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Wisconsin was among states that sued over the Trump
administration's nearly $400 million cut to AmeriCorps.
Subsequently, a federal court issued a temporary injunction
restoring its programs and funding.
In Wisconsin, about $14 million goes to AmeriCorps programs
in schools, healthcare clinics, and in nonprofits.
Where does all this leave the program in Wisconsin?
We turn to the executive director of Serv Wisconsin,
a state agency that partners with AmeriCorps to recruit
and train volunteer workers who receive stipends
for living expenses.
Jeannie Duffy joins us now, and thanks very much for being here.
Thanks for having me.
So how welcome was the news that the court issued
this temporary injunction?
Oh, it was very welcome.
It was a joyous moment.
It was just a reaffirmation of our work, what we do,
and that the rule of law still stands, that you cannot
illegally terminate grants.
How disruptive so to the programs was the elimination
of the grant.
Oh, it's been a roller coaster, and as you know,
it's a lot easier to break things than to bring things back.
We had almost 400 members serving in April when we got
noticed that the grant terminations, I think the grants
were terminated.
And many of those people are, you know, between ages
and 20 and 25, so they can't sit around and wait for
another six weeks to see if they are going to be brought
back to service.
So a lot of our members have already moved on.
We're very lucky.
Many of our programs kept their members on in service
and many, so they can instantly return to service.
But it's a hard road to hold to bring things back.
When is the purpose of AmeriCorps?
Yes, AmeriCorps is a lovely program.
Well, of course I would say that.
But our mission is to bring people together through service.
And we serve some of our most vulnerable citizens
and communities, and we help connect people in service to
build civic engagement and empathy amongst our citizens
and our young people.
So every year we have over 1,000 young people primarily
serving across the state from, you know, superior down to
Kenosha, and they are doing a variety of things.
And through their service, they are gaining essential
workforce development skills, leadership skills,
communication skills, and learning how to bridge divides
and becoming engaged citizens.
What kinds of programs and where in the state are they?
Yeah, so like I said, we are statewide.
We have members serving at youth shelters statewide,
and they're helping homeless and runaway youth over 1,000
every year get back into safe housing.
And what's so sad about that is it often means not going home.
We, our AmeriCorps members, are primarily known for working
in schools, and every year we help over 17,000 students
through tutoring, after school programs are getting into
college.
Summer is a prime time for AmeriCorps.
We have conservation programs working across the state,
improving over 600 acres of our lands, removing invasive
species, planting trees, doing flood mitigation and work such as that.
Well, a lot of different kinds of programs that people are
working in.
If there's a community need, there's probably an AmeriCorps
member serving there.
So at this point, notwithstanding the young people,
the volunteers, the members, as they're called,
having possibly left, have services returned to normal?
Yes, so we have many programs that staff summer camps,
such as Easter Seals and Boys and Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee.
So Easter Seals runs two summer camps to help people
of all abilities have a quality summer camp experience,
like many kids love, and AmeriCorps members are being
returned to service to help staff those programs in the
Milwaukee area.
You know, parents count on summer camps for child care
during the summer, and we have over 50 members who serve in
summer camps in the Milwaukee area.
So the Boys and Girls Club are bringing those people back
to to help staff the summer camps.
At this point, what is the status of the court process?
So we had the grand terminations April 25th,
and then shortly after the state of Wisconsin joined a
multi-state lawsuit for suing against the illegal
termination of the grants, we have an injunction,
and that was last week, and right now the injunction is
standing, and the federal government has not appealed
the injunction.
But they have up to 60 days to file an appeal.
So in this period of time, while waiting really for a
final resolution, where does that uncertainty leave
people in the program, both those who work for it and
those who are recipients of it?
Yeah, no.
Like I said, it's a roller coaster, and many people
don't want to take the risk, because AmeriCorps is a
cost reimbursement program.
So these nonprofits, they have to expend the money
before they get reimbursed by the federal government.
So by bringing members back, they're putting their own
financial security at risk, and hoping that they'll get
reimbursed by the federal government.
The state of Wisconsin, you know, is providing the
insurances that we can, but it is a risk.
And also we've committed to members too, and so
members have to know that, you know, these are primarily
young people, maybe they're in college, maybe they're not,
but you know, they're counting on this for their summer
experience.
So if it gets terminated, it could disrupt their plans too.
All right.
Well, we will be watching Jeannie Duffy.
Thanks very much.
No, thank you for having me.
For more on this and other issues facing Wisconsin,
visit our website at PBSWisconsin.org,
and then click on the News tab.
That's our program for tonight.
I'm Frederica Freiberg.
Have a good weekend.
Thank you.