AmeriCorps Celebrates 25th Year of Service, Community

After 11 months and 30,000 hours of collecting, cleaning, shoveling, building, teaching, and more, the 25th year of AmeriCorps Cape Cod came to a close last week.

What does AmeriCorps Cape Cod do?

30 JULY 2024 — HYANNIS, MA — From late-night dolphin rescues to shellfish propagation to dressing up like wizards, the job of an AmeriCorps Cape Cod (ACC) member is seemingly never done. But last week, the 18 members of ACC’s 25th cohort put down their shovels, saws, nets and magic wands for the program’s graduation.

The cohort has spent 11 months and over 30,000 hours serving Cape Cod, working with individual town partners and larger Cape-wide efforts, like tick collection for research, erosion control, and educational events for students. According to ACC’s website, the cohort’s efforts have saved the Cape more than $1.2 million.

ACC is a residential program, and the 18 members lived across the Cape in four AmeriCorps houses, immersing themselves in the places they served. Program Manager Kat Garofoli said each Year 25 member cared deeply about the communities around them.

“They engrained themselves into each of the communities that they lived in,” she said. “They participated in town dinners, and went contra dancing, and volunteered outside of our programming.”

Garofoli, who was an ACC member herself, said providing housing, and the continual need for extra hands in environmental efforts, has allowed the organization to thrive for 25 years. The graduation ceremony also honored several service partners, whose collaboration with the program allows the cohort to keep serving the Cape successfully.

The organization is funded by AmeriCorps federally and by Barnstable County, whose support, Garofoli added, is key to ACC’s success.

“The county has continued to invest in our program, and we’ve been very fortunate to have that structure,” she said.

What does the future of Americorps Cape Cod look like?

Looking toward the next 25 years, Garofoli said, she hopes to expand ACC’s service to underprivileged communities, including those learning English as a second language, through education and conservation land accessibility. 

The past few years, with Garofoli at the helm, have also seen increased engagement with wildfire management and PFAS initiatives.

“When I served in this program, it made a deep impact on my life,” she said. “The least I can do is help keep this program going for the next 25 years.” 

What is the AmeriCorps community like?

Several ACC members across the 25 cohorts attended the ceremony, including Year 1 Member Josh Wrigley, who now serves as town of Sandwich conservation agent and gave the keynote address. 

Because of the program’s unique and immersive nature, said Year 25 Member Hannah Van DiVier, the connection between ACC members past and present is deep and lifelong. Van DiVier spoke as one of four representatives of this year’s cohort, and told the crowd that the network of support ACC offers is a key aspect of the program beyond the service.

“When I think about the people in this program, I think of them as world changers,” she said. “Yes, because of their commitment to this program and to the Cape Cod community, but mostly because of who they are as people.”

Van DiVier told LCTV she first learned of ACC when she watched a dolphin rescue in Wellfleet, and the experience came full circle when her cohort participated in a historic dolphin rescue several weeks ago.

“I just had this moment of, ‘I can’t believe I get to be here with these people doing such incredible service in a beautiful place that is such a destination for so many — including dolphins.”