Green Roots honored for decades of waterfront and environmental justice work

Green Roots, a community organization focused on environmental justice in Chelsea, was awarded Community Based Organization of the Year at the All Chelsea Awards gala for work on marsh restoration, waterfront access and public‑health campaigns.

A Green Roots representative at the ceremony said the group’s work is about health as much as environment: “We’re fighting for improved health and well‑being so that our folks aren't choking with asthma, dying with cancer, dying with heart disease. This is no joke,” the speaker said, adding that Green Roots is a women‑led organization that conducts work in multiple languages.

The gala cited Green Roots’s multi‑decade projects restoring acres of urban salt marsh, creating new parks, improving water quality on Chelsea Creek and organizing Earth Day and community events. Officials said Green Roots was a key partner in the city’s All‑America City application.

Green Roots noted partnerships across tables — municipal staff, volunteers and other nonprofits — and highlighted language‑justice efforts: gala remarks said the group’s team speaks 10 languages. The organization thanked residents and partners and introduced Sandra Perdomo as the board chair at the event.

Ending: Green Roots leaders framed their work as public‑health advocacy tied to environmental restoration and said they will continue community campaigns to improve quality of life around the waterfront.