Shift Across America

Sherry Sadowski – Armsby Abbey - Worcester, MA

Political affiliation
None

Religion
None

Age
34

Job Title
General Manager and Owner @ Armsby Abbey

Role in Community
(as a business)
We’ve created a family…we try to promote as much local as possible. I feel that what we’re doing here is trying to make a difference in the community….for us, its taking it back to basics. What’s good is simple…doing that with local farms whether its cheese, beers, distilleries.

What is your relationship with the Local Indie Community
Alec & I have tried to foster a good relationship with other businesses in the city. The restaurant community is pretty tight, as big of a city as it is and as big of a scene as it can be…everyone pretty much knows each other.

If your local indie community was an Animal, what would it be and why?
I know it might sound awful, but I almost want to go with a Rat, because Worcester is surviving. We’re trying to help people realize that there’s a lot here. A rat is a survivor and I feel like the city is surviving or growing.

Which local biz would you and your community miss most if it were gone. Why?
I have a lot of those actually. One of my favorite floral shops is Sprout, I’ve been working with her for over 10 years now, I’d really miss her if Kathy left.

What one piece of advice from your organizing can you share with the other people and organizations who will see this?
It might sound silly, do what you love and follow it with a passion and a soul, if you believe in a project, no matter what that project is, do what you love.

I took the road less traveled, but here we are, 12 years after business school….somehow I followed my passion and now I have exactly what I wanted, my own place doin’ it on my own terms

If you had a message to deliver to all the other organizations and people who are part of this movement, what would it be?
Stop and think what you’re doing on a daily basis. If you’re gonna live local & live well, its really not that difficult. At the end of the day everybody would feel better about it if they knew where their food came from and if they could put money back into the community.