Latest news with #FederalFallout
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Do the most amount of good': Emergency services keep eye on what FEMA revisions could mean
Editor's note: Federal Fallout is a Tribune-Democrat news series addressing the potential local impact of funding cuts. SOMERSET, Pa. – In the coming months, a review of the Federal Emergency Management Agency ordered by President Donald Trump should bring a streamlining of the organization amid ongoing federal downsizing and cost-cutting measures. That may lead to greater responsibility for disaster response transferring to the state and local levels, area leaders said. Joel Landis, Somerset County Emergency Management Agency director, has paid close attention to this process to prepare for any potential adjustments. In his opinion, he said, FEMA does need to be revamped, and there could be a benefit to removing layers of response. Landis noted a variety of concerns regarding the agency's efficiency and effectiveness, but added that diminishing response capacity will not help. 'What we don't want to see is a reduction of capabilities on the local level,' Landis said. Joel Landis | Somerset County Emergency Management Agency Director Somerset County Emergency Management Agency Director Joel Landis stands Thursday, May 22, 2025, near North Street Bridge, where a debris pile had gathered after flooding from a May 13 storm in Meyersdale Borough. A review of FEMA operations was launched in January when Trump issued an executive order creating a review council to assess the agency. According to that order, the federal responses to storms such as Hurricane Helene and other recent disasters demonstrate 'the need to drastically improve the Federal Emergency Management Agency's efficacy, priorities and competence, including evaluating whether FEMA's bureaucracy in disaster response ultimately harms the agency's ability to successfully respond.' The order claimed that, despite having a $30 billion annual budget, the agency has 'managed to leave vulnerable Americans without the resources or support they need when they need it most.' It also alleges FEMA may foster political bias against Trump and his supporters, citing an incident in Florida during Hurricane Milton last October in which a FEMA responder allegedly told workers not to assist homes that displayed flags or yard signs for Trump, who was the Republican presidential candidate at the time. The responder has since claimed the organization had hostile encounters with residents at those homes, and a report released in April said there was no evidence that FEMA employees skipped Trump-supporting homes. Federal Fallout logo Throughout the 2024 hurricane season, baseless rumors about FEMA also circulated on social media, such as claims of unequal aid distribution and the agency seizing evacuated people's property. The purpose of the council is to review FEMA's disaster response throughout the past four years; compare that to how local, state and private-sector teams handled disasters; gather information from stakeholders; and advise the president. It was written that the council had to hold its first public meeting 90 days from the order's publication Jan. 24, submit a report to Trump 180 days after that and be disbanded one year later. The team met for the first time Tuesday. Since January, Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have called for FEMA's termination, and around 2,000 of 6,000 full-time emergency management workers have left the agency or plan to leave through early retirement and waves of terminations, according to published reports. 'Impact on response' The potential changes to the federal response are concerning for Cambria County Department of Emergency Services and Emergency Management Agency Executive Director Thomas Davis. 'The lack of assistance from federal – I believe it would be a major impact on response and for the people,' he said. Davis has served with the 911 emergency communications system for 32 years, and has spent decades as a firefighter. He said moving more disaster responsibilities to the state and local levels would put a burden on those capabilities. It could be possible, he added, but federal assistance is 'absolutely huge' to achieve that. Trump wrote in a March executive order that empowering local and state authorities is part of his goal. 'Federal policy must rightly recognize that preparedness is most effectively owned and managed at the state, local and even individual levels,' he wrote, 'supported by a competent, accessible and efficient federal government.' In response to requests for input by the review council, the international nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council has responded to the president's actions and comments. 'Much has changed with regards to FEMA staffing, operations and capacity since the start of this administration,' the group wrote. 'Most of those changes are to the detriment of the nation's ability to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters. As climate-influenced disasters continue to increase in frequency and severity, the administration has hobbled federal, state, and local efforts to prepare for and address the growing risks and vulnerabilities we now face.' 