Local AmeriCorps remain operational amidst federal cuts
The Serve Guam Commission, a grantee of the AmeriCorp program under the Office of the Governor, said its programs will “continue normal operations” following national reports of federal budget cuts to the program.
The Associated Press first reported on April 17, that the AmeriCorps’ National Civilian Community Corp told its volunteers on April 15 they would no longer continue the program, due to the Trump administration’s initiative to cut government spending across the board.
AmeriCorp operations for Guam and Saipan continue. Photo courtesy UOG AmeriCorp
An email from the ServeGuam Commission was shared with the Journal. It said the Guam programs remain active.
The email said, “The [SGC] continues to reassure our programs and members that there is no impact on [fiscal year 2024] (current operating) grants and operations should continue as normal until we receive updates and instructions from AmeriCorps, Federal Grantor.”
The SGC also said there is no current indication that other AmeriCorps grant programs (AmeriCorps State and National, state service commission, Volunteers in Service to America, Volunteer Generation Fund) will be paused.
The AmeriCorp program on Guam is a volunteer program that supports a number of community initiatives that include work-readiness programs, environmental stewardship, and programs to help vulnerable youth and adults.
AmeriCorp currently has several programs across different agencies on the island. They include programs at the University of Guam, Victims Advocates Reaching Out, the Guam Homeland Security Office of Civil Defense, the Guam Memorial Hospital Authority, and Sanctuary Inc.
There are approximately 144 AmeriCorp volunteers on Guam. According to the UOG AmeriCorp site, volunteers receive a $650 monthly living allowance and after 900 hours of service receive the $3,697.50 Segal Education scholarship.
In the Northern Mariana Islands, the AmeriCorp program continues as normal until further notice also according to AmeriCorp Director Victoria S. Nicholas.
The program in the NMI currently has 50 volunteers and is focused on increasing the reading levels of “bottom quadrant” students.
Nicholas told the Journal that the program primarily recruits high school students, but has slowly begun recruiting from the NMI’s colleges. mbj
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