In the fall of 2012, Holy Cross juniors Jeff Reppucci and Derek Kump set out to get to know the city beyond their campus gates. As college hockey players, they connected to the community through sports, but the parks and schoolyards they visited were either run down or didn't exist at all. So they started Working for Worcester, an organization that mobilizes college students to transform spaces for kids across the city.

What began in a dorm room quickly became a movement. In just six weeks before the first Build Day in April 2013, a team of eight students raised over $60,000, recruited 500+ volunteers from six area colleges, and completed twelve projects across the city.

Now in our 15th year, W4W has invested over $2.4 million into Worcester, completed 180+ projects, and impacted more than 40,000 kids. Our projects have grown far beyond playgrounds. Today we build STEAM classrooms, food pantries, and after-school spaces, along with outdoor renovations like basketball courts, garden beds, swings, and buddy benches. Last year's Build Day brought volunteers to 16 school sites across the city in a single day of service.

Beyond the spaces themselves, W4W has changed how Worcester's residents, businesses, and government see college students: not as temporary visitors, but as neighbors invested in the city they call home.

Your gift goes directly to the kids of Worcester. Every dollar funds materials, equipment, and supplies for Build Day 2027. Help us keep the movement going for another year.

Working for Worcester Year 15!

15 years of building for Worcester's next generation... Thank you for helping to support Working for Worcester in Year 15! #ForTheKids

Team Members