'Layers don't work' Landis said if FEMA is downsized or eliminated and the responsibilities and funding are turned over to the states, that could be a benefit. He added that his salary as EMA director is paid for through a FEMA Emergency Management Performance Grant. Joel Landis | Somerset County Emergency Management Agency Director Somerset County Emergency Management Agency Director Joel Landis carries a box of supplies on Thursday, May 22, 2025, at Meyersdale Volunteer Fire Department as disaster relief efforts continue after flooding from a May 13 storm hit Meyersdale Borough. Landis has been a Somerset County employee for 26 years, in public safety for 28 years, and was on the third ambulance to respond to the tornado that tore through Salisbury in 1998. He said multi-agency approaches to disasters, especially when it comes to recovery funding, are slow and tedious. 'Layers don't work when you're the disaster victim,' he said. He provided the example of flooding May 13 in southern Somerset County that hit eight communities, including Meyersdale and Garrett. On that night, which brought evacuations in some of those communities, Landis said his team began requesting damage assessments because he knows how slow the process can be. A week later, representatives from the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and the federal Small Business Administration toured the communities, surveying the damage to homes and businesses. 'It's always a race to get the amount of damages submitted up so we can do the most amount of good,' he said. 'Do this together' Despite that effort, Landis doesn't expect FEMA assistance will be triggered due to the large thresholds weather events have to reach. The agency annually sets dollar figures for the thresholds that are multiplied by the impacted population to determine if federal intervention is warranted. For example, the statewide indicator for 2025 is $1.89, meaning the Pennsylvania threshold is around $25 million. The county threshold for 2025 is $4.72, which would mean Somerset County's triggering point exceeds $330,000. Davis said Pennsylvania's threshold is so high that it's difficult to achieve even in devastating storms, such as those the region has experienced this spring. He and Landis also acknowledged a growing trend of severe storms impacting the two counties over the past few years. Unlocking funding was partly why the Small Business Administration was in Somerset County following the flooding. Landis said if the SBA provides a disaster declaration, that will be open funding that can help county flood victims. Gov. Josh Shapiro announced Wednesday his administration would support a declaration. Looking ahead, Davis said if the federal element is downsized or removed, that will lead to expanded cooperation on the local level. 'One thing we have to start looking at to prepare for changes is relationships with volunteer and community-based groups,' he said. 'We're going to have to do this together.'
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Emergency services concerned about what FEMA revisions could mean
Editor's note: Federal Fallout is a Tribune-Democrat news series addressing the potential local impact of funding cuts. SOMERSET, Pa. – In the coming months, a review of the Federal Emergency Management Agency ordered by President Donald Trump should bring a streamlining of the organization amid ongoing federal downsizing and cost-cutting measures. That may lead to greater responsibility for disaster responses transferring to the state and local levels, area leaders said. Joel Landis, Somerset County Emergency Management Agency director, has paid close attention to this process to prepare for any potential adjustments. He said, in his opinion, FEMA does need revamped, and there could be a benefit to removing layers of response. Landis noted a variety of concerns regarding the agency's efficiency and effectiveness, but added that diminishing response capacity will not help. "What we don't want to see is a reduction of capabilities on the local level," Landis said. Joel Landis | Somerset County Emergency Management Agency Director Somerset County Emergency Management Agency Director Joel Landis stands Thursday, May 22, 2025, near North Street Bridge, where a debris pile had gathered after flooding from a May 13 storm in Meyersdale Borough. 'Priorities and competence' A review of FEMA operations was launched in January, when Trump issued an executive order creating a review council to assess the agency. According to that order, the federal responses to storms such as Hurricane Helene and other recent disasters demonstrate "the need to drastically improve the Federal Emergency Management Agency's efficacy, priorities and competence, including evaluating whether FEMA's bureaucracy in disaster response ultimately harms the agency's ability to successfully respond." The order claimed that, despite having a $30 billion annual budget, the agency has "managed to leave vulnerable Americans without the resources or support they need when they need it most." It also alleges FEMA may foster political bias against Trump and his supporters, citing the incident in Florida during Hurricane Milton last October when a FEMA responder allegedly told workers not to assist homes that displayed flags or yard signs for Trump, who was the Republican presidential candidate at the time. The responder has since claimed the organization had hostile encounters with residents at those homes, and a report released in April said there was no evidence FEMA employees skipped Trump-supporting homes. Federal Fallout logo Throughout the 2024 hurricane season, baseless rumors about FEMA also circulated on social media, such as unequal aid distribution and the agency seizing evacuated people's property. The purpose of the council is to review FEMA's disaster response throughout the past four years, compare that to how local, state and private-sector teams handled disasters, gather information from stakeholders and advise the president. It was written that the council had to hold its first public meeting 90 days from the order's publication Jan. 24, submit a report to Trump 180 days after that and be disbanded one year later. The team met for the first time Tuesday. Since January, Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have called for FEMA's termination, and around 2,000 of 6,000 full-time emergency management workers have left the agency or plan to leave through early retirement and waves of terminations, according to published reports. 