News

Burlington: Mattress Recycling Program Helps Environment, Youth

BURLINGTON PATCH: According to UTEC, an average of 85 percent of each mattress can be recycled. The service also became essential after the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) added mattresses and textiles to the list of materials banned from disposal or transport for disposal in Massachusetts last November 1.

Andover Residents Can Recycle Mattresses And Help Environment, Youth

ANDOVER PATCH: During Earth Month, a Lowell-based nonprofit is reminding Andover residents about its mattress-disposal service that benefits the environment and at-risk youth. UTEC provides curbside mattress collections in Andover as part of its Madd Love Market's Mattress Recycling Social Enterprise.

To end the age of incarceration, three communities pioneer a developmental approach

YOUTH TODAY: The public defenders will collaborate closely with the staff and youth at UTEC, a Lowell-based nonprofit that has been supporting the wellness, development, and empowerment of emerging adults involved in the criminal legal system since 1999.

Gun violence prevention starts with community work

COMMONWEALTH MAGAZINE: Community violence intervention strategies aren’t always what first comes to mind when it comes to reducing gun violence, but they should be. Streetworkers are on the frontlines of the gun violence epidemic. At UTEC, they are equipped with an orange hoodie, trusting relationships, their own lived experience, and “madd love,” a type of compassion that meets someone exactly where they are, judgment free.

Shannon Liss-Riordan pledges ‘a path away from involvement in the criminal justice system’ at UTEC discussion

LOWELL SUN: Part of UTEC's first youth-led Attorney General Candidate Series: LOWELL — Wednesday morning’s visit by Shannon Liss-Riordan, Democratic candidate for attorney general, brought a stir to UTEC, Lowell’s young adult support network. The Warren Street facility was the venue for Liss-Riordan’s introduction, tour and interview, where she drew a parallel between the AG’s and UTEC’s roles in addressing crime in Massachusetts.

Andrea Campbell visits UTEC, wants young leaders ‘at the table’ to make a difference

LOWELL SUN: Part of UTEC's first youth-led Attorney General Candidate Series: LOWELL — Police accountability, gun violence, housing and more were all on the table at UTEC Monday afternoon, when attorney general candidate Andrea Campbell met with justice-involved youth to discuss how she can best serve them if elected.

With mattress landfill ban looming, Kennedy bill aims to preserve recycling niche for nonprofits like UTEC

LOWELL — A new statewide ban on the disposal of mattresses and box springs via the waste stream or incinerators takes effect Nov. 1, and UTEC is readying for the shift. The nonprofit serving justice-involved young adults, which runs a mattress recycling enterprise in Lawrence, is working with state Sen. Ed Kennedy to manage the potential implications for its community-based business model.

07/11/2022

Making the Grade

At UTEC, young adults with proven barriers to success, primarily gang involvement and incarceration, are given a clean slate and an opportunity to pursue their goals. This year, 15 young adults walked across the stage in their cap and gown to celebrate completing their HiSET (High School Equivalency Test), one of the highest graduation rates in the program’s history. They were joined by family members and staff on UTEC’s new event space, The Green @ UTEC.

How a community program in Lowell works to stem violence with outreach

In Lowell, UTEC is a youth empowerment services agency that connects with at-risk youth to help prevent violence. We speak with UTEC CEO Gregg Croteau and Sako Long, the head of the group's core outreach worker program. We also hear from a former gang member that now works with UTEC about his journey.

Half Million Fed Gun Violence Grant Aims to Bring Gang Peacemaking and ‘In-Reach’ to Haverhill