This week, something heartbreaking happened. Thousands of young AmeriCorps volunteers, many just out of high school or college, were told to pack up and go home. Not because their work was done—but because the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), under Elon Musk’s oversight, cut the program short.
These are the same volunteers who have been on the frontlines of some of the most devastating disasters in recent U.S. history. Tornadoes ripping through towns, hurricanes flooding coastlines, wildfires turning mountains into ash—AmeriCorps members were there. Quietly, humbly, they rolled up their sleeves and got to work. They rebuilt homes, cleared debris, supported shelters, tutored kids, helped veterans, and brought calm into chaos.
And yet, despite 30 years of dedicated service and over 8 million hours logged on disaster relief alone, AmeriCorps’ National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) was abruptly slashed. According to a leaked memo, the volunteers were told the early dismissals were due to “programmatic circumstances beyond your control.”
Translation? Washington politics.
This isn’t just about idealistic youth being sidelined. It’s about what America loses when we gut service programs like this. It’s about the missed hands in flooded towns. The missing meals in disaster zones. The elder who won’t get a ramp built. The child who won’t get help reading.
I wasn’t an AmeriCorps member myself—but I volunteered in the aftermath of the 2011 Joplin tornado, in a relief effort organized by AmeriCorps. I saw firsthand how crucial their presence was. They brought structure, energy, and compassion to a broken city.
Footage in our tribute video, set to an original blues song titled “They Cut Uh-MERR-ih-ko,” shows the aftermath of that disaster—one of many where AmeriCorps made a difference. These aren’t actors. They’re real people who showed up when America needed them most.
DOGE and the Trump administration may argue this is about shrinking government waste. But slashing AmeriCorps isn’t efficiency—it’s abandonment. It sends a message to thousands who gave their time freely: your service doesn’t matter.
And that’s not just sad. It’s shameful.
In a country that prides itself on community and resilience, we should be asking: If not them, then who?
#SaveAmeriCorps #ServiceMatters #UhMERRihKo