'Impact on response' The potential changes to the federal response are concerning for Cambria County Department of Emergency Services and Emergency Management Agency Executive Director Thomas Davis. "The lack of assistance from federal – I believe it would be a major impact on response and for the people," he said. Davis has served with the 911 emergency communications system for 32 years, and has spent decades as a firefighter. He said moving more disaster responsibilities to the state and local levels would put a burden on those capabilities. It could be possible, he added, but federal assistance is "absolutely huge" to achieve that. Trump wrote in a March executive order that empowering local and state authorities is part of his goal. "Federal policy must rightly recognize that preparedness is most effectively owned and managed at the state, local and even individual levels," he wrote, "supported by a competent, accessible and efficient federal government." In response to requests for input by the review council, the international nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council has responded to the president's actions and comments. "Much has changed with regards to FEMA staffing, operations and capacity since the start of this administration," the group wrote. "Most of those changes are to the detriment of the nation's ability to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters. As climate-influenced disasters continue to increase in frequency and severity, the administration has hobbled federal, state, and local efforts to prepare for and address the growing risks and vulnerabilities we now face." 'Layers don't work' Landis said if FEMA is downsized or eliminated and the responsibilities and funding are turned over to the states, that could be a benefit. He added that his salary as EMA director is paid for through a FEMA Emergency Management Performance Grant. Joel Landis | Somerset County Emergency Management Agency Director Somerset County Emergency Management Agency Director Joel Landis carries a box of supplies on Thursday, May 22, 2025, at Meyersdale Volunteer Fire Department as disaster relief efforts continue after flooding from a May 13 storm hit Meyersdale Borough. Landis has been a Somerset County employee for 26 years, in public safety for 28 years, and was on the third ambulance to respond to the tornado that tore through Salisbury in the late 1990s. He said multi-agency approaches to disasters, especially when it comes to recovery funding, are slow and tedious. "Layers don't work when you're the disaster victim," he said. He provided the example of flooding on May 13 in southern Somerset County that hit eight communities, including Meyersdale and Garrett. On that night, which brought the evacuation of some of those communities, Landis said his team began requesting damage assessments because he knows how slow the process can be. A week later, representatives from the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and federal Small Business Administration toured the communities surveying the damage to homes and businesses. "It's always a race to get the amount of damages submitted up so we can do the most amount of good," he said. 'Do this together' Despite that effort, Landis doesn't expect FEMA assistance will be triggered due to the large thresholds weather events have to reach. The agency annually sets dollar figures for the thresholds that are multiplied by the impacted population to determine if federal intervention is warranted. For example, the statewide indicator for 2025 is $1.89, meaning the Pennsylvania threshold is around $25 million. The county threshold for 2025 is $4.72, which would mean Somerset's triggering point exceeds $330,000. Davis said Pennsylvania's threshold is so high it's difficult to achieve even in devastating storms, such as the region has experienced this spring. Joel Landis | Somerset County Emergency Management Agency Director Somerset County Emergency Management Agency Director Joel Landis stands Thursday, May 22, 2025, near North Street Bridge where a debris pile had gathered after flooding from the May 13 storm in Meyersdale Borough. He and Landis also acknowledged a growing trend of severe storms impacting the two counties over the past few years. Unlocking funding was partly why the Small Business Administration was in the Somerset following the flooding. Landis said if the SBA provides a disaster declaration, that will be open funding that can help county flood victims. Gov. Josh Shapiro announced Wednesday his administration will support a declaration. Looking ahead, Davis said if the federal element is downsized or removed, that will lead to a expanded cooperation on the local level. "One thing we have to start looking at to prepare for changes is relationships with volunteer and community-based groups," he said. "We're going to have to do this together."
