The Spire

Amelia Ciarleglio ’27

Features Editor

On April 18th 2026, over six-hundred students gathered in the Worcester Common for the 14th Annual Working for Worcester (W4W) Build Day Rally. Working for Worcester is a remarkable student-run non-profit organization dedicated to building safe and innovative recreational spaces for the children of Worcester. This year’s leadership team included Chief Executive Officer Julia Saksena ‘26, Chief Financial Officer Andrew Trachimowicz ‘27, and Chief Operations Officer Christos Papavassiliou ‘26. 

Since its founding, the non-profit organization has made a significant impact on the Worcester community, installing more than 20 playgrounds, reinvesting over $2,300,000 into the city, and positively impacting over 30,000 Worcester residents. Beyond these impressive numbers, Working for Worcester has brought so much joy to families and children of Worcester, by providing children with the recreational spaces to build lasting memories. 

Build Day Year 14 was quite the impressive feat, with 16 project sites successfully completed across Worcester. I had the opportunity to speak with Director of Fundraising Ashley Stracco ‘28 and Chief Financial Officer Andrew Trachimowicz ‘27 about their experience during the 2026 Build Day. Both Stracco and Trachimowicz described the most rewarding part of their time with Working for Worcester as “seeing what we build in use by the kids of Worcester.” 

For Stracco, one distinctively meaningful moment was working to install an ADA-accessible swing for the students at Thorndyke Road School. She distinctly recalled the words of sponsor, CEO of United Way Tim Garvin: “What you guys just did made a big difference. You may not see it now, but some of these kids have never been able to join their friends on the swings before, and now they can.” Stracco said that moment has been a driving motivator for her continued involvement with the organization and inspired her to take on a management position. Stracco expressed her desire to make recreational spaces in Worcester more inclusive and that watching her team “work toward a common goal of bettering the lives of the kids of Worcester has been truly inspiring.” Working for Worcester is an amazing initiative which allows all children to participate in play in the recreational spaces. 

When asked what inspired Trachimowicz to join the Working for Worcester team, he said that as a Worcester native, he found a lot of joy in giving back to his hometown and helping improve the recreational spaces he enjoyed growing up. As CFO, Trachimowicz spent Build Day driving from site to site supporting site directors and managers and delivering supplies. One of his favorite moments from this year’s Build Day was when the kids in the neighborhood came to visit and volunteer at some of the sites. He said that “It was so amazing to see the kids immediately put the projects into use after completion.” Trachimowicz expressed his immense gratitude for the amazing team of managers and volunteers who made the day possible.  Additionally, Trachimowicz said that Working for Worcester “has been the best thing I have gotten involved with at Holy Cross.” This fall, Trachimowicz will be continuing his work with the organization by taking on the admirable role of CEO, carrying on the Working for Worcester legacy.

Together, the management team has created a community of hardworking volunteers who have drastically improved the lives of the children of Worcester. The Working for Worcester student management team is truly an amazing and dedicated team. Throughout the year, the team raises money, communicates with the corporate sponsors, and completes projects in Worcester. On May 1st, management applications will open, so if you are interested in joining this wonderful team dedicated to public service, follow @working4worcester on Instagram and apply!