Latest news with #NationalCivilianCommunityCorps
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
N.C. Attorney General Wins Injunction to Support Western N.C.
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCT) — Attorney General Jeff Jackson won a court order blocking AmeriCorps from unlawfully ending job and recovery grants in Western North Carolina. According to a press release, 'On April 15, AmeriCorps ordered more than 50 full-time volunteers to stop working on Helene recovery in western North Carolina, as part of terminating more than 750 volunteers working nationwide for the National Civilian Community Corps. On April 25, North Carolina was notified that AmeriCorps would immediately stop funding 10 volunteer organizations funded through the NC Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service, including several serving hard-hit communities in western North Carolina. On April 29, Attorney General Jackson joined a coalition of 23 other attorneys general suing AmeriCorps for not administering grants that Congress had already appropriated.' On Thursday, June 5th, the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland granted a preliminary injunction and restored all programs that had been terminated in N.C. while the case continues. 'A federal judge found that the actions were unlawful because Congress explicitly required that the agency provide advance notice and an opportunity to comment on an any major changes to AmeriCorps services.' 'Western North Carolina will get the funds it needs so AmeriCorps members can keep helping people, keep cleaning up after Helene, and rebuild their homes and neighborhoods,' said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. 'The people in western North Carolina can keep rebuilding while I keep fighting this case.' A copy of the preliminary injunction is available here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Judge orders Trump to restore AmeriCorps programs in two dozen states
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration on Thursday to restore AmeriCorps-funded programs in Washington, D.C., and 24 Democratic-led states as their lawsuit proceeds over recent cuts. U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman ruled the states were likely to succeed in their claims that federal law required AmeriCorps to provide a notice-and-comment period before making the significant reductions. 'As the litigation proceeds, the States cannot simply pause their current and forthcoming disaster response efforts,' wrote Boardman, an appointee of former President Obama who serves in Maryland. 'They will have to fill this void with their own resources,' she continued. 'The costs they will incur cannot be recovered at the end of this litigation.' Created in 1993, AmeriCorps is a federal agency focused on national service that provides stipends to volunteers who respond to various local, state and national challenges. The Trump administration in April looked to make drastic reductions at AmeriCorps as the Department of Government Efficiency implanted itself across the federal bureaucracy to implement spending cuts. AmeriCorps reduced its workforce from more than 700 to 116 employees and forced the exit of roughly 30,000 volunteers, the judge noted. AmeriCorps also terminated 1,031 grants, reflecting about half of its total grant funding. Boardman's order requires the administration to reinstate the terminated grants in the states that sued and restore members of the National Civilian Community Corps to their posts. But the judge declined to reinstate the laid off employees, saying the states hadn't shown they have the legal right to sue over that aspect. 'Any harm the defendants might face if the agency actions are enjoined pales in comparison to the concrete harms that the States and the communities served by AmeriCorps programs have suffered and will continue to suffer,' Boardman wrote. Led by Maryland, the states that sued comprise Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. Washington, D.C., also was part of the suit. Beyond arguing no notice and comment was required, the Trump administration argued the states lack legal standing, do not challenge final agency actions and that their claims must be brought before a court that has exclusive jurisdiction over certain government contract lawsuits. The Hill has reached out to AmeriCorps for comment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Judge orders Trump to restore AmeriCorps programs in two dozen states
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration on Thursday to restore AmeriCorps-funded programs in Washington, D.C., and 24 Democratic-led states as their lawsuit proceeds over recent cuts. U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman ruled the states were likely to succeed in their claims that federal law required AmeriCorps to provide a notice-and-comment period before making the significant reductions. 'As the litigation proceeds, the States cannot simply pause their current and forthcoming disaster response efforts,' wrote Boardman, an appointee of former President Obama who serves in Maryland. 'They will have to fill this void with their own resources,' she continued. 'The costs they will incur cannot be recovered at the end of this litigation.' Created in 1993, AmeriCorps is a federal agency focused on national service that provides stipends to volunteers who respond to various local, state and national challenges. The Trump administration in April looked to make drastic reductions at AmeriCorps as the Department of Government Efficiency implanted itself across the federal bureaucracy to implement spending cuts. AmeriCorps reduced its workforce from more than 700 to 116 employees and forced the exit of roughly 30,000 volunteers, the judge noted. AmeriCorps also terminated 1,031 grants, reflecting about half of its total grant funding. Boardman's order requires the administration to reinstate the terminated grants in the states that sued and restore members of the National Civilian Community Corps to their posts. But the judge declined to reinstate the laid off employees, saying the states hadn't shown they have the legal right to sue over that aspect. 'Any harm the defendants might face if the agency actions are enjoined pales in comparison to the concrete harms that the States and the communities served by AmeriCorps programs have suffered and will continue to suffer,' Boardman wrote. Led by Maryland, the states that sued comprise Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. Washington, D.C., also was part of the suit. Beyond arguing no notice and comment was required, the Trump administration argued the states lack legal standing, do not challenge final agency actions and that their claims must be brought before a court that has exclusive jurisdiction over certain government contract lawsuits. The Hill has reached out to AmeriCorps for comment.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
DOGE slashed AmeriCorps - why the national service program cuts matter in Pa.
