"Native American Threads Still Part of County Fabric" NAAC In the News! - Cape May County Herald.com
………“Many county residents might be surprised to learn that
the Leni-Lenape are still active within our area. Tyrese (pronounced Ty-ese
with a silent "r" which means "flower" in Seminole) Gould
is the manager of the Native Advancement Corp. She also is the daughter of the
chief of the tribe that has its epicenter in Bridgeton. This organization has
been implementing federal and state grants for over 20 years to improve the
lives of the disadvantaged.
In 2009, the corporation was successful in applying for
grants from the federal level Department of Energy administered through N.J.'s
Department of Community Affairs to weatherize homes for people under a certain
income level termed "impoverished” in Cape May County as well as Atlantic
County.
“When we first heard we would be working in Cape May County,
we thought we were going to the highest income area of N.J. but what we've
discovered is quite the opposite. I would call Cape May County 'the land of the
forgotten' with a huge pocket of poverty - the people are so nice but many are
truly poor and these needy people live throughout the county not just in one
area,' said Gould. The Native American Advancement Corp. is now serving over
375 homes in the two counties where they are presently active, Cape May County
and Atlantic County.
The Corporation offers a full menu of insulation, heating
replacement and energy efficiency improvements within the guidelines of DOE
audits through the approximately 8.5 million dollars they have received from
DCA since 2009. Corporation workers are not limited to Native Americans
although the corporation itself is the only one in N.J. run by a Native
American tribe in this grant program. The corporation also trains the employees
who go out on the various jobs under the grants.
“We are so happy to be able to help people who are really in
need," continued Gould. "My grandmother used to tell me stories that
when she was growing up she wasn't allowed to ever admit outside the home that
she was Native American, so I feel proud we have this opportunity to do good
for others and also teach and employ people who need jobs," continued
Gould.”………..
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