Latest news with #AmeriCorps
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
DOGE cuts concern Seniors in Service of Tampa Bay
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Anthony Sessions has been a classroom grandparent, also called foster grandparent, through the group Seniors in Service of Tampa Bay. 'When I come into the room 'grandpa, grandpa.' It's fun. A great deal of satisfaction,' Sessions said. 'M*A*S*H' actress Loretta Swit dies at 87 The organization is meant for low-income seniors who are 55 years old and older to volunteer as mentors and tutors in schools, help homebound elders, and assist other nonprofits with their missions. 'I love teaching and passing on the things that I've learned, and I'm really seeing the benefits of the kids having a foster grandparent,' Sessions said. Robin Ingles is the CEO of Seniors in Service. She spoke more about the AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent Program that's run by her organization. 'In exchange for their commitment to serve at least 15 hours per week for the entire school year in the same classroom, they receive a small stipend,' Ingles said. DOGE efforts to find waste, fraud, and abuse at AmeriCorps led to $400 million in cuts, and nearly all its federal workforce were placed on leave. 'We need the community to act and act now,' Ingles said. That means the Tampa Bay organization, and many others have gaps in grant funding to continue its programs. 'We currently don't have personnel to go to about problems with our funding through this grant and we have the potential that these grants are not going to be funded in the proposed budget for next year,' Ingles said Seniors in Service gets about half of its funding from AmeriCorps. In a 2022 return on investment study, the agency said for every federal dollar spent, it translates to about $34 given to local communities. Last year, members of congress allocated $1.3 billion to a letter to Congress earlier this month, the Trump administration said it needed Congress to reduce discretionary spending to increase defense and border security spending. The administration also said it's possible state and local governments can help organizations with funding. Ingles had a scheduled meeting with Rep. Kathy Castor's office on Friday. So far, Reps. Anna Paulina Luna, Vern Buchanan, and Laurel Lee have not responded to our requests for comment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Federal cuts to AmeriCorps, service programs, ‘devastating' to local communities
The federal government cut $400 million in grant funding for AmeriCorps, which terminated 80 Montana AmeriCorps members across five programs. Late on a Sunday evening in April, Silas Smith, an AmeriCorps service member working with a food security nonprofit in the Flathead Valley, was scrolling the internet when he found a Reddit post detailing a proposed list of AmeriCorps programs that might be axed nationwide. His program in Montana was on the list. The next afternoon, at 4:09 p.m. Smith received an email letting him know his AmeriCorps service programs had been terminated by the federal government, part of the sweeping cuts made by the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. 'Effective April 28, 2025, you have been removed from the STATE OF MT DEPT HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AmeriCorps VISTA project,' the email read. It told Smith he was in an 'administrative hold,' meaning he would continue to receive his living stipend for 30 more days, but was not allowed to participate in any AmeriCorps-related activities or projects. Even with Smith's brief forewarning, receiving the official termination letter 'was surreal. It was strange.' 'I was watching a movie when I got the email and it was very cold and kind of heartless,' Smith said. 'I think they literally sent the same termination email to thousands of people — no differentiation between any of us.' Smith said his AmeriCorps supervisor at the state health department hadn't known the program was going to be cut, was 'just as confused as I was,' and was navigating it in real time with 27 service members across Montana. AmeriCorps is a national program established under President Bill Clinton to provide Americans with domestic service opportunities to foster civic engagement and address community needs, similar to the international Peace Corps. The program places recent college graduates and early-career professionals in roles with nonprofits, community organizations and public agencies. Service members receive a living stipend of around $18,000, in addition to an education award of up to $7,395 that can be used to pay for educational expenses or repay student loans. On April 25, the Trump administration announced cuts of more than $400 million in grants — 41% of its total grant funding — to AmeriCorps, and subsequently terminated more than 32,000 members and volunteers. Around 85% of the program's federal staff were placed on leave. Each year AmeriCorps places more than 200,000 service members and volunteers nationally. Last year in Montana, 2,800 AmeriCorps members and senior volunteers worked at more than 300 locations, according to the agency's National Service Report. AmeriCorps invested more than $12.7 million in federal funding to community organizations and agencies in the state, and generated 'more than $10 million in outside resources from businesses, foundations, public agencies and other sources in Montana,' according to the report. 'These service members bring so much back to their communities. There's something really big that will be lost if we aren't bringing them in.' – Shannon Stober Some AmeriCorps leaders in Montana have said that while they understand a need for belt tightening at the federal level, they don't see deep cuts at AmeriCorps as strategic. JoJo McKinney, CEO of Montana Conservation Corps, which has around 320 AmeriCorps service members each year, said studies have shown that there is an average $34 return for each federal dollar spent on the program, with some programs generating twice that impact. 