G3 Conservation Corps steps up for Sinlaku relief
As communities across Micronesia recover from the impacts of Super Typhoon Sinlaku, members of the Guam Green Growth Conservation Corps (G3CC) are proving that sustainability work goes far beyond environmental projects—it is also about showing up in times of crisis.
On Thursday, the corps joined a multi-organization donation drive at LBJ Elementary School in Tamuning, supporting relief efforts led by the Ayuda Foundation alongside partners Micronesia Climate Change Alliance, Guahan Sustainable Culture, Guam Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) and other groups such as PBS Guam, Breaking Wave Theater Company.
“Small steps make a bigger impact,” said G3CC coordinator Joseph Certeza.
While the work focused mainly on collecting and organizing donations, G3CC also applied its sustainability lens to the operation, by looking at the waste reduction and resource recovery aspect of the process.
“Right now, we’ve been supporting big time and making sure the space is clean by removing all the trash, dropping to the dumps since we have that capacity. And we’re actually looking through all of the clothes here so that we can play our part and not let these clothes go to waste and go into the dumps,” Certeza said.
In a continuation of that effort, the team is working to extend the life of donated goods.
“So we’re going to wash them ourselves at G3CC and then we’re going to give it back to this donation drive so that actually can serve the communities in need as well.”
The Conservation Corps’ involvement is part of a broader week-long mobilization across Guam. The team also assisted in a commodities and food distribution drive in Yigo, where members packaged around 400 bags of food and supplies and distributed a similar number to the community.
“So for this past week, we’re really mobilizing our G3CC and doing as much relief support, whether it’s being connected with the lieutenant governor’s office, or supporting different organizations,” Certeza said.
The donation drive also drew support from student volunteers, including members of the Ocean Guardian School program at John F. Kennedy High School. Advisor Carolyn Haruo said their participation was driven by a shared desire to help.
“So, we saw their (Ayuda Foundation, MCCA) post about it and we saw what they were doing and so we decided that that would be the organization that we were going to come and help with,” Haruo said.
For student volunteer Sean Matthew Goh, the experience was both meaningful and motivating.
“It actually feels amazing because while we’re helping other people and it feels good as a student and also as a person that you know that you’re helping other people and also while meeting other people, you can socialize more and have more friends and have one same goal and work towards it,” Goh said.
For G3CC member Abcde Tapia, the relief work offered both personal growth and a deeper understanding of service.
“At the end of the day, I feel very honored to be given this opportunity, and to take a new knowledge. I’ve never moved pallets before, or used these equipments, and I get a sense or idea of the next time I donate, how can I better prepare… how I could alleviate some of the work needed to be done,” Tapia said.
The G3 Conservation Corps is part of the broader Guam Green Growth initiative, a public-private partnership led by the University of Guam and the Office of the Governor that advances sustainability solutions and helps build a green economy for the island. Within this initiative, G3CC serves as a workforce development program that trains individuals in sustainability practices while preparing them for careers in Guam’s emerging green economy. Members gain hands-on experience in areas such as conservation, waste reduction, and community engagement—skills that translate directly into disaster response and recovery efforts.