Student Affairs Highlight: Assistant Vice Provost Dr. Mike Hirsh & the Worcester Goods for Guns Buyback Program

In the 18th year of the Greater Worcester Goods for Guns Buyback program, we saw the evolution of a life cycle for a gun that illustrates how creative we can be in the process of getting firearms of the street. Worcester has now removed 3685 weapons in this period of time, but the 163 this year were collected because of funding we received from the DA’s discretionary donation of drug confiscation money that enable us to buy gift certificates. The patrons that came in also received trigger locks for weapons still at home or at large. Once the weapons were collected they were crushed to the specifications of a group of Boston blacksmiths so that Assabet metal working vocational High School students could craft garden tools that they will donate to our UMMS students committed to our newly created community garden. There we will produce crops to donate to the Worcester County Foodbank. This is a win-win on so many ways. If even 7 of the firearms had caused an injury, we have saved money as running the program for 18 has been very economical.

To learn more about Dr. Hirsh's work with the Worcester Gun Buyback program, click here to read the Telegram article featuring this.