Local chapter awarded prestigious AmeriCorps award

By Donovan Quintero
Special to the Times

WINDOW ROCK — It wasn’t for the accolades or wanting recognition that the Chinle Chapter was aiming for.

It was more so of helping their community members — especially the elders — by making at least one dream come true.

After all, the reservation is covered with so much red tape, that even the creators of it don’t know how to undo them anymore.

Nonetheless, their task is simple, according to chapter president Rosanna Jumbo-Fitch, who said the endeavors the local government took on years before are challenges she and the current chapter staff are working on trying to complete.
Already, they have made 50 Chinle families’ dreams come true when they built the family bathroom additions this year alone — 13 more families are on deck, ready to get their bathroom for the first time in decades. The chapter is currently on track to help 17 more families get into their new dream homes because the chapter helped them complete their homesite lease applications.

The 17 homes are slated to be constructed by a contractor selected by the Navajo Nation under the Community Housing and Infrastructure Department-American Rescue Plan Act. CHID of the Navajo Nation helps Navajo Nation members with housing and infrastructure development and was established in 2008 under the umbrella of the Navajo Nation Division of Community Development.

Mega-drought, vulnerable to floods

They’ve also been working tirelessly, Jumbo-Fitch said, to mitigate annual monsoon and snowmelt flooding from destroying homes situated along the Chinle Wash.

Melting snow from the mountains has historically contributed to rapid flooding in the Chinle community, with waters from Canyon de Chelly overtaking parts of the area. This persistent flooding is undoing the progress made by Chinle Chapter workers and volunteers last spring, posing a significant challenge to the community.

In response to the crisis last spring, thousands of sandbags were distributed, with the chapter house initially providing 25 sandbags per family at the time. As the tribe’s emergency management team began responding, supply demands increased to help families impacted by the flood.

Jumbo-Fitch has always known about floods and has worked continually with her small team of summer youth workers to build berms along the wash’s edge. Apache County eventually aided the chapter with its efforts, along with heavy equipment from the Navajo Department of Transportation.

In 2022, armed with shovels and a desire to keep their community safe, youth working for the Chinle Chapter and AmeriCorps went to the front lines to build a 6-foot wash berm. Their mission: protect the elderly living along the Chinle Wash from the flood of water caused by the monsoon rains.

She said the youth take on any project given to them.

“They go on every project without no questions asked,” she said at the time in 2022. “They’re motivated, and they’ll jump into anything and get it done.”

Despite an ongoing mega-drought, which has gripped the Navajo Nation’s surrounding region for more than 25 years, monsoon rains in the Chuska Mountains have always brought much-needed precipitation to the Chinle area. But the much-needed relief threatens some Chinle community members and their homes when the waters begin to flow, causing floods along the Chinle Wash.

During the heavy rainfall, the monsoon rains have washed out culverts, earthen dams, or whole unpaved roads across the Navajo Nation, creating hardships for hundreds of families who can become stranded because of impassable roads.
A wash berm built before the berm they were constructing was constructed to protect homes from flash floods. The wash berm stretches for nearly two miles on the west side of the wash.

Floods aren’t new to residents living between Chinle and Many Farms. In February 2019, floods in Chinle Wash damaged many homes along the way. Chinle officials and AmeriCorps volunteers filled sandbags and helped with evacuations.
According to the chapter website, the Chinle Chapter was established on Feb. 14, 1956. It is the 32nd chapter to be authorized as one of the 110 Navajo Nation Chapters. In 2010, the Chinle Chapter became a certified chapter under the Local Governance Act.

For their efforts, AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, recognized the chapter, along with three other AmeriCorps members, for their service excellence.

Jumbo-Fitch said Chinle Chapter is the first tribal nation to ever receive an award AmeriCorps gives to recognize organizations.

The Native and Indigenous Leadership in Service Award was presented to the Chinle Chapter for its “transformative initiatives in health, infrastructure, and disaster relief, making a profound difference in their community.”

Each year, AmeriCorps state and national recognizes programs and individuals for the Excellence in AmeriCorps Award that consistently supports its mission in the following categories: Impactful Service Award, Inclusive Service Award, Innovative Service Award, and Lifetime of Service Award.

“These remarkable individuals and programs exemplify the very best of what AmeriCorps stands for—dedication, innovation, and a deep commitment to service. Their work is not only transforming lives but also strengthening the fabric of our communities,” said AmeriCorps CEO Michael D. Smith. “The 2024 Excellence in AmeriCorps Awards shine a spotlight on their extraordinary contributions and the enduring impact of national service.”

Service awards

The Impactful Service Award was awarded to the Wisconsin Association for Homeless and Runaway Services at Pathfinders in Milwaukee. The Inclusive Service Award went to the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps for their American Sign Language Inclusion Program, which has significantly enhanced accessibility and inclusivity for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community in New Mexico. Jeevanjot “JJ” Singh Kapur of CultureALL in Iowa was recognized with the Innovative Service Award. Yolo Food Bank received the Lifetime of Service Award. The Outstanding AmeriCorps Disaster Response Team Award was awarded to the Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa. Juliet Vibert, the Disaster Corps manager at SBP, was honored with the Excellence in Disaster Services Leadership Award.

Since the first class of AmeriCorps members pledged to “get things done for America” nearly 30 years ago, more than 1.3 million Americans have served.

Chinle Chapter approved for over $347,000

Chinle chapter applied for the AmeriCorps State and National grant and was approved for more than $347,000, which Jumbo-Fitch said will go toward hiring more staff to complete bathroom additions, operate the chapter wellness center, and respond to housing discretionary requests, and flood mitigation when needed. The funding will also go toward firewood operations, community services, and Covid relief.

But the recognition seemed short-lived for Jumbo-Fitch and dedicated staff who were already back to work trying to make life better for their community constituents.

The chapter president, along with chapter manager Walton Yazzie, and ARPA projects coordinator Sharon Yazzie, were in Window Rock on Tuesday to continue with their advocation to help Chinle community members. They had a meeting with the Navajo Division of Community Development where they’re hoping the 17 contracts that Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren signed in August will go through without a hitch.

“We’re here to serve the people. That’s our mission. We’re serving our chapter community members. We’re here to provide whatever services they need,” she said on Tuesday. “Now, we’re adding heavy equipment, we’re adding additional services for facilities, we’re trying to upgrade and make it more friendly for the community with our wellness center our fields. And I know a lot of our staff, they don’t say, ‘Look at us, look at us, take our picture and post it.’ Our staff are there because they say, ‘This is our job today, and this is what we have to accomplish today because that’s what we’re here for.’ That’s their mentality. And I think that’s why we get so excited that we got this award.”

Chinle Chapter is one of the largest chapters in the Navajo Nation with over 3,000 registered voters that serve Chinle and the surrounding communities of Del Muerto, Spider Rock, and Valley Store, according to its website.

---