'AmeriCorps is a real force multiplier. The return on investment is so dramatic,' McKinney said. 'It's one of the most efficient uses of taxpayer money.' In Montana, AmeriCorps members — considered volunteers, not employees — work at schools, food banks, homeless shelters, health clinics, veterans facilities, and myriad nonprofits — of which Montana has a higher than average number per capita. They also work for some government agencies, including Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, which has used AmeriCorps members to work in state parks. The federal cuts eliminated AmeriCorps programs entirely from 13 states, including Wyoming, and removed roughly $1.2 million in programmatic funding in Montana. 'I don't want to say we were lucky — that's just plain wrong — but some states lost it all,' said Shannon Stober, a member of the Montana Last Best Alums Council, the official alumni group of AmeriCorps members in the state. Stober has spent more than two decades working in leadership roles for various AmeriCorps programs. Stober said analysis of the proposed federal budget under the Trump administration indicates further cuts to AmeriCorps are planned, potentially jeopardizing the programs that escaped the first round. 'The issue now is our remaining programs and just wanting to protect them,' Stober said. 'There's such a lack of trust and uncertainty at this point – we want our service members to feel protected.' According to a list compiled by America's Service Commissions, in Montana, seven AmeriCorps grants were cut, which included five coordinating programs funding 80 service members and two planning initiative grants working to build out new programs. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Rural Dynamics Inc, Montana State University, the University of Montana, the Department of Labor and Industry, and Montana AgCorps, run through the Department of Agriculture, all saw grants pulled away with little warning. Representatives from DLI, UM, Department of Ag, and the Department of Public Health and Human Services did not respond to repeated requests for comment, representatives from FWP and MSU were not authorized to speak about the cuts, and representatives from the governor's office did not respond to repeated requests for comment. 'These cuts are removing entry level positions for young people, taking away workforce development … AmeriCorps provides a space for those people,' Stober said. 'These service members bring so much back to their communities. There's something really big that will be lost if we aren't bringing them in.' Smith was part of the AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) program coordinated through DPHHS, which placed members with nonprofits working with underserved populations in the state. Smith was embedded with Land to Hand MT, which works to build a 'strong community food system that fosters socially just ways of accessing food,' in the Flathead Valley. One program Land to Hand operates is a weekend backpack program in Columbia Falls, where school kids who rely on free or reduced school meals receive food bags for their families. The program gives out nearly 400 bags each week. When he joined Land to Hand, Smith was assigned a project building on the weekend backpack program — setting up a food pantry to allow students and their families to have more choices in meals. 'The goal of the pantry would be to match, or surpass the number of clients we serve with the backpack program,' Smith said. 'With a pantry, people can drop in whenever they want. we can make it a relaxing environment that's intuitive in the way it's laid out and work to reduce the stigma around using food-accessible services.' Smith said he felt called to his position, telling the Daily Montanan he understands how integral food is to a community. 'Better food is connected to so many things,' he said. 'When kids have reliable access to food and they feel safe and comfortable getting food from a nonprofit like ours, they can self-actualize and get more quality in their education. They won't be restless in class. Parents and families with better access to food can parent better and have less stress at home.' Since starting in his position in January, Smith has been researching policies and procedures necessary to set up the pantry and working to see what the community needs most. He has a goal to get the pantry up and running by the start of the next school year. 'To do any new big projects, it takes a lot of effort and work,' said Land to Hand Executive Director Gretchen Boyer. 'It's a huge deal not to have that help. We were anticipating that help through the end of the year. Whenever nonprofits are doing something new, it takes time to raise funds and make plans. We thought we had this year to do that, but with no notice, all that help we had anticipated was just ripped out from underneath us.' Boyer said the organization decided they were going to 'fight to keep Silas with us,' and called in their biggest fundraising partners. The organization has raised more than $30,000 from the community to keep him in his current role and are confident they'll be able to fund and house Smith for the duration of his term. 'Don't get me wrong, the government can work more efficiently, and we can be smart in how we spend our money. But when we just arbitrarily cut programs without seeing the impact on services and people, it's ridiculous,' Boyer said. 'These are young people coming to work in rural communities, working to eliminate poverty. And they're living in poverty to do it.' To partner with AmeriCorps, organizations have to fund part of the project — Land to Hand paid $5,000 for its latest contract — and provide some of a rent stipend. Boyer said it's one of the biggest returns on investment a nonprofit like hers can get. Boyer added there's often a high retention rate among AmeriCorps members. Land to Hand has had an AmeriCorps member on staff for the last seven years, and all but one of the organization's staff members are previous AmeriCorps members — including two that served with Land to Hand. 