AmeriCorps Wiped Out by DOGE

Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” wiped out the 30 year old AmeriCorps program that put young volunteers to work on projects to help communities.

DOGE is a subset of a White House IT team, not a government department.

Full time staff are being fired and the volunteers disbanded in the National Civilian Community Corps operated by AmeriCorps. Members were terminated by unsigned email saying their service will end early “due to programmatic circumstances beyond your control.” Their formal end date is 30 April 2025.

NCCC employs 2000 people from age 18 to 26 for a service term of about 10 month service term. They work on projects for education, housing, urban and rural development, land conservation, and disaster relief all over the country. AmeriCorps pays for volunteers’ basic expenses such as housing, meals and a “limited health benefit.” They get a small living allowance. After completing their 1700-hour service term, volunteers are eligible for funding for future education expenses or they can apply for certain student loans, a benefit package currently worth about $7,300.

AmeriCorps partners with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Forest Service. In the past year NCCC volunteers have been part of response to tornadoes and flooding in Iowa, Hurricane Helene in North Carolina and southern California wildfires.

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