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Air out of the sails': Arts groups scramble to respond to NEA grant terminations
Editor's note: Federal Fallout is a Tribune-Democrat news series addressing the potential local impact of funding cuts. JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – The Steeples Project has worked for years to revitalize historic churches in the Cambria City section of Johnstown, often leveraging grants, with the latest undertaking focused on turning the former St. Columba Catholic Church into a theater for live dramatic arts. Dave Hurst, project executive director, said the group needs 'every penny' of those dollars to help accomplish its aims, but recent changes to the federally funded National Endowment for the Arts has caused a disruption of its plans. Hurst said he was alerted by the NEA in early May that a previously awarded $20,000 grant had been terminated effective May 31. 'When I first read it, it was just air out of the sails,' he said. The funding was allocated for the Columba Theatre Project, and was set to pay for part of the construction documents. According to an email notification shared with The Tribune-Democrat, The Steeples Project award was terminated because the 'project no longer effectuates agency priorities.' The NEA, a federal arts group established by Congress in 1965, announced in May that updated grant-making policy priorities will 'focus funding on projects that reflect the nation's rich artistic heritage and creativity as prioritized by (President Donald Trump).' 'Consequently, we are terminating awards that fall outside these new priorities,' the notice said. 'The NEA will not prioritize projects that elevate the nation's (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) and Hispanic-serving institutions, celebrate the 250th anniversary of American Independence, foster (artificial intelligence) competency, empower houses of worship to serve communities, assist with disaster recovery, foster skilled trade jobs, make America healthy again, support the military and veterans, support Tribal communities, make the District of Columbia safe and beautiful and support the economic development of Asian American Communities.' The Learning Lamp also lost a $10,000 NEA Challenge America grant for the nonprofit's Children's Book Festival. However, that funding gap was bridged by a donation from The Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Arts and the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation. The National Endowment for the Arts has a 2024 congressional allocation of more than $200 million, roughly half of which was requested for director endowment grants, including arts projects, including the Challenge America and Our Town programs. 'A scary time' The White House's budget request for the 2026 fiscal year calls for elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, according to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies. 'It's a scary time,' Hurst said of the situation. Despite his grant being terminated, Hurst said he consulted with the federal arts group, and was told he should be able to draw down the $20,000 and not lose anything. The theater project is in its final design phase of a multi-year project that will cost several million dollars to complete. That includes development of dressing rooms, seating, a lobby, expanded event space, a box office, lighting, acoustical reflector and several other improvements. 'To do that, we will definitely need federal funding, and that will be an 'open question' now,' Hurst said, 'because at this point, I don't think anybody really knows what the parameters will be.' He submitted the request for the money May 13 and is waiting for a response. 'A lot of uncertainty' Matthew Lamb, executive director of the Bottle Works arts center in Cambria City, is also awaiting word regarding an NEA grant application he submitted in April. That funding would help develop the arts center's public art initiative and match funding from the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts' Creative Communities grant that Bottle Works was awarded. However, Lamb is unsure what the future of his application is now that the NEA has updated its grant-making policies. He said the momentum Bottle Works has built with public art installations – such as the murals on the Cambria County Library in downtown Johns-town, the Spider-Man mural on Stone Bridge Brewing Co. and the Steve Ditko display on the Tulip Building – feels as if it's stalled, Lamb said. 'There's a lot of uncertainty,' he said. Bottle Works has earned NEA grants in the past, which have helped support operations and undertakings at the facility in Cambria City, including the murals on the jersey barriers on Power Street. When he heard the national arts group was terminating grants, he said his reaction was that of 'sheer terror.' 'Defunding at the NEA doesn't just affect our arts organizations, but it affects all the small businesses in our communities,' Lamb said. He said investments in the arts offer significant returns for communities. 'Hurdle to overcome' The National Assembly of State Art Agencies notes arts and creative industries generate 'a $36.8 billion trade surplus and add $1.2 trillion in value to the U.S. gross domestic product.' 'The NEA and state arts agencies catalyze cultural production and grow the talent pool for this important American industry that creates 5.4 million jobs on American soil,' the NASAA said. Lamb said the economic impact apart from the arts centers is also noteworthy. Attendees at nonprofit arts events spend more than $34 per outing beyond entrance fees, at local retailers and restaurants, according to the NASAA. 'While many industries produce jobs and revenue, only the arts offer a fivefold bottom line that strengthens our nation,' the assembly said. 'Arts activity supported by the NEA and state arts agencies boosts economic productivity, improves education outcomes, fosters civic cohesion, facilitates good health, and preserves cherished traditions that tell our country's story. These are consensus values that all Americans want for their families and communities.' Although the Community Arts Center of Cambria County does not have an active endowment grant, Executive Director Angela Godin said she was notified that the Challenge America grant her nonprofit has relied on was terminated in the update. In the past, the arts center has used the Challenge America grant for outreach initiatives for what she called underserved and underrepresented populations. 'This was a shock and a disappointment,' she said. 'Fortunately, the Community Arts Center of Cambria County does not rely on this particular funding stream for annual programmatic needs. Nevertheless, it is still a loss and hurdle to overcome, especially with the uncertainty of other grant programs from the NEA.' Hurst said he's hopeful the situation will work out, but everyone will have to 'wait and see' what comes next. Lamb shared a similar note of positivity. 'The arts organizations in the area will find a way to navigate these situations,' Lamb said. 'That's what we do. We're creative.'
