This op-ed was originally published in CT News Junkie on June 18, 2025.
By Ryan Matthews
I don’t remember exactly what I earned during my AmeriCorps term — just under $13,000, I think. I qualified for food stamps. I shared a one-bedroom basement apartment with four other people. I drove a beat-up Nissan pickup through St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, building floor systems and hanging siding on homes meant to replace those destroyed by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
But what I remember most are the people. A crew of volunteers — politically, racially, and religiously diverse — united by one thing: a belief that America is better when neighbors show up for one another.
That term of service changed me. It grounded me in community, introduced me to some of the most selfless people I’ve ever met, and launched a career built around a simple idea: that service can change lives.
That’s what AmeriCorps does. Quietly. Every day. In communities large and small, across all 50 states. Which is why what’s happening in Washington right now is so damaging.
Since April, the Trump administration has taken aggressive steps to dismantle AmeriCorps. The newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) abruptly terminated nearly $400 million in AmeriCorps grant funding — cutting off support to more than 1,000 nonprofits and 32,000 service members, including AmeriCorps Seniors. More than 750 FEMA Corps and NCCC members were issued stop-work orders with no notice. Over 85% of agency staff were dismissed, halting key functions like enrollment, deployment, and grant disbursement.
These actions don’t just jeopardize a federal agency, they destabilize community-based programs serving children, seniors, veterans, disaster survivors, and others.
Here in Connecticut, the impact has been severe.
At Big Brothers Big Sisters of Connecticut, we operate a Foster Grandparent Program that relies on AmeriCorps Seniors for 90% of its funding. The model is simple and powerful: low-income older adults mentor children in under-resourced classrooms across the state. Many serve up to 40 hours a week, providing one-on-one support to students who need extra guidance.
In the past year alone, our Foster Grandparents helped nearly 400 children catch up to their peers. Without AmeriCorps, this program — and others like it — would be forced to shut down.
Fortunately, there is a path forward. The state of Connecticut joined 23 other states and the District of Columbia in a lawsuit challenging the grant terminations. Just last week, a federal court issued a preliminary injunction, allowing participating states to restore AmeriCorps programs to their status as of April 25.
This is a major win for communities like ours — but not a full fix. The ruling provides no relief to 26 states and territories not included in the suit. Tens of thousands of AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors remain without support. Their service terms have ended. Their stipends and education awards are frozen. Their work cut short.
And the President’s FY26 budget still proposes the complete elimination of AmeriCorps.
That would be a tragic mistake.
AmeriCorps is one of the most efficient and impactful service models our country has ever created. Each year, it mobilizes more than 200,000 members to respond to local needs — tutoring students, supporting disaster relief, fighting hunger, helping seniors age with dignity. AmeriCorps members aren’t flown in by Washington. They’re recruited locally to serve locally.
Along the way, they build job skills and a commitment to the common good. For older adults, service reduces social isolation, builds purpose, and offers connection at a time when those things are often scarce.
AmeriCorps works. That’s why nonprofits, schools, and faith-based organizations across the country depend on it. That’s why I believe in it — and why I’m asking our federal delegation to act.
Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, and Representatives John Larson, Joe Courtney, Rosa DeLauro, Jim Himes, and Jahana Hayes: please protect AmeriCorps. Restore full funding. Defend the people and communities this program supports. And speak out against the politicization of national service.
This isn’t about partisanship. It’s about people. It’s about supporting teachers, mentoring children, rebuilding homes, and helping nonprofits meet rising needs.
AmeriCorps taught me that service is one of the purest expressions of citizenship. We need more of it — not less. Right now, we need leaders who understand that public service is worth preserving.
Let’s not dismantle what’s working. Let’s protect it and strengthen it.