Martha’s Vineyard, MA…To our Island community, here is an update on current humanitarian crisis on Martha’s Vineyard….We continue to provide shelter, food, and care to individuals that arrived on the Island yesterday. A coalition of Vineyard towns, community-based, and nonprofit groups are assisting in this effort. We will continue to work very closely with our state partners, who have pledged support and resources for any unmet needs that we may have. As we do with any shelter operation, we are focused on meeting the immediate needs of people we are sheltering, and engaged in contingency planning if the situation changes. We are grateful to the many local and neighboring community members who have reached out with offers of support. Please direct all resource inquiries and/or media requests to EMD@dcsoma.org.

RELEASED 9/14/22:
At 1500 today approximately 50 individuals, to the best of our knowledge originating from Venezuela, landed at the Martha’s Vineyard Airport, seeking shelter. This is an ongoing situation; Town Emergency Management Operations from the six Island towns and the Sheriffs Office, as well as County Management are actively collaborating to develop a coordinated regional response. The group in question have been provided, food, water, and emergency stabilization sheltering for the evening. Two emergency shelters have been established [locally], with additional space available in case further arrivals occur. We have reached out to our State and Federal partners for additional and long term support and assistance. All activated local Emergency Management will remain in effect as we learn more and anticipate our State partners coordinated response.