Go Green Initiative

The facilities department in partnership with Superintendent James O’Brien has enhanced Greater New Bedford Voc-Tech’s go green initiative through creating a partnership with the More Than Words foundation. Through this partnership, our school will be able to recycle old or used books that are either outdated, or no longer serve a specific purpose in our building.

More Than Words is a Boston based nonprofit organization that works with youth who are in the foster care system, homeless or out of school to run their own business. This organization provides on the job training to support the youth involved to help them achieve their goals of career readiness and self-efficacy. They take all books, no matter the age or condition and resell them for profit and to run their in-store and online business. More Than Words youth run two bookstore businesses in Boston and Waltham, a café and an online business.

Zeb Arruda, Greater New Bedford Voc-Tech’s Facilities manager and Mr. O’Brien heard about the More Than Words organization and thought it was a great opportunity to accompany our school’s go green initiative while contributing to a great cause. Mr. Arruda spoke about how this partnership helps us advance our recycling program, “What I love about this organization is nothing gets thrown away. More Than Words will take any book and if they can’t use it, they send it to developing countries. This helps out so many people… it’s a business for the kids. Before, we didn’t have a plan for recycling and now, because of More Than Words, we finally do” Mr. Arruda remarked. Mr. O’Brien spoke about how this partnership not only helps advance our go green efforts here at GNBVT, but also about how it helps others. “Being involved with this organization allows all of us to pause and steer our recycling efforts to collaborate and create positive changes for the less fortunate” Mr. O’Brien said. As artisans, we continue to make an imprint within our community through reducing our carbon footprint.