The Pioneer Valley Project is a faith-based organizing project founded in 1996 by the Western Massachusetts Area Office of the United Church of Christ, Western Massachusetts Catholic Diocese, Hampden County Episcopal Deanery, and the Pioneer Valley Central Labor Council to relieve conditions of poverty, unemployment, discrimination, and inequality in the Southern Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts. We work through member congregations and labor unions to identify priority needs and develop leadership to make concrete changes in the community. Our goal is to help local communities build their collective power to change institutions and policies to meet the needs of people not represented in the current political and economic system.

PVP has developed substantial expertise in building effective collaborations among a range of community stakeholders. As part of these efforts we have: redeveloped abandoned housing and helped residents become homeowners; substantially expanded branch library hours in the city; developed a building trades apprenticeship program for people of color and city residents; created a construction company that provides training and job experience to people coming out of prison; and created a teacher home-visit  program to make schools more parent-friendly and to improve education of city students.