'These are young people coming to work in rural communities, working to eliminate poverty. And they're living in poverty to do it.' – Shannon Stober Many AmeriCorps partner organizations, however, don't have the ability to raise money and retain their members. Astrid Weinstein, a member of Smith's AmeriCorps VISTA cohort based in Missoula, was also terminated. Weinstein was working with Mountain Home Montana, a Missoula nonprofit that serves young mothers who are pregnant or already parenting, providing housing and services including child care and maternal health services. She said her project with Mountain Home included working as a volunteer coordinator and helping create a 'baby boutique' for mothers and families to come and shop for free or heavily discounted clothes and other early childhood accessories. She said she's '50-50' on whether the organization will be able to continue the program without a full-time staff member. The termination of Weinstein's cohort in Missoula impacted her beyond her day-to-day job. She had been in her role for eight months and lived with other service members, including her best friend, who had to move home to Alaska following the termination. 'It was such a huge change for us. We thought we had a couple of months to figure stuff out, find next steps,' said Weinstein, who was planning to apply to be the AmeriCorps cohort supervisor for her program for the next year. But now, 'I don't think I would try to do another AmeriCorps program. Everyone is on their toes right now and worried.' AmeriCorps has three main service branches — the VISTA program, state and national programs, and the National Civilian Community Corps. NCCC members often work on disaster response, infrastructure and development-related projects. In addition to the $400 million in grant funds that the federal government terminated, AmerCorps sent home all of its NCCC members. The Helena Area Habitat for Humanity in a Facebook post said that more than 60 NCCC members have served with the organization, contributing more than 9,000 hours of service and labor to build affordable homes. In addition, six full-time AmeriCorps members with Habitat, a program that retained its funding, have helped 'build programs that simply wouldn't exist without their dedication and service. 'These folks didn't just swing hammers. They laid the foundation for a stronger, more connected community. Their absence will be deeply felt.' One $100,000 planning initiative grant cut was housed at MSU where staff were working to create a Community Health Corps in the state. The program would have placed AmeriCorps members in community partnerships to address 'the state's most pressing health challenges,' including mental health and substance use disorder services, chronic disease prevention and management, and addressing social determinants of health. All activities related to that planning initiative are paused with future funding in question. Some programs, such as the North Valley Food Bank in Whitefish, had an AmeriCorps member finish a service term right before the federal cuts, but are now unlikely to get another member in the future. For programs that escaped the April funding cuts, such as Montana Conservation Corps, concerns about future funding loom large. 'We're not sure about if our grant for 2026 will be approved — normally we hear that announcement in April,' McKinney told the Daily Montanan. 'The funds have been appropriated by Congress for that grant, but I don't know if there's the staff at AmeriCorps to be able to review and award those grants for next year. I'm very worried in the long term.' Montana Conservation Corps onboarded 200 AmeriCorps members in their various conservation, leadership development and agricultural programs, bringing the total number of service members to around 320 for this year. Some of MCC's projects last year included conducting more than 1,500 miles of trail maintenance, helping ranching communities build drought resistance and doing wildfire fuel reduction projects on federal lands. McKinney said future cuts to the program could affect MCC in multiple ways — the $4 million annual AmeriCorps grants make up 28% of the organization's budget, and AmeriCorps members have their own special classification under the Department of Labor, which makes it easier to partner with, and receive additional matching funds, from federal agencies, such as the Forest Service and National Park Service. 'We will not replace $4 million with philanthropic resources, nor will we replace the value of the service members,' McKinney said 'I think the loss of AmeriCorps for Montana communities and small local organizations is pretty devastating,' McKinney continued. 'The beauty of AmeriCorps is that while it's a federal program, it's a locally driven service initiative. Local communities identify their needs and then leverage AmeriCorps members and resources to address them and bring about solutions.' At Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the funding cut affected nine AmeriCorps members stationed at state parks, but officials with the department would not discuss where those members were stationed or what the impact to park services would be. According to a 2018 article FWP published in Montana Outdoors magazine, AmeriCorps members 'eased park managers' burdens by creating interpretive trails, controlling invasive weeds, teaching in outdoor classrooms, organizing volunteer events such as spring cleanups, and more.' That year, AmeriCorps members conducted more than 577 educational and interpretive programs, coordinated 369 volunteers, and improved 264 acres of state park land. Sarah Sadowski, director of the governor's Office of Community Service, which coordinates the state-run AmeriCorps programs, was not authorized to speak to reporters, but provided a statement. 