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
End of FEMA program affects drinking water, building code updates, tornado shelter in SD
A footbridge spans Spring Creek in South Dakota's Black Hills. Hill City had hoped to use Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities funding for a floodplain study of the creek. (Seth Tupper/South Dakota Searchlight) Drinking water upgrades for Mobridge, efficiency boosting software systems for Rapid City and a tornado shelter for Chancellor are among the South Dakota projects that now count as formerly funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA announced the axing of its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program last month in a press release lambasting the Biden-era creation as 'wasteful' and 'politicized.' The 2021 program aimed to direct $1 billion in funding toward infrastructure projects to help communities across the U.S. 'reduce their hazard risk' as they 'build capability and capacity.' Go to the Federal Fallout page for Searchlight coverage of Trump administration firings, funding freezes, spending cuts, grant cancellations, tariffs and immigration enforcement. The press release from the Trump administration's incarnation of FEMA says all awards from 2020 through 2024 are rescinded, and that all the money that hasn't been distributed won't be. The unspent $882 million will flow into the U.S. Treasury or be reallocated by Congress, the release says. FEMA falls under the leadership of Homeland Security Secretary and former South Dakota governor Kristi Noem. The program 'was more concerned with political agendas than helping Americans affected by natural disasters,' the FEMA release says. 'Under Secretary Noem's leadership, we are committed to ensuring that Americans in crisis can get the help and resources they need.' The South Dakota Democratic Party issued a press release of its own on the cessation of the grant program, one trashing Noem's agency and Trump's policies as damaging to South Dakota communities. 'Because of these cuts, city and county leaders will now have to scramble to either figure out where the rest of the money will come from, or ditch their projects altogether, leaving their communities vulnerable to disasters' wrote Shane Merrill, chair of the state party. According to a tally of federal cuts compiled and updated weekly by the administration of Noem's successor, Gov. Larry Rhoden, $8.9 million in South Dakota projects were set to benefit from BRIC grants. Based on South Dakota Searchlight calls to local governments involved in the projects, it's unclear if that total figure represents the amount of grant money lost, or the total project costs including other funding sources. Some BRIC money was collected and spent before the shuttering of the program. The city of Mobridge got $311,000 for phase one of a three-phase project to replace the piping that delivers Missouri River water from Lake Oahe to the city's water treatment plant on its way to residents' taps. That first round of BRIC money paid for engineering, planning and a dive team survey, all undertaken in preparation of the second round of BRIC funding, which Mobridge Finance Officer Heather Beck said would've set the physical piping upgrade portion of the project in motion. 'We had been told by the FEMA folks that if phase one is awarded, they had never seen the second phase not get awarded,' Beck said. The anticipated grant assistance with the pipe rebuild was a boon to Mobridge's larger $11.2 million drinking water project. Water bills paid by the north-central South Dakota community's residents are enough to keep the city 'self-sustaining' for the most part, Beck said, but the cost of major upgrades can be a heavy one to spread around. We had been told by the FEMA folks that if phase one is awarded, they had never seen the second phase not get awarded. – Heather Beck, Mobridge city finance officer 'With only 3,200 people, it takes more from them to be able to pay for these projects,' Beck said. The city's on the lookout for more state or federal funding sources now, Beck said. The city had taken in some grant funding from the American Rescue Plan Act for the wider water treatment project already, but 'a lot of that $11.2 million has had to be borrowed.' City leadership has reached out to South Dakota's congressional delegation in hopes that some of the grant funding can be restored through a program that's not shuttered. Mobridge's nearly $4 million BRIC-funded project, with grant funding passed through to the city by Walworth County, was the largest project on the $8.9 million list of grant-supported projects in South Dakota. The city was set to pay 20% of the cost, meaning it lost out on about $3.2 million. The project with the second-highest price tag on the state's tally of lost grant funding was $2.6 million. That project was meant to help Rapid City cover the labor costs of updating its fire codes, pay for software that would allow citizens or companies to submit documents like building permits or developer plans online, and to upgrade its computing systems to connect