Another round of cuts happened at AmeriCorps in North Carolina. The governor’s office tells Spectrum News that 202 members were terminated, impacting eight of the 19 programs in the state.
The programs impacted include 22 members of the Duke University N.C. Literary Corps, which is focused on summer reading loss, 55 members of the East Carolina University CARE Corps who provide in-school peer tutoring and 45 members of Project MARS at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina, who the governor’s office said were supporting students impacted by Helene.
In a statement to Spectrum News, North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein said:
“I was extremely disappointed to see that there has been yet another round of federal cuts impacting the AmeriCorps programs in N.C., including volunteers on the front lines of disaster recovery in western North Carolina. I urge the federal government to reverse course and ensure these AmeriCorps members are able to continue their impactful service across our state, especially helping the people in the mountains rebuild.”
AmeriCorps has not responded to a request for comment.
The governor’s office said other impacted programs in the latest round of cuts include 25 members focused on conservation at Conserving Carolina, 14 members serving as Academic Enrichment Specialists or Community Resource Specialists in Buncombe County and nine members building and maintaining community gardens in Beaufort County.
The cuts come after 52 AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps members focused on Helene recovery were recalled earlier this month in North Carolina. Members were working with the United Way of Asheville Buncombe County, Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity and other organizations.
The unsigned memo to corps members Tuesday said NCCC’s “ability to sustain program operations” was affected by the Trump administration’s priorities. The federal agency’s budget showed NCCC funding amounted to nearly $38 million last fiscal year.
A White House official said the Trump administration questioned using taxpayer money for the program. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.
On Tuesday, State Attorney General Jeff Jackson filed suit against AmeriCorps, accusing it of unlawfully halting grants approved by Congress for Hurricane Helene recovery.
The federal money was allocated to job creation, storm cleanup and aid for families to rebuild, Jackson said.
"AmeriCorps violated the Administrative Procedures Act and the U.S. Constitution by not administering grants that Congress has already appropriated," Jackson and attorneys general for at least 20 other states say.
“AmeriCorps must follow the law so that people in western North Carolina can confidently move forward,” Jackson said.
AmeriCorps NCCC, which completed its 30th year last year, employs more than 2,000 people ages 18 to 26 participating for a roughly 10-month service term, according to the program’s website. Teams of corps members are tasked with working on projects related to education, housing, urban and rural development, land conservation and disaster relief across the country.
The agency pays for NCCC members basic expenses, including housing, meals and a “limited health benefit,” as well as a “modest” living allowance and an education stipend for those who complete their full service term, according to the program.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.