DOGE targets a community service program in its latest cost-cutting effort

By HANNAH FINGERHUT Associated Press DES MOINES Iowa AP A -year-old region provision initiative that sends young adults to work on projects across the U S was the latest target of the Trump administration s campaign to slash establishment spending AmeriCorps National Civilian Society Corps informed participants Tuesday that they would exit the initiative early due to programmatic circumstances beyond your control according to an email obtained by The Associated Press The unsigned memo to corps members noted NCCC s ability to sustain plan operations was impacted by the Trump administration s priorities and President Donald Trump s executive order creating the Department of Ruling body Efficiency Members would be officially dismissed April AmeriCorps did not respond Wednesday to an AP email seeking comment What scheme was affected and why AmeriCorps NCCC which completed its th year last year employs more than people ages to participating for a roughly -month provision term according to the effort s website The teams of corps members are tasked with working on several projects related to schooling housing urban and rural growth land conservation and calamity relief driving from one assignment to another across the country The agency pays for helpers basic expenses including housing meals and a limited wellbeing benefit as well as a modest living allowance according to the venture The project also provided members who complete their -hour facility term with funding for future instruction expenses or to apply to certain candidate loans That benefit was worth about this provision year Funding for AmeriCorps and NCCC has long been scrutinized when Congress talks of budget trims The federal agency s budget proved NCCC funding amounted to nearly million last fiscal year A White House official announced the Trump administration questioned using taxpayer money for the project The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly What work were they doing The traditional NCCC assistants worked with sponsors including public and faith-based based organizations nonprofits schools cities and tribes Particular of the fresh provision projects included working at a food bank in Washington state building homes with Habitat for Humanity in North Carolina and facilitating after school programs in Arizona AmeriCorps NCCC also has a partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and more in recent days the U S Forest Function Those contributors over the last year responded to tornadoes and flooding in Iowa hurricane damage in North Carolina and wildfires in California among other natural disasters when contributors are especially visible What happens next for corps members Young corps members were informed Tuesday night to pack up Various started long road trips from their latest assignment to campuses in Vicksburg Mississippi Vinton Iowa Sacramento California and Aurora Colorado Members would receive their allowance and medical coverage through the end of April according to the memo Members were informed in the memo that those who have completed or more of their term would be eligible for a prorated amount of their development award But Kate Raftery who was NCCC director from to announced she s worried about the corps members several of whom were the extraordinary individuals who saw this as a really impactful teaching or career launching pad They were not young people who had been striving to be function members somewhere Raftery announced They were looking for an opportunity to improve their life They were looking for an opportunity to build selected skills and to be part of a population