departments and avoid duplicate work between departments managing development and permitting. A letter from Mayor Jason Salamun to the U.S. Senate majority leader, South Dakota Republican John Thune, says the work aligns 'with the priorities of the Trump-Vance administration.' Noem's honorary degree sparks protest; meanwhile, a student she's trying to deport earns a doctorate 'Our project was specifically designed to enhance operational efficiency within our local government, ultimately saving taxpayer dollars and reducing administrative burdens for both city staff and the general public, including housing developers,' the letter reads. Rapid City's share of the project was $623,093; the BRIC program was set to cover a little under a million dollars. The city also hoped to create an inventory of potentially hazardous buildings, although Grants Division Manager Jamie Toennies said decisions on what the city might do to address those buildings would come later. 'Opportunities are there to proactively keep the buildings from getting in worse shape,' she said. The city is on the lookout for more funding sources, Toennies said, as 'we had identified this need before this grant.' The third-largest South Dakota project was $485,973 for the town of Chancellor, home to 316 people and one large ethanol production plant. According to a map of FEMA-funded mitigation projects maintained by the state, the town was in line for BRIC support of a severe wind and tornado shelter. Hill City, a city of around 1,000 in Pennington County, had asked for, but wasn't awarded, money for a floodplain study of Spring Creek, which runs through town. Finance Officer Stacia Tallon said the federal share of the $167,200 project would have helped the city determine where to put replacement box culverts to mitigate flood risk, and to map out areas that might be safe for building. The box culvert piece of the project in particular is still necessary, Tallon said, although it's unclear when or how the city will be able to move forward with the plans. 'We're still looking at them, but they've been kind of put on the back burner,' Tallon said. 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Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Addressing critical needs': AmeriCorps' future, backpack project in jeopardy after 'abrupt and unforeseen' cuts
Editor's note: Federal Fallout is a Tribune-Democrat news series addressing the potential local impact of funding cuts. Since its inception 12 years ago, the Cambria County Backpack Project has partnered with AmeriCorps to meet the mission of serving food-insecure children throughout the area, Executive Director Kristen Villarrial said. An AmeriCorps member from the local Pennsylvania Mountain Service Corps served as the nonprofit's coordinator for years. When funding was secured for a permanent position, the county food program immediately partnered with the service organization again for continued assistance. 'AmeriCorps has been really a crucial part of the backpack project,' Villarrial said. Federal Fallout logo Despite three decades of assistance throughout the nation, AmeriCorps' future is in jeopardy since President Donald Trump's administration, through the Department of Government Efficiency, eliminated this year's contracts at the end of April. 'It was an abrupt and unforeseen mid-award termination of the PA Mountain Service Corps AmeriCorps grant,' PMSC AmeriCorps Program Director Jill Latuch said. 'We are hopeful that the courts will intervene; Pennsylvania, along with many other states, has filed a motion for a preliminary injunction. 'We appreciate our AmeriCorps members and community host sites for their dedication during these challenging times. Our PMSC members have been addressing critical needs within our communities for 30 years.' She said the regional group has 77 members serving 47 schools, 10 community wellness sites and 20 environmental stewardship locations. Villarrial said without AmeriCorps' help, the backpack project likely wouldn't exist. AmeriCorps members, who receive a 'modest stipend' for their service, join groups in hour-based roles to help in a variety of areas – such as education, disaster, and environmental sites. More than 200,000 members served in those areas throughout the country in 2025, according to the federally-funded organization. There are 56 community host sites that are affected by the termination of PMSC this program year. Additionally, there were 12 more members scheduled to start May 23 and serve throughout the summer. At this time, the local chapter will not be onboarding them, Latuch said. 'Sudden termination' According to a statement from America's Service Commission, the 'sudden termination' may 'shutter more than 1,000 programs and prematurely end the service of over 32,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers.' 'Terminating nearly $400 million in AmeriCorps grants with no advanced notice is already having a detrimental impact on the vast network that makes up the national service field in the United States,' ASC CEO Kaira Esgate said in the statement. 