Cuts to AmeriCorps funding from the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency mean several nonprofit programs in East Tennessee have been cut.
AmeriCorps is a nationwide group that places volunteers with nonprofits all over the country, usually for a year of service and often with a stipend to cover their cost of living or help paying for schooling. Losing funding means that 286 people involved in AmeriCorps have had their programs eliminated, just in East Tennessee.
WVLT News received a list of affected programs from a representative for CAC AmeriCorps, which operates out of Knoxville and saw more than 50 people lose their jobs after the cuts came down.
AmeriCorps Program Eliminations in East Tennessee
| PROGRAM OFFICE | ORGANIZATION | PROJECT | AWARDED PARTICIPANTS | ORG CITY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AmeriCorps State and National | CLINCH-POWELL RESOURCE CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, INC. | Appalachia CARES / AmeriCorps | 82 | Rutledge |
| AmeriCorps State and National | TENNESSEE’S COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE CORPORATION | Community Cares | 46 | Morristown |
| AmeriCorps VISTA | Knoxville Knox County Community Action Committee | Knoxville Knox County Community Action Committee | 19 | Knoxville |
| AmeriCorps State and National | Knoxville Knox County Community Action Committee | Environmental Corps | 43 | Knoxville |
| AmeriCorps State and National | Emerald Youth Foundation | T.E.A.M. | 73 | Knoxville |
| AmeriCorps State and National | East Tennessee State University | East Tennessee State University – AmeriCorps Planning Grant | 0 | Johnson City |
| AmeriCorps State and National | The Appalachian Regional Coalition on Homelessness | Housing First Service Corps | 23 | Johnson City |
Source: CAC AmeriCorpsGet the dataCreated with Datawrapper
WVLT News also spoke with several of those program leaders. Here’s what they all do and what each group had to say about the cuts:
East Tennessee State University – AmeriCorps Planning Grant
Announced last year, East Tennessee State University received almost $75,000 for their program as part of the 2024-25 Volunteer Tennessee grant initiative.
That grant went towards a program that supported veterans by advising them academically and helping them and their families transition back into civilian life after serving.
ETSU sent WVLT News the following statement about the cuts:
Earlier this week, East Tennessee State University was notified that a $75,000 AmeriCorps Planning Grant that the university received last fall has been terminated. The terminated Planning Grant was focused on helping ETSU expand its services to veterans within seven counties in Northeast Tennessee in addition to supporting our student veterans. While this grant would have enabled ETSU to serve a larger population, its loss does not affect our current efforts to serve military-affiliated students who are enrolled at ETSU. East Tennessee State University
The Housing First program places volunteers at host sites across northeast Tennessee, Chattanooga, Morristown and Paris, Tennessee. Those volunteers work to reduce homelessness in the area by offering housing and social services.
“The purpose of the Housing First Program is to provide access points in every county we serve to provide the homeless with resources they so desperately need,” the program’s website reads.
Knoxville Knox County Community Action Committee AmeriCorps
The Knoxville-area AmeriCorps group works with several nonprofits in and around Knox County. Those nonprofits include programs run by the University of Tennessee, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the City of Knoxville and plenty of others. 52 positions were eliminated, including Megan Rockefeller’s at Beardsley Community Farm.
“It’s just really hard to watch that fall apart is the word or not considered to be as valuable as I know the program is,” she said about the farm, which helps get food into the hands of those in need. “I know these people really need help and they just lost 50% of their staff.”
Jason Scott is the director of CAC AmeriCorps. He spoke about why the cuts came down the pipeline.
“The reason consistently cited is that it was determined that our programs no longer effectuate the priorities of the AmeriCorps agency,” he said. “What we have been doing for three decades for the state of Tennessee and across the entire country is no longer in alignment.”
Those now-cut programs had a big impact on the area, according to Beardsley director Charlotte Rodina.
“It’s really hitting home for people that the cuts that are being made are really going to impact Knoxville and our community members, especially our most vulnerable community members,” Rodina said. “We won’t be able to do as much with half of the amount of people that we’re used to.”
Emerald Youth Foundation – T.E.A.M.S.
Emerald Youth provided WVLT News a statement on the AmeriCorps cuts:
The AmeriCorps program has been a critical part of our work with young people for many years.
We were very surprised by its immediate termination, and yet, we press on because our mission for our community’s young people is so urgent.
Every child, in every neighborhood deserves the opportunity for the kind of full life Jesus spoke of in John 10:10, and now, more than ever – especially with this key loss of funding – we need the community’s help to make this a reality in our cityEmerald Youth Foundation
The Tennessee Community Assistance Corporation (TCAC) oversees Community Cares. The program helps out at-risk populations in rural East Tennessee areas with several issues.
Specifically, Community Cares works with those in poverty, seniors, people who are disabled and kids. The group facilitates after-school programs, distributes food an does more for the population around Morristown.
Krystal Gibbons, the executive director of TCAC, provided the following statement via email:
It is hard to say at this time what the impact of these cuts will be. We are heartbroken to have this program terminated so abruptly. For over 20 years this program has been a vital part of Tennessee’s Community Assistance Corporation. We will continue to work with statewide partners and members to lessen the impact of this abrupt termination.
Our Community Cares members were serving in various capacities through youth after school tutoring, assisting the elderly, and construction of affordable housing. Their service was very valuable to Tennessee’s Community Assistance Corporation and our partners. It is sad that this decision to terminate such an important program doesn’t echo that same gratitude.Krystal Gibbons, TCAC Executive Director
The Appalachia CARES program works across Tennessee with partner organizations. Volunteers get placed into an organization to help with housing support and education, home repairs for those in need and environmental initiatives.
Appalachia CARES’ website lists several of its partners, which include Habitat for Humanity, Tennessee State Parks and Appalachian Ministries of the Smokies.
WVLT News is expecting word from Appalachia CARES outlining the impact of the cuts.
Story courtesy of WVLT
