Since early last month, the Trump Administration and DOGE have been quietly dismantling AmeriCorps. Successful or not, the negative effects will be felt locally and nationally for generations.
AmeriCorps is a 32-year old national service program designed to provide community service opportunities to young people 18-26 and seniors in urban and rural communities across the U.S. The agency, like the Peace Corps which is anticipating significant budget cuts, has enjoyed bipartisan support in Congress since its founding.
Lynn Urban, president and CEO of United Way of Southwest Colorado, shared on Friday that last month she received a notice from Serve Colorado, the state agency that administers Colorado’s AmeriCorps program, that 28 of 34 state programs were canceled.
The TeamUP AmeriCorps program, planned, developed and implemented collaboratively by United Way and numerous community partners, was on that list.
According to the Governor’s Office, in Congressional District 3, 15 AmeriCorps programs engaging over 300 members have been affected by the grant cancellation, which amounts to $10.7 million per year in economic value. AmeriCorps prides itself on its ability to generate $17 in economic value for every $1 invested in the services its members provide to students and seniors, veterans and their families, and disaster victims.
The TeamUp AmeriCorps program budget is $643,000, $300,000 of which comes from the federal government. The rest is raised by United Way and its community partners.
DOGE should be heralding AmeriCorps as an example of government efficiency and tax stewardship. Instead, in one week in mid-April, on Tuesday AmeriCorps’ National Civilian Community Corps abruptly let go 1,500 young people, and 2,000 other Corps members serving around the country.
On Wednesday, most of the agency’s 600 staff were put on administrative leave.
On Friday, DOGE ordered $400 million in AmeriCorps grants terminated affecting over 1,000 state and local projects and over 32,500 members and volunteers, including TeamUP.
In Colorado, the cuts will prematurely end service for almost 300 members that were to be serving on wildfire mitigation crews, tutoring students, connecting veterans and seniors to services, fighting the opioid epidemic, and more, across 200 sites.
The 10 TeamUP AmeriCorps members, in La Plata County, work with the SOIL Lab, The Juniper School, Community Connections, Fort Lewis College’s Grub Hub and Companeros. In Montezuma County, members work with the Department of Social Services, School Community Youth Collaborative, Southwest Open School and in the TeamUP office, and in Archuleta County with Healthy Archuleta.
Not only does this action cripple the agency and the thousands of organizations and communities that have benefited from members’ year of service, but it cripples the spirit of young people, our greatest asset.
It inflicts pain and uncertainty into the lives of members, volunteers, the organizations and communities that support them. National news reports share terminated members’ feelings of insult, heartbreak, and outrage. Will they ever consider service again? Who would blame them, if not.
For now, Urban, partners and members are on hold while they await the outcome of a 24-state lawsuit against the Trump Administration led by Colorado’s Attorney General Phil Weiser. For community members wishing to take action, Urban encouraged contacting elected officials at voicesforservice.org.
The Herald’s editorial board thanks AG Weiser for his leadership and are disheartened to learn that all 24 states participating are led by Democratic AGs and governors. Kentucky and Pennsylvania’s Republican AGs refused to participate so the state’s Democratic governors intervened.
Until now, national and community service has not been a partisan issue. It is at the core of who we are as a country playing a vital role in the lives of young people, addressing basic needs and strengthening communities. Let’s hope it continues.
