Ron Waddell for 15th Worcester District

06/09/2026

One of the things I love most about the 15th Worcester District is that there is always something happening that brings people together.

This weekend, I had the opportunity to stop by the Brown Square Civic Club Golf Tournament, where I connected with neighbors and community leaders alongside Mike Trotto. I also spent time at the World of Foods Festival in Elm Park founded by Harolyn Castillo. These young brothers were representing the Worcester Youth Center.

All across this district celebrating the cultures and traditions that make Worcester special.

These events may be different, but they share something important in common: they bring people together and strengthen our community. We all know we need more of that right now!

Worcester deserves a representative who shows up with that same energy. Someone who is present in our neighborhoods, attends community events, listens to residents, and is engaged.

I’ve spent my life building in this community, raising my family here, and showing up for the people who call this district home.

Worcester, it’s time for a representative who shows up with energy, listens with purpose, and leads with the community not from a distance.

06/07/2026

Massachusetts is poised to eliminate CERG funding funding that supports reentry, violence prevention, workforce development, housing stabilization, youth programming, and addiction recovery organizations across the Commonwealth.

And Worcester organizations will feel the impact.

This is not fringe spending.

This is public safety infrastructure.

For years, community organizations have stepped in to interrupt violence, support returning citizens, mentor young people, stabilize families, and connect people to opportunity before crisis happens.

That work matters.

And yet, this funding was not protected in the House budget.

That is deeply concerning.

Worcester, it’s time we stop talking about public safety as if enforcement alone is the answer while prevention programs, reentry services, workforce pathways, and trusted community organizations are left fighting for survival.

I know this work personally. I’ve spent years in these spaces working alongside organizations trying to keep people safe with limited resources and delayed reimbursements while demand continues to grow.

Public safety also means:
• prevention
• opportunity
• mentorship
• stable housing
• workforce development
• mental health support
• trusted community partnerships

If elected, I will fight to ensure community-based prevention funding, strengthen partnerships between government and nonprofits, and ensure organizations doing the real work on the ground are treated like essential infrastructure because they are.

A $15 million amendment to the state budget that’s up for debate in the Massachusetts Senate would maintain the CERG program, first approved in 2020.

06/06/2026

You’re invited ☕️

Join Ron for a casual rooftop meet-and-greet at the Revington Rooftop Lounge as we continue conversations about the future of Worcester’s 15th District.

📍 Revington Rooftop Lounge
📅 Saturday, June 13
🕚 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM

Grab a coffee, meet neighbors, ask questions, and hear more about Ron’s vision for Worcester.

☕ Coffee
🍽 Refreshments
🎟 Prizes
🤝 Community conversation

Friends and neighbors welcome.

Worcester, it’s time.

06/04/2026

Reminder, Worcester 👋

Join us this Friday for Ron’s Community Meet & Greet at Aria on the Row.

Come meet neighbors, ask questions, and hear more about Ron’s vision for Worcester’s 15th District.

📍 Aria on the Row – Clubhouse, 5th Floor
📅 Friday, June 5
🕔 5:00–7:00 PM

🍽 Free food
🥤 Free drinks
🎟 Prizes

We hope to see you there.

Worcester, it’s time.

06/04/2026

Recently, I had the honor of speaking at the Massachusetts Conference on Volunteerism hosted by the Massachusetts Service Alliance.

A special thank you to Kayla Paulson, CVA, for the invitation and for coordinating such a meaningful gathering. You could feel the energy in the room from people across the Commonwealth committed to service, volunteerism, and strengthening community.

Every day, MSA helps meet real community needs by:
• supporting education
• strengthening nonprofits
• mobilizing volunteers
• protecting natural resources
• supporting food access and public health
• and helping communities build real civic connection.

And the impact is real.

In FY2025 alone:
• 7,426 volunteers engaged
• 58,537 hours of service contributed
• over $2.5 million dollars in estimated service value

That’s what happens when people choose community over isolation and service over spectatorship.