'Thousands of people who have steadfastly dedicated their lives to serving their country through AmeriCorps are finding their livelihoods suddenly thrown into jeopardy, and hundreds of communities are losing critical services they rely on.' Villarrial said she and her team are 'shocked, worried (and) frustrated' by the situation. 'We've been able to empower these members to serve these communities while addressing undeserved (populations),' she said. 'To be honest, we don't know how we'll be able to replace the position if AmeriCorps funding isn't available, or AmeriCorps isn't there anymore.' One potential silver lining is it seems the members are allowed to serve out their terms for now, Villarrial noted. The backpack project serves 700 youth weekly with a team of three that includes AmeriCorps member Senda Harvey, and numerous volunteers. 'Continuation of my service' During the 2023-24 term, the group distributed nearly 87,000 meals to families in almost every school district in Cambria County. Last year, the nonprofit opened a second packing and distribution site in Ebensburg Borough to make access easier for those in the county's northern area. AmeriCorps service Cambria County Backpack Project volunteer Amanda Regala (left) takes a collapsed box from AmeriCorps member and northern site Coordinator Senda Harvey during a distribution event Thursday, May 8, 2025. That location is run by Harvey, who is in her first term with AmeriCorps, and said she adores the position. 'This project I'm in right now with AmeriCorps is my heart,' she said. The Ohio native moved to the Johnstown area three years ago while working for Department of Veterans Affairs and seeking to help a family member. A U.S. Army veteran of 10 years and former teacher, she said she's always wanted to be a service person, and when she retired from the VA joining AmeriCorps made perfect sense. 'To me, this is just a continuation of my service to the community,' Harvey said. Finding out the future of the program is in jeopardy was 'very disheartening,' Harvey said, but she's still hopeful the situation will be resolved positively for the project. 'In my core, I believe we will be OK,' she said. 'If there's another term, I want to continue serving with AmeriCorps and the backpack project.' 'Initiatives in jeopardy' One potential route for reinstating the program is the multi-state lawsuit. 'AmeriCorps members serve their fellow Pennsylvanians every day – and the federal government entered into a contract with our commonwealth to hire them for disaster response, veterans services, tutoring for kids, and more,' Gov. Josh Shapiro wrote in a May 1 Facebook post. 'By dismantling AmeriCorps, the Trump Administration is breaking that contract and putting those critical initiatives in jeopardy. 'I'm suing to hold them to their word and defend Pennsylvania's rights – and stand up for our seniors, veterans, and students.' The lawsuit alleges that 'the administration does not have unilateral power to cut or end the AmeriCorps grants and service programs and that doing so would unlawfully deprive communities of critical services and opportunities provided through AmeriCorps, including education access, housing support, and youth mentorship,' according to Democracy Forward – one group that represents the plaintiffs. AmeriCorps' roots can be traced from the Civilian Conservation Corps to the VISTA program and the Commission on National and Community Service. 'Hardest pill to swallow' In 1993, President Bill Clinton signed the National Community Service Trust Act that officially created AmeriCorps – to combine 'the concepts of volunteerism, civilian service, and education benefits for service' and built on former President George H.W. Bush's commission on service. The Pennsylvania Mountain Service Corps was organized the following year to serve Allegheny, Armstrong, Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Centre, Clearfield, Elk, Fayette, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Somerset and Westmoreland counties with Appalachia Intermediate Unit 8 as the administering agency. 'Since its inception, there have been hundreds of students tutored in math and reading, thousands of seniors and families provided with services that would have otherwise gone undone, hundreds of after school and educational activities presented to at-risk youths, hundreds of miles of water tested and cleaned up, thousands of volunteer hours generated and a unique collaborative effort of community organizations formed,' according to PMSC information. Villarrial said if AmeriCorps can no longer serve the backpack project, the board of directors will have to develop a contingency plan, which is already being discussed. That may include hiring another coordinator. That outcome would negatively impact the group's finances and possibly result in fewer children being served, she said. 'That's the hardest pill to swallow,' Villarrial said. 'The hardest hit are the ones who need it.' Joshua Byers is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. He can be reached at 814-532-5054. Follow him on Twitter @Journo_Josh.