'Upon receiving notice from AmeriCorps, the Governor's Office of Community Service responded immediately to support service members through a transition period. Where possible, our office and network of partners has ensured the placement of AmeriCorps service members in new roles to meet needs of community programs administered by state agencies, including at the Montana Departments of Agriculture and Fish, Wildlife and Parks.' McKinney, though, said youth need the program, and the country needs the program too. 'This is something our country should be supporting right now,' McKinney said. 'Sure, it can be reformed and improved, but let's do that, not throw away this opportunity for young and old Americans to invest back into our country. In response to the funding cuts, a coalition of 24 states, plus D.C., have sued the Trump administration over the AmeriCorps cuts, alleging the White House did not have the authority to eliminate the program, which is funded and authorized by Congress. Montana is not part of the suit. Representatives from Gov. Greg Gianforte's office did not respond to requests for comment. The Daily Montanan reached out to all four members of Montana's congressional delegation, and did not receive responses. But a letter from U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy addressing the cuts and obtained by the Daily Montanan said the reductions were part of the plan to tackle the growing national debt, and attributed them to a lack of fiscal accountability by AmeriCorps. 'In November 2024, the nonpartisan Inspector General of AmeriCorps found that AmeriCorps has been unable to produce an auditable financial statement in the past eight years. With $36 trillion in debt and growing, fiscal accountability must be asked of every part of our government,' the letter states. 'The Trump Administration is working to balance the budget, lower taxes, lower costs, unleash prosperity, and help every American keep more of their hard-earned money. As the administration works to rein in spending, eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse, and deliver government services more efficiently, I will work to ensure critical frontline services are protected.' Shannon Stober, though, a member of the Montana Last Best Alums Council, the official alumni group of AmeriCorps members in the state, said the argument is a double standard. 'AmeriCorps shouldn't be politicized — for 30 years it's been a bipartisan-supported initiative,' Stober said. 'Audits aren't meant to be verdicts. Auditors do findings, and those findings are not always corruption and waste. Agencies not passing audits is common in the federal government.' For example, Stober and JoJo McKinney, with Montana Conservation Corps, both pointed to the Department of Defense, which has received a 'disclaimer of opinion' — the same finding AmeriCorps earned — on seven annual audits since 2018, meaning 'auditors could not express opinions on the financial statements, because the financial information was not sufficiently reliable,' according to the 2024 audit results.
Indianapolis Star
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indianapolis Star
Boys & Girls Club of Indianapolis faces $335K funding cut. Here's what is being affected.
Federal funding cuts are impacting the Boys & Girls Club of Indianapolis (BGCI), costing the organization thousands of dollars to support proper staffing, but the organization says its summer camp is still on. The Indianapolis branch of the national Boys & Girls Club of America told IndyStar that it has seen an approximate loss of $315,000 to $335,000 in funding due to cuts at the federal level to the AmeriCorps agency and 21st Century Community Learning Center grants. Cuts to the AmeriCorps agency have already been impacting organizations across the country, but cuts to the 21st Century grants are still being considered under Trump's "skinny" budget. While the budget bill has not been finalized, some organizations are making preparations for the funding cuts anyway. However, despite this significant reduction in the organization's funding, it plans to open its doors at its five club sites across the city for its five-week summer camp program this year. Pam Lozano, director of resource development for the Boys & Girls Club of Indianapolis, told IndyStar that the cuts mean their five school-site programs will have to be closed. Those sites include Enlace Academy, Johnathan Jennings School 109, Raymond Park Middle School, Liberty Park Elementary School and Pleasant Run Elementary School. More news you should know: Hogsett, IPS names members of group shaping the future of the district. Who they picked 'We feel this impact because we are losing team members who support yearly in varying spaces, but we are also losing members who are in AmeriCorps as future educators, social workers, etc,' Lozano said. 'We know we are meeting a challenging time ahead, but our clubs will be open, we have worked hard to create a plan where we shift and focus on ways to be sure that any funding cuts aren't felt at the club level.' The funding cuts mostly stem from the Trump administration's move to eliminate funding for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant, which is the only federal funding stream dedicated to supporting afterschool and summer programs for children, according to the After School Alliance. Lozano said the club is losing around $315,000 with the grant gone. The Indianapolis organization is also possibly losing $120,000 from AmeriCorps funding, which helped fund staff positions and mentors at Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide. AmeriCorps announced in late April that they were suspending $400 million in grants, which has resulted in more than 1,000 programs shuttering and affecting 32,000 AmeriCorps members across the nation. Lozano said the loss of the AmeriCorps funding has resulted in the most immediate impacts to their programming with the loss of mentors who provide one-on-one support for kids and scaling back specialized programs such as literacy tutoring, college prep and mental health services. 