Few programs are as "America-first" as AmeriCorps. It is a decades-old initiative, bipartisan in its creation and operation, that has provided national service opportunities for over a million people in a variety of service areas in every state in the union. It is often a life-changing experience, both for those who benefit directly from the service project and for those who provide the service. It was for me. AmeriCorps has several service options available to choose from. I did my year of service in the National Civilian Community Corps. In the 25 years plus since my tenure, AmeriCorps has grown and diversified while remaining true to its pledge to "get things done for America." More: National Civilian Community Corps aids Erie groups As part of the NCCC, I was assigned to a team of a dozen people, ages 18 to 24, and to a campus that brought together people from all across the country. We were diverse in background, education, experience and politics, but for a year we worked together, lived together and learned from each other. We teamed up with community organizations and government agencies to get things done. The projects we worked on together included building homes with Habitat for Humanity in rural Virginia, tutoring students in D.C. public schools, refurbishing public housing in several states, responding with the Red Cross to a flood disaster in Ohio and so much more. We finished our service year with a small educational stipend, but with lives enriched by an amazing experience and the value we found in serving our country. For many people, AmeriCorps is the start of their public service, not the end. Several thousand AmeriCorps members serve in hundreds of sites across Pennsylvania annually. They work to invest tens of millions of dollars in our state and economy. They have worked in our schools, health clinics, shelters, food banks, veterans' facilities and youth centers. They have provided disaster relief and enhanced public safety. Since its inception, it is estimated that Pennsylvania has benefited from 80 million hours of work through AmeriCorps. With the recently announced $400 million in federal cuts to AmeriCorps programming, the future of this unifying, bipartisan program is murky at best. This abrupt action by the federal government has driven Gov. Josh Shapiro to join a lawsuit brought by two dozen states demanding the federal government keep its promises. This suit includes other states that voted for the president, including North Carolina, Nevada, Kentucky and Wisconsin. Cuts are already in line for a veteran mental health initiative in Butler, school supports for thousands of kids in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, and water infrastructure projects in 15 rural counties, to name just a few. It is incumbent upon all levels of government to appropriately manage taxpayer dollars, and no one supports wasteful spending. But taking a chainsaw instead of a scalpel to a program like AmeriCorps will not result in a stronger America. More: What is AmeriCorps? What to know about the latest organization impacted by DOGE cuts AmeriCorps did not just sprout up overnight. It took decades of Democrats and Republicans working together to create something effective and accessible nationwide. Damage to its reputation and program stability will not be easy to remedy, but states, nonprofits and religious groups alike depend upon this partnership. Thousands of Americans every year sign up to "get things done." The call has been answered, and the federal government must not hang up. State Rep. Dan Miller represents the western Pennsylvania 42nd Legislative District of Mt. Lebanon, Castle Shannon, Dormont, Baldwin Twp. and parts of Upper St. Clair. This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Why DOGE AmeriCorps cuts matter in Pennsylvania | Opinion
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nonprofits warn AmeriCorps cuts will reduce community services
May 11—Cuts to national AmeriCorps programs are creating uncertainty for community organizations that have long relied on the program to fill staffing gaps. The Trump administration last month rescinded about $400 million in grant funds supporting AmeriCorps members serving in local and regional programs. About 80 members stationed in Montana were abruptly released from service as a result, according to a May 7 press release from the Montana AmeriCorps Alumni Council. "It was kind of like whiplash," said Silas Smith, one of the Montana-based AmeriCorps members whose service was terminated last month. Smith had worked since January with the local nonprofit Land to Hand to spearhead food security efforts in Columbia Falls. His main task was to catalyze efforts to open a local food bank, but the 21-year-old accounting major also helped run the Weekend Backpack program, which provides food to schoolchildren in food-insecure