Hope for a clean, creative world

By Dave Ryan
Posted 3/1/21

GOLDSBORO — Environmental activists and artists were on the job over the weekend, from Goldsboro and Cambridge to Mexico and Colombia. WorldWide Hope, founded by Cambridge resident Gray …

You must be a member to read this story.

Join our family of readers for as little as $5 per month and support local, unbiased journalism.


Already a member? Log in to continue.   Otherwise, follow the link below to join.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Hope for a clean, creative world

Posted

GOLDSBORO — Environmental activists and artists were on the job over the weekend, from Goldsboro and Cambridge to Mexico and Colombia. WorldWide Hope, founded by Cambridge resident Gray Jimenez, organized the projects, as adult and youth volunteers worked to create cleaner and more attractive communities.
“I want to leave a legacy, a legacy of love for the planet,” Ms. Jimenez said.

Her energy is bearing fruit already, with friends from the Eastern Shore to the forests of South America digging in and doing what they can to improve their communities.
On Sunday in Goldsboro, that meant engaging in one of Ms. Jimenez’s favorite activities, using “upcycled” material — items discarded, then collected for another, better use — to make art. The result was a mural, put together with the help of small children, who learned while worked about the value of caring for their homes and using material as much as possible before it is finally recycled.

Time was short because of schedules, though, so it was some quick creativity. Several children and adults put the mural together in just 40 minutes, using 80% recyclable material.
At the same time, in her hometown of Colonia Guadalupe Tepatlaxco, Ms. Jimenez and her friends and family in Mexico had organized a drive to clean up neighborhood streets, ending up with several bags of trash.
During the day, WorldWide Hope gained five new members in Goldsboro and six in Mexico, she said.
But that wasn’t all. Other members in Colombia braved the heat — yes, it’s hot somewhere — to collect trash from a forest stream.

That was on Sunday. On Saturday, with her son Jose Gonzalez, a student at Cambridge-South Dorchester High School, and their friend Daniel Wright, Ms. Jimenez collected three bags of trash from Cambridge streets in a short time.
The far-flung projects are part of a single theme. Ms. Jimenez said art can be used as a bridge to generate an emotional appreciation of nature. “We we can reconnect and generate a bond with nature, a bond that allows a holistic perception of the natural landscape, where we are part of it and are not just the viewers,” she said.

Members and subscribers make this story possible.
You can help support non-partisan, community journalism.

x
X