Beginning in the early part of February this year, the Tribal Emergency Management Department embarked on a new journey to launch the first and only Tribal AmeriCorps program on the Eastern half of the United States.
The program started with ten Tribal young adults from the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe who would work within the community providing service. The program was led by team Leader Adam Jonas Jr under the Emergency Management Department direction of Assistant AmeriCorps Program Manager/Emergency Preparedness Specialist Allyssa Hathaway and AmeriCorps Program Director/Emergency Management Director Nelson Andrews Jr.
The members began with taking an oath, a pledge of service to the AmeriCorps program and to the Tribal nation, followed by many trainings and exercises ranging from FEMA Incident Command Systems (ICS), Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Drone training to Red Cross CPR, OSHA Chainsaw certifications and wildland firefighting training. The team traveled to the Department of Homeland Security school The Center of Domestic Preparedness (CDP) in Anniston Alabama twice to receive Incident Management and Haz-Mat Training. The AmeriCorps team provided assistance to the community from winter storm responses and cleanup to various community service to Tribal elders, trail restoration and community garden projects.
The team traveled to Albuquerque, New Mexico to tour the Southwest Indian Polytechnic Institute in addition to New England Tech, Mass Maritime Academy and other schools within the region. The hope and goal is to encourage the AmeriCorps young adults to register and attend college following the AmeriCorps program, utilizing their education award.
Throughout the program year in between service projects, the team engaged in team building activities, including canoeing trips and a Camping trip in New Hampshire. In addition, they provided fund raising events through local restaurants and family movie nights. The first year class of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe AmeriCorps program ended their ten month service year at the end of November and will receive their certificates at a graduation ceremony on December, 14th 2019 from 11AM – 1PM at the MWT Community and Government Center. All are welcome and encouraged to attend to show support for the first graduating class and provide good wishes on their next chapter.
2019 Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe AmeriCorps Members Graduating Class includes Robert Hendricks Jr, Steven Costa ,Dayla Fitzpatrick, and Joseph Spinola.
For information on joining the 2nd MWT AmeriCorps Program beginning in February 2020, please contact: Allyssa.Hathaway@mwtribe-nsn.gov<mailto:Allyssa.Hathaway@mwtribe-nsn.gov> (508) 477-0208 Ext 166 or Nelson.Andrewsjr@mwtribe-nsn.gov<mailto:Nelson.Andrewsjr@mwtribe-nsn.gov> (508) 477-0208 Ext 103
