about opportunities to volunteer in the community, please visit the UMMS Office of Community and Government Relations website or the United Way of Central Massachusetts website, or contact the Office of Community and Government Relations directly at 508-856-4400.
