Commonwealth Corps Newsletter Issue 03

April 16, 2026

Greetings Commonwealth Corps Community, At long last, it feels as though spring is here to stay. With warmer days and more daylight upon us, we are entering the final stretch of the service year with just three months remaining.

This is an exciting and meaningful time, as members reflect on the impact they have made, the relationships they have built, and the growth they have experienced, all while looking ahead to what comes next.

Spring brings a renewed sense of energy, and can also bring competing priorities and distractions. As schedules get busy it is important that we stay grounded in our shared commitment to service. Now is the time to lean on one another, to offer support, maintain strong communication, and finish the term with intention.

There are many moving pieces in these final months, so we encourage everyone to keep a close eye on their email for important updates, reminders, and opportunities from the CC team.

One of the highlights of this season is our upcoming round of spring site visits. Over the next few months, the Commonwealth Corps team will be traveling across the state to visit each of our eight host sites. These visits are a meaningful opportunity for us to see members in action and to connect with the team through thoughtful conversation and reflection.

We are also excited to share that this year’s Commonwealth Corps Celebration of Service will be at the Massachusetts State House! The event is from 11am2pm on June 16, 2026 and will include member and host site recognition, reflections from members and alumni, and a chance to connect with the larger Commonwealth Corps and MSA community. We look forward to seeing you there!

As always, thank you for being part of the Commonwealth Corps community. The dedication, adaptability, and care you bring to your work each day make this program what it is. As we move through this busy and exciting season, continue to carry your sense of purpose and community proudly.

Warmly, Victoria Tucker Commonwealth Corps Program Manager

April 16, 2026

www.mass-service.org

Program Feature This year, Arika and Lydia were able to collaborate with Salem and Ipswich public schools to organize farmer visits to 17 K-12 classrooms and 7 filed trips to local farms.

They worked with the farmers and the teachers to plan and facilitate ageappropriate activities to help kids understand a bit more about where their food comes from. These materials will be used for years to come.

New Entry Sustainable Farming Project’s mission is to train and support new farmers, encourage resilient farming practices, facilitate access to local food and farm products, and build strong support networks for diverse agricultural communities. Our Commonwealth Corps members, Lydia McGinn and Arika Freeman-Gritter, have been serving as Food Access and Community Engagement Coordinators at New Entry.

They have worked with our food hub team to expand access to locally grown produce in underserved areas and have been a steady presence at several food access sites in the Greater Boston Area.

Throughout their service term, they have been incredible team members. They focused on running a strong mobile market program, streamlining food hub produce packing procedures, surveying and documenting the impact of our food access work, creating materials to promote the local farmers in our network, and developing our farm to school program.

The food hub has always wanted to do more to educate our clients about the farmers who grow the produce we deliver and to build our connection with the schools who integrate our local produce into school meals. Hosting Commonwealth Corps members allowed us to build our farm to school program and to create materials that promote the small-scale farmers in our network.

The food hub also aims to improve access to locally grown produce in areas that have limited access to healthy food. Arika and Lydia organized and managed a weekly mobile market veggie van at housing authority sites in Lynn and Revere and launched a collaboration with Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School’s Food Truck to cook and serve healthy lowcost meals featuring local ingredients.

It has been truly inspiring to see Arika and Lydia bringing these projects to life. Their efforts have allowed the food hub to offer education and support along with the produce we deliver. Whether it is Arika organizing logistics with teachers and farmers in preparation for the farmer visits, or Lydia diving into data analysis and reporting to illustrate our impact, it has been incredible to work alongside these two remarkable people.

April 16, 2026

www.mass-service.org

Member Feature

Meet our Commonwealth Corps Members serving at New Entry Sustainable Farming MEET RUSSELL

MEET ARIKA I was drawn to the Commonwealth Corps program as a way to become reinvolved in my community after being out of state for college. While in school I focused on developing a deep understanding of food systems and food justice and serving at New Entry has allowed me to apply this learning to meaningful food access and local food system development work happening on the North Shore.

We began our service primarily running the New Entry's SANP and HIP eligible Mobile Market, visiting housing authority sites and facilitating access to fresh local produce for seniors and other community members. While this project has been on hold through the winter, we are excited to be running it again starting in June!

Arika at New Entry Sustainable Farming

During the off season, Lydia and I have been developing a farm to school curriculum and workshops to bring to the local schools which receive produce from the New Entry Food Hub, facilitating important connections between students and the farmers growing their produce. This role has allowed me to build my curriculum design skills and has facilitated many connections with other organizations doing similar work throughout Massachusetts. I am excited to continue to expand this work, planning several upcoming field trips for students to visit local farms, and figuring out how to incorporate more educational content and interactive activities at our Mobile Market stops this summer.

Because of Commonwealth Corps I... have learned a lot about what it takes to build a strong local food system that supports both farmers and community members in need.