households each weekend. The position was funded through a state AmeriCorps program. While Smith worked full-time hours at Land to Hand, he received only a modest living stipend as well as some financial education benefits such as deferred loan payments. After the Trump administration shuttered the National Civilian Community Corps branch of AmeriCorps and gutted the agency's administrative staff, Smith said he began to mentally prepare for his own position to be axed. On Sunday, April 27, he received what he described as a "very cookie-cutter email," informing him that his AmeriCorps position "no longer effectuates agency priorities." His service term originally extended to January 2026. "It's really sad and demoralizing. The way that this is happening is so disrespectful to people" said Gretchen Boyer, the executive director of Land to Hand. She said the abrupt termination is a major loss for Land to Hand, which has partnered with AmeriCorps for seven years. The cost of hosting an AmeriCorps member for a year is a fraction of what the organization would otherwise pay to hire an employee to a similar position, making it a cost-effective solution for the small nonprofit. Land to Hand is far from the only community organization that has benefited from the AmeriCorps model. Last year, about 2,900 AmeriCorps members served at nearly 400 locations across the state. Rural Dynamics Inc., a Great Falls-based nonprofit that helps low-income and elderly Montanans file taxes, has relied on AmeriCorps partnerships for over a decade. Executive Director Jordyn Schwartz said it is difficult to find local volunteers with expertise in tax filing, so the nonprofit instead hosts both short-term and year-long positions through AmeriCorps' National Civilian Community Corps and Volunteers in Service to America programs. Funding for both programs was cut in April. "It's kind of catastrophic to lose that," said Schwartz. "It just really makes it hard for us to mobilize and do the work we do." She said the organization lacks the staff capacity to take over the services AmeriCorps members were providing, such as tax clinics in rural communities. With the Trump administration now pushing for Congress to fully eliminate all AmeriCorps programming, the future of the organization remains unclear. ONE OF the state's largest AmeriCorps programs, Montana Conservation Corps, escaped April's cuts unscathed, but Executive Director Jono McKinney said the Department of Government Efficiency's presence at AmeriCorps "remains a grave concern" for both Corps members and the communities they serve. Each summer, Montana Conservation Corps members clear trails, reduce fuels and restore streams on thousands of acres of public lands. About 28% of the annual budget to support this work comes directly from AmeriCorps grants. Another third is derived from contracts with federal agencies like the U.S. Forest Service, which have been hit by large scale budget and personnel reductions by the Department of Government Efficiency. Corps members in the Kalispell branch typically work with federal and state officials to complete projects in Glacier National Park, the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness, the Mission Mountain Wilderness, Lone Pine State Park and Herron Park. "It's been 4-6 weeks that we've been waiting on some of these areas [to sign contracts]," said McKinney. "But there is progress." In a typical year, McKinney said major agreements between Montana Conservation Corps and federal agencies would already be signed, but negotiations with many land managers stalled at the height of the federal cuts and are only now being wrapped up. While millions of federal dollars go into the program each year, McKinney said Montana Conservation Corps, like many AmeriCorps programs, is a financial benefit in the long-term. A 2023 study estimated that Montana Conservation Corps has a return on investment as high as $144.32 for every federal dollar spent. "In an era where we're looking at how we improve government efficiency, Montana Conservation Corp and AmeriCorps are one of the best solutions," McKinney said. IN COLUMBIA Falls, Gretchen Boyer is seeking other solutions to keep Silas Smith on Land to Hand's staff. Earlier this month, the organization launched a fundraising campaign to support a temporary staff position for Smith and fill the deficit left by another terminated federal grant. According to Boyer, the organization needs $38,000 to hire Smith through the end of the year, when his AmeriCorps service was originally supposed to end. As of May 9, more than $17,000 had been contributed to the campaign. Boyer said the fundraiser was about keeping a promise the organization had made to Smith and to the community. "We want to fulfill what the government is not fulfilling," she said. Reporter Hailey Smalley may be reached at 758-4433 or hsmalley@