'This is more than a financial setback, it's a call to action,' Lozano said. 'Every young person deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive in a safe, supportive community.' Keep up with school news: Sign up for Study Hall, IndyStar's free weekly education newsletter. The Boys & Girls Club of Indianapolis has served more than 7,300 youth annually, with the majority of them qualifying for free or reduced lunch, according to the organization's website. The local club is asking the community to donate money or volunteer their time to ensure their programming can continue.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Oklahoma coffee shop employing those with special needs hit by federal cuts
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — A popular Oklahoma coffee shop known for creating opportunities for those with special needs is facing uncertainty. Not Your Average Joe is one of several non-profits that have been hit by federal cuts from the Department of Government Efficiency, slashing AmeriCorps staff. The shop focuses on employing those with intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities. '77.5% of that constituency are underemployed or unemployed altogether after high school,' said Tim Herbel, founder and executive director of Not Your Average Joe. Isaac Meyers would be in that percentage if it wasn't for this job. 'It's been like one of the best things that can ever happen,' said Meyers. He's not doing it alone. Over the years, AmeriCorps members have worked alongside those like Meyers. 'They've just always been helping me to know more of what I can do and to help me have more of what we can do as a team,' said Meyers. Herbel says over the last three years, Not Your Average Joe has had 22 AmeriCorps members. 'They have served as mentors for those with disabilities, they help us build capacity in our community and they helped us grow to the point that we could provide this amazing award winning model of inclusionary employment for those with disabilities,' said Herbel. White House to send DOGE cuts package to Congress as Speaker promises quick action Now that support is being cut and the timing couldn't be worse. Not Your Average Joe is in the process of expanding, after Stella Nova donated all of its locations to their mission. 'We're about to hire up to 100 more Friends with intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities and so we were about to receive six AmeriCorps members to serve alongside those individuals with disabilities, but now that's gone,' said Herbel. David Manning is neurotypical and works at Not Your Average Joe. He says the loss of AmeriCorps workers will be tough. 'Obviously less mentors that results in a harder training, environmental training and less time to prepare other employees for the job,' said Manning. Not Your Average Joe is now looking for more volunteers and donations to help fill the gap. To learn more, click here. Another way you can always help is being a customer. 'Your coffee is going to make your day better, but that interaction is going to make your day even better and that's what it's all about,' said Herbel. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Energy Express is set to hold induction ceremony for new AmeriCorps members
MORGANTOWN, WV (WVNS) — Energy Express, a WVU Extension Service initiative in collaboration with AmeriCorps, is set to admit the 2025 AmeriCorps cohort. According to a press release, approximately 150 college-bound students and current college students, as well as community members will serve as members in 22 counties throughout the Mountain State this summer. Energy Express is a no-cost summer initiative aimed at literacy and nutrition for low income children and rural kids enrolled in first through the sixth grade, the release stated. Members mentor children or serve as volunteer coordinators while gaining leadership experience and career skills from experienced professionals. Anti-rabies clinics to be held in Raleigh County AmeriCorps members will be sworn in during a ceremony on June 8, 2025, beginning at 5 p.m. The ceremony will take place at the West Virginia University Morgantown Evansdale Campus. Energy Express AmeriCorps members finish 300 service hours and get a $4,050 living allowance, a $1,565.08 education award, and their service can be applied toward the West Virginia AmeriCorps Tuition Waiver, the release stated. Throughout 2024, members in the program assisted approximately 1,150 kids throughout 48 sites. Some of those sites demonstrated an 88 percent growth in reading fluency. That same year, the program commemorated its 30th anniversary. In the last three decades, approximately 84,000 children in the Mountain State have taken part in the program, and an estimated 13,600 AmeriCorps members assisted them, the release stated. Since 2006, the program has delivered around 1,747,000 meals and 360,000 books to kids throughout the state. Carnegie Hall announces Ivy Terrace Outdoor Concert Series lineup AmeriCorps is a national service program in which members address critical needs in education, economic opportunity, disaster relief, environmental stewardship, brighter futures, and veterans and military families, the release stated. Through the initiative, Energy Express falls under the guidance of the WVU Extension Service Center for Community Engagement and receives funding in part from a grant from Volunteer West Virginia. Volunteer West Virginia, state residents are encouraged to join and strengthen their communities. For more information regarding Energy Express and to view the summer sites, visit their website. For more information regarding the AmeriCorps and service opportunities, visit their website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
