Donald Trump is dismantling Americorps. Here's What We'll Lose

Americorps Programs Play An Essential Role in Disaster Recovery Across the Country. They Helped Communities Hit by Hurricanes Helene and Milton Last Fall, As Well As After The Los Angeles Wildfires in Janogy, Supporting Shelter Operations, Managing Call Centers, Volunteers and Donations, Mucking and Gutting Out Buildings That Were Destroyed, Cleaning Up Debris, and so much more. After Hurricane Maria Devastated The Island of Puerto Rico in 2017, Americorps Deployed Its members to Respond to the Disaster and Help Recovery and Reconnect Food Delivery to Communities Across the Island.

I know, what happy when there's no Americorps to Help After The Next Disaster?

Since Donald Trump Took Office, His Administration Has Been Working Its Way Through The Executive Branch of the Federal Government, Slashing Programs, Cutting Positions, and Even Shuttering Some Government Agencies and Institutes. In The First 13 Weeks of the Second Trump Administration, Over 58,000 Federal Worldrs Have Lost Jobs and An Additional 76,000 People have Accepted Buyout Offers to Leave the Federal Government, and it's Only Been Three Months.

Last Week, Trump and Elon Musk's SO-Called Department of Government Efficiency Placed Most of the Employees at the Federal Agency Responsible for Supporting National and Community Service-Americorps-On Administrative Leave. This Reduction in The Agency's Workforce Took Place a Day After The 1,500 Young Volunteers Serving in The National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) Were Sent House Early From Their Service Terms. In addition to the NCCC, These Actions affected the Americorps State and National, Americorps Vista, and Americorps Seniors Programs. Beyond The People Who Lost Their Jobs and Volunteer Opportunities Last Week, Cutting Americorps Will have consequentces on the Communities where its program and People serves, as well as our democracy more broadly.

Since it was created by president Bill Clinton in 1993, More Than 1.25 Million Americans Have Served With Americorps. And the Agency Does Not Only Work With Young People: Hundreds of Thousands of Old Adults Have Served As Volunteers for the Americorps Seniors Program Over the Years. AltoGether, Around 200,000 People serves in Some Capacity Each Year, Working on Disaster Response, Veterans Assisting, Supporting Students, and Deliving Meals to Individuals in Need.

I Have Studio How Americorps Programs Work To Empower Individuals and Connect Them to Communities As Thoubled to and Recovery from Disasters. This Work, Which Includes Cultivating Resilience and Building Civic Capacity, Highlights What's at Stake When We Lose This National Program.

Americorps Provides Paid Volunteer Opportunities Around the US My Research With Members Found That Service Through Americorps is a Common Steps Stone For Young People Looking For Civic Work. More than 60 percent of Participants in The Programs We Studied Report They Hoped to Transition Into Work in the Non-Profit Sector Aryy Had Completed Their Service. At Number of Members of Congress Have as Forward to Report How Americorps Helped to Shape Their Careers.

Beyond The Loss of A Training Program and Civic On-Ramp for the individuals Who serve, Losing Americorps Will Be Felt in Communities Across the Country. Americorps Strengthens and Supports Civil Society by Channels Interestted Individuals into positions with Civic Groups. When We Asked The Community Partners Working With Local Americorps Programs About How They Connect With Their Volunteers, Many ReportEd That Hire Them Post-Service for Full-time Jobs.

In California, for Example, 63 percent of Community Partners Working With The Watershed Stewards Program Shared That They Hired Service Corps Members for Full Time Work After Their Program. These Groups Play for Vital Role in Monitoring and Improving Watershed Health, Encouraging Citizen Science, and Supporting Community Education About Watersheds Throughut California.

Americorps Also Plays An Important Role in Building and Supporting Resilience in Times of Crisis. These Programs Support Young People (AS Well As Older Adults), Training and Placing Them in Communities to Weatherize Homes, Clear Out Brush in Forests, Limit the Effects of Floods, Create and Expand Food Banks, and Help Communities Build More Dense Civic Networks that will support one one one Another After Disaster Hits. In All, they serve as a critical purifies in Developing and Sustaining Our Civic Networks and Community Infrastructure SO THERY ARE MORE RESILIRET AND RESTDD AND RECOVER MORE Quickly to the Effects of All Kinds of Extreme Events.

Americorps is part of the Connective Tissue That Our Democracy Needs to Survive, Particularly in Times of Crisis. Slashing This Program Won't Just Harm The People Who Work For the Agency OR The Hundreds of Thousands of Volunteers Who serves Through Its Various Programs. Our Democracy is made up of mutual ties between and among all of us, and Americorps Strengthens These Ties. We will all feel the loss of Americorps as Extreme Events as more frequently and hit with more severity, and our democracy will pay the price.

Dana R. Fisher is director of the center for Environment, Community, & Equity and a Professor in The School of International Service at American University. Her Most Recent Book is Saving Ourselves: From Climate Shocks to Climate Action.