Grateful to have been part of the conversation and to stand alongside so many people working to build a stronger Commonwealth through service.

Worcester, It’s Time. I will work to ensure that our nonprofits are supported so they can continue strengthening our communities, serving our families, and meeting real needs on the ground. I won’t accept cuts to these critical services in our community.

06/03/2026

I had lunch with a Worcester living legend, Retired State Trooper Al Toney.

Trooper Toney helped break barriers as an African American State Trooper and spent decades serving both Worcester and the Commonwealth.

Sitting across from someone with that kind of lived history and wisdom reminds you that real progress is built through service, sacrifice, and consistency.

And when I learned we both grew up around Pleasant Street, we had to stop and see Gus at the Pickle Barrel Restaurant.

Some places just carry memories, stories, and roots you can still feel when you walk in.

There are a lot of new people in the district, and that’s awesome.

And so are the folks who stayed, worked, served, and quietly helped build this city long before it was fashionable to talk about community.

Our diversity is our strength.

These conversations remind me why I’m running in the first place: to honor the people who came before us, bring people together, and make sure the next generation has something strong to inherit.

Worcester, It’s Time.

06/02/2026

I was encouraged to see construction begin on the tiny homes project near University Park.

Will four homes solve Worcester’s housing crisis? No. But meaningful change has to start somewhere.

We need practical, human-centered solutions to housing insecurity:

• Tiny homes
• Starter homes
• Smarter zoning
• Mixed-income development
• Supportive housing tied to mental health and recovery services

As someone who has worked closely with returning citizens and families in crisis, I’ve seen firsthand that housing impacts everything: public safety, workforce development, mental health, and community stability.

Worcester it’s time for more innovation and problem solving.

We need less ideological fighting and more collaboration around solutions that actually help people rebuild their lives.

Four individual units of about 550 square feet each will be built at 6 Claremont St.

06/01/2026

Spent time today at the 16th Annual Mission in Motion ride supporting cancer survivorship at the YMCA!

This year I rode carrying the names and memories of my mom Karen, my Aunt Beverly and Lorraine, my Uncle Rainford and Eric, and my sister Bernadette.

Cancer touches almost every family in some way. Events like this remind us that survivorship is not just medical. It’s emotional, communal, and deeply personal.

Grateful to everyone who organized, participated, donated, and showed up for others today. The energy in the room was powerful. So many stories. So much love. So much remembrance.

And somewhere in all that movement, healing too.

05/31/2026

I stopped by the 11th Anniversary celebration for Cafe Reyes and honestly, the stories stayed with me long after I left.

Hector Reyes Jr. spoke about his grandfather, who the café is named after, and shared something powerful:

Recovery doesn’t just change individuals.
It changes legacies.

Luis, the manager of the café, shared his recovery journey too. Real people. Real healing. Real second chances.

And it reminded me of something Worcester needs to confront honestly.

This district has not seen a transformational state investment in mental health infrastructure since the Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital opened in 2012.

Since then:
• the opioid crisis exploded
• youth mental health challenges increased
• emergency rooms became overwhelmed
• recovery organizations stretched thin
• and nonprofits were asked to do more and more with less

Meanwhile, too many families are still waiting for access to care, treatment, housing support, and recovery services.

I believe public health is public safety.

If we want safer neighborhoods and stronger communities, we must invest in:
• behavioral health care
• recovery services
• crisis response systems
• housing stability
• workforce development
• and the community organizations already doing this work every single day

Worcester. It’s Time we receive the funding this level of urgency demands. In this district we’ve been managing crisis.

Places like Cafe Reyes matter because they show what recovery can actually look like when people are given dignity, opportunity, and support.

When I’m elected, I will fight to bring meaningful behavioral health and recovery funding into Worcester, strengthen partnerships between community organizations and the state, and push for the kind of long-term investment our city has not seen in over a DECADE!

Also… when you stop by to say what’s up to Luis, get the Ropa Vieja. Trust me.

Worcester, It’s Time.