April 16, 2026

www.mass-service.org

Member Feature

Meet our Commonwealth Corps Members serving at New Entry Sustainable Farming MEET LYDIA I first connected to my local food system as a volunteer at Newhall Fields Community Farm in Peabody, MA, helping grow produce to be harvested and distributed directly to those living through food insecurity. Growing food and connecting to the land alongside my neighbors was a joyful and empowering experience.

When I learned that the Commonwealth Corps program supported the Food Access and Community Engagement Coordinator position at New Entry Sustainable Farming Project—a role in which I would get to continue serving my community by bringing fresh produce to underserved areas, supporting farmers, AND help lead others in volunteer roles similar to the one that sparked my own interest in farming and food systems, it felt like a perfect fit.

Arika and I have supported New Entry in two major ways throughout our CC term: On the food access side, we operate New Entry’s Mobile Market, a single-stall, moveable farmers’ market that brings affordable, SNAP/HIP eligible, locally sourced produce to areas with limited food access.

On the community engagement side, we have built out visual aids and lesson plans to strengthen New Entry’s farm to school programming. Facilitating farmer classroom visits and Harvest of the Month taste tests has been fun and rewarding. Students are so curious about the work of farming and how food is produced!

Lydia at New Entry Sustainable Farming

Since starting my Commonwealth Corps term at New Entry, I’ve learned so much about the behind-the-scenes work of getting food from farms to consumers and am excited to be staying on (with Arika!) as one of New Entry Food Hub’s Auxiliary Program Managers this summer. In this role I’ll continue to support the CSA, Council on Aging, and Mobile Market distribution channels, using the skills I’ve learned through Commonwealth Corps to lead the volunteer groups that make New Entry's mission possible.

Because of Commonwealth Corps I... get to support food access efforts and the farmers that feed our community every day.

April 16, 2026

Program Feature

Whale & Dolphin Conservation North America's vision is a world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free. Our work is guided by outreach, policy, and science, which support our four goals: expanding marine animal rescue and response (MARR), educating the public, advancing science and research, and strengthening policy efforts.

We are happy to be partnering for a third year with MSA’s Commonwealth Corps program. Having service members has greatly increased our capacity to provide marine science education to communities throughout the Commonwealth. We chose to host members not only to expand our organization’s outreach, but also to provide members with meaningful opportunities to explore careers in marine science and conservation. This year in particular, our MARR team has expanded their response area to over 300 miles of coastline, requiring us to significantly ramp up outreach in a new area.

www.mass-service.org

Our service members have been crucial for helping us tackle that expansion smoothly.

Their contributions have strengthened our education programming and helped us build a more extensive volunteer network.

We are proud to host two full-time members, Amanda and Mike. Amanda’s project has focused on developing new educational content—including a handsewn seal model complete with internal organs! Mike's project has had quite an impact on our volunteer program, and he has helped guide the onboarding and training of new volunteers in our Boston response area. Most recently, Amanda and Mike worked together to pilot a new lesson for kindergarten students focused on whale song and ocean sounds. Trialing a brand-new lesson is always a challenge, and keeping such young learners focused adds another layer—but both members rose to the occasion and were able to adapt to the chaos!

By the end of their term, Amanda and Mike will have made a lasting impact on WDC through their service. In addition to creating new educational materials that will be used in future school years, they have helped expand our reach within the local community. The relationships they’ve built with students, teachers, businesses, and fellow nonprofits will continue to support WDC’s mission and inspire more people to care about whales and our ocean environment.

April 16, 2026

www.mass-service.org

Member Feature

Meet our Commonwealth Corps Members serving at Whale & Dolphin MEET AMANDA I feel strongly that inspiring a love and respect for nature in the next generation is key to a more empathetic future—but I’ve always felt that being an educator was too far outside my wheelhouse to help contribute to the cause. And it was!

Fortunately, the Commonwealth Corps program’s focus on skill-building career-transitioning made me feel confident that I could learn without pressure to be perfect.

I have been able to represent our education team at events they would otherwise have to turn down for lack of available staff (bringing with me enthusiasm and an increasing mental catalogue of whale facts). While at the office, I've expanded on my GIS skills to develop a map (and app!) for our stranding response team that shows them which beach managers to call just by entering the coordinates sent to them. I’ve also had the opportunity to apply some unconventional skills to my service: I sewed a seal model! 3-feet long with removable plushie organs, the seal is unlike anything I’ve made before, but I can’t wait for kids to start meeting her!

Even though there are plenty of occasions where I’ve feel like an imposter being the designated “expert” in the room, I’ve had several experiences this year where I’ve surprised myself finding that I know the answer: whether it’s a child’s incredibly obscure question about orcas or an ocean science professional’s curiosity about how on-demand fishing gear works. Even better, the look of amazement in response feels so rewarding! Every time this happens, I feel like I’ve effectively inspired more love for marine mammals and hopefully started a positive domino effect for change. That’s what it’s all about! Growing personally and professionally while contributing meaningfully to WDC’s outreach and education efforts has been one of the best experiences of my life.

