https://apnews.com/article/americorps-volunteers-fema-doge-05b1d1cd53e0b5b9f64c17eaba7adf95
https://mailchi.mp/wwu.edu/2025waccstatementamericorps
https://governor.wa.gov/news/2025/governor-ferguson-statement-termination-americorps-funding
AmeriCorps’ National Civilian Community Corps, which enlists young volunteers from ages 18 to 26 to serve on projects with nonprofits, community organizations, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have been discharged early in one of the Trump administration’s government efficiency cuts.
This means that the more than 2,000 NCCC volunteers throughout the country will be unable to complete their service terms and unable to complete their crucial projects in housing, education, and disaster relief, among others. Members receiving living allowances for basic needs were allegedly paid through April, according to an unsigned memo procured by the Associated Press.
The Washington Campus Coalition for the Public Good (WACC) is one of these groups. On April 25, their organization was notified that their AmeriCorps grant had been terminated, alongside 32,000 other AmeriCorps members across the nation. WACC’s Exectuive Director Rachel Vaughn issued a memo on April 29, stating that there would be severe impacts on individuals and families facing food insecurity, food banks, the elderly, and children who have built relationships with AmeriCorps volunteers who will be suddenly gone.
The CPJ inquired about the impact to AmeriCorps service members working at Evergreen and was able to speak with one of these members, serving in their second 10-month service term. The individual, who chose to remain anonymous for the interview, said that AmeriCorps fills unmet gaps and with these cuts, those gaps will continue to go unfilled.
They said that they were notified on a Friday to stop their work and going into the weekend they tried not to worry about what would happen until Monday, when they could really get answers. That next week, they were notified by Evergreen’s Executive Leadership Team that Evergreen had the funding to pay for the rest of this individual’s service term through May, as well as two other members the individual knew of.
WA Governor Bob Ferguson issued a statement on the termination of AmeriCorps funding saying that “If allowed to go forward, the Trump Administration’s decision will dismantle programs at approximately 800 Washington service sites, administered through Serve Washington with the the help of nearly 1,300 volunteers – touching virtually every corner of our state.” Ferguson went on to laud WA Attorney General Nick Brown for joining the coalition of state’s challenging the Trump administration and said he and his team will do all they can to support the AG’s case and “stand up for Washington communities that rely on these services.”
AmeriCorps as a whole supervises numerous nationwide volunteering programs and their 200,000 volunteers. According to CNN, 85% of the agency’s staff were placed on administrative leave, which is aligns with a statement provided by an anonymous staff member interviewed by AP, who said around 15% of the agency’s staff remain active.
Twenty-four states, including Washington, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration and their cutting of around $400 million in grant funding that AmeriCorps uses for these state and community projects which has closed over over 1,000 programs nationwide and ultimately threatens the ability of the agency to function.
