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

By HANNAH FINGERHUT Associated Press DES MOINES Iowa AP A -year-old neighborhood utility plan that sends young adults to work on projects across the U S was the latest target of the Trump administration s campaign to slash executive spending AmeriCorps National Civilian Public Corps informed contributors Tuesday that they would exit the plan early due to programmatic circumstances beyond your control according to an email obtained by The Associated Press The unsigned memo to corps members disclosed NCCC s ability to sustain undertaking operations was impacted by the Trump administration s priorities and President Donald Trump s executive order creating the Department of Regime Efficiency Members would be officially dismissed April AmeriCorps did not respond Wednesday to an AP email seeking comment What plan 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 initiative s website The teams of corps members are tasked with working on several projects related to mentoring housing urban and rural advance land conservation and tragedy relief driving from one assignment to another across the country The agency pays for helpers basic expenses including housing meals and a limited fitness benefit as well as a modest living allowance according to the scheme The undertaking also provided members who complete their -hour amenity term with funding for future schooling expenses or to apply to certain novice loans That benefit was worth about this operation year Funding for AmeriCorps and NCCC has long been scrutinized when Congress talks of budget trims The federal agency s budget indicated NCCC funding amounted to nearly million last fiscal year A White House official explained the Trump administration questioned using taxpayer money for the initiative 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 district and faith-based based organizations nonprofits schools cities and tribes Various of the up-to-date organization 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 Crisis Management Agency and more lately the U S Forest Organization Those assistants 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 helpers are especially visible What happens next for corps members Young corps members were advised Tuesday night to pack up Numerous 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 robustness coverage through the end of April according to the memo Members were advised 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 declared she s worried about the corps members countless of whom were the distinctive subjects who saw this as a really impactful teaching or career launching pad They were not young people who had been striving to be organization members somewhere Raftery revealed They were looking for an opportunity to improve their life They were looking for an opportunity to build specific skills and to be part of a locality