Amanda at Whale & Dolphin

Because of Commonwealth Corps I... have seen firsthand the joy that environmental education brings to people of all ages and hope to continue making ocean science accessible wherever my career takes me next!

April 16, 2026

www.mass-service.org

Member Feature

Meet our Commonwealth Corps Members serving at Whale & Dolphin

Michael at Whale & Dolphin

MEET MICHAEL I wanted to work for a nonprofit organization focused on wildlife conservation, and I found this opportunity in pursuit of that goal. This position with Commonwealth Corps and Whale and Dolphin Conservation seemed like an excellent entry point and a chance to do work that matters for both our human and wildlife communities.

I think some of my greatest impacts have been in outreach and volunteer recruitment, specifically in support of WDC's recent Boston expansion. By reaching out to schools in Boston, especially my own alma mater, UMass Boston, I have helped secure and train 15+ new volunteers with another 10+ potential volunteers in the onboarding process. Additionally, I have helped find outreach opportunities like bringing our 45-foot, inflatable Right Whale, Delilah, to the Museum of Science and finding a "10% Day" with a local small business.

The work has been very rewarding and has helped build my confidence educating, public speaking, and in general. One of my favorite moments was during one of my first programs with a group of high schoolers. The bus driver, an older gentleman, was so interested in what we had to say, certainly more than the kids, and I had a really cool conversation with him about right whales.

It felt really good to reach someone and feel their interest and appreciation, especially an adult that could have just stayed on his bus instead.

Because of Commonwealth Corps I... feel more confident and I feel good about the work I do.

April 16, 2026

www.mass-service.org

Alumni Corner

Grace Mulvey ‘24 When I began my service term with Commonwealth Corps, my goal was simple: I wanted to find my confidence in a professional setting. My career started in a biology classroom and moved into lab and field research—roles that helped me build a technical foundation but often left me feeling a bit out of place in more formal environments.

Serving as an Education and Outreach Specialist with Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) was the perfect opportunity to apply my skills to a cause I am passionate about, supported by an incredible team. And while I arrived focused on my own growth, I soon realized that true confidence doesn't come from mastery alone, but from the bonds I formed with my team and our community that we serve.

WDC is an international organization dedicated to protecting marine mammals through science, education, and policy. At the start of my service term, I joined their small but mighty education team alongside my cohort, Megan.

Together, we expanded WDC’s reach by leading programs for students across the Commonwealth, driving the organization's mission to champion conservation and inspire environmental stewardship in the next generation of leaders.

For me, the highlight of my service year was seeing that human connection in action through my fellow members, their host sites, and the tangible differences they made through their service.

Life after Commonwealth Corps has been fun! I've spent most of my time working in customer service while gearing up for a busier times ahead. I'm looking forward to the summer months where I'll be conducting field work for Mass Audubonand in the fall, plans to transition back to education to support elementary students in my district. I’m walking into this next season with a grateful heart and a lot of optimism for what’s to come!

Because of Commonwealth Corps I... no longer measure my success by individual achievement, but by the strength of the connections I build and the ways I can support my local community.

The most inspiring aspect of my service term focused on the beautiful parallels between the lessons I learned at my host site and through Commonwealth Corps alike. In a whale pod, survival depends on the collective knowledge and support of the group. My service year taught me that the same is true for us.

When we show up for our neighbors and assist those around us, the entire community feels stronger. It’s a cycle of support—being shaped by our elders when we’re young, and then stepping up to guide the way for others as we grow.

Grace serving at Whale and Dolphin ‘24-’25

April 16, 2026

www.mass-service.org

March 31, 2026

Commonwealth Corps Members Visit to New Entry Farm The group recently had the chance to visit another host site as New Entry Sustainable Farming Project welcomed us to the farm for a day of service and learning.

NES provided us a training on what they do, and also a mini-training on using Excel.

It was great for members to learn some new skills and experience another host site in the program.

Thank you so much to NES for hosting us!

Our day began packing produce bags for seniors in the area. We weighed and packed apples, carrots, spinach, and more to provide people with essential nutrition.

Our service continued in the greenhouse where we helped prepare things for the growing season. The team got our hands dirty pulling up old equipment and making space for new growth.

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Lily Freeman

April 18

April 20

May 21

REC Earth Day

Patriots Day MSA is closed

2026 Massachusetts Conference on Volunteerism

May 25

June 16

June 19

Memorial Day MSA is closed

Celebration of Service!

Juneteenth MSA is clsosed

June 20 Last possible day of service

Note: Dates may vary by subscriber. For questions, contact Sally Kim, Commonwealth Corps Associate Program Manager, at skim@massservice.org. View all Host Site Application dates and materials on our website.