Read the full article at Sacramento News & Review and Hmong Daily News
On a Sunday evening in late April, several local nonprofit groups that rely on AmeriCorps grants received official word: The Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE, had terminated nearly $400 million in federal AmeriCorps grants nationwide, closing some 1,000 community service programs and demobilizing more than 30,000 AmeriCorps members.
Started in 1993, AmeriCorps is the federal agency for volunteerism and national service. Its largest arm, AmeriCorps State and National, had congressionally approved funding of $557 million for 2025 and has awarded grants to groups addressing community needs in education, environmental protection, public health and safety, to name a few. Adults 18 and older (and typically on the younger side) join AmeriCorps to work in direct service positions; they receive a modest living allowance, health benefits, child care assistance, professional training and awards of up to $7,395 to put toward higher education costs.
The announcement of the cuts sent shock waves through AmeriCorps members and the organizations they work for.
“The order was to suspend services immediately,” says Ian Hadley, executive director of 916 Ink, a Sacramento-based literacy organization funded in part by AmeriCorps.