When DOGE Cut AmeriCorps Positions Locally, Local Agencies and Members Refused to Give Up

When the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) abruptly terminated several AmeriCorps programs late in April, hundreds of AmeriCorps members across California—including many in Humboldt, Mendocino, and Trinity counties—were left without jobs, clear guidance, and, in a few cases, a place to live. But in the face of uncertainty, local agencies and determined volunteers are finding ways to continue serving their communities.

An email from Regina Wong, Project Manager at the California Capital Center, broke the news to some members at 7:31 p.m. on Sunday, April 27. “This means service must be discontinued effective immediately. This means you should NOT report to your sites on Monday, April 28, 2025,” the email read. It marked a sudden end for programs like Birth & Beyond, Prevent Abuse Through Home Visitation, and the Foster Youth Initiative, which provide critical support to vulnerable families.

Ashley Farrington’s team was working out of cell phone service in a remote area of Trinity County when DOGE’s cuts hit. “[W]e had been clearing out campsites,” she explained describing the team’s work removing invasive plants, repairing trails, and clearing campsites.

The group’s housing arrangements and daily life were deeply intertwined with their AmeriCorps positions. Their tents were provided as part of the job, and their vehicles which carried their tools and personal belongings were assigned through the program.

They were forced to pack up camp, abandon their work, and return to Sacramento to turn in government equipment and paperwork. Within 48 hours, many were on flights home, leaving their temporary homes and their tight-knit community behind.

“It was a very quick turnaround,” Farrington said. For some, it was more than a logistical challenge; it meant losing not just a job but also the place they were living, their sense of purpose, and their community—all at once.

“It was a big switch-up,” she reflected. The team’s work had given them a sense of stability, camaraderie, and a chance to make a difference. The sudden loss of all of that—without warning—left them feeling stranded. “Luckily,” she told us, “I do have my parents to fall back on, where I could go and stay but I know some of my friends, they kind of had to scramble to start calling people to be like, ‘Can I stay with you? I’m coming home.'”

Even for those who had their own apartments, the abrupt termination was rough. “It was just devastating,” said Lauren Beaman, a case manager at the McKinleyville Family Resource Center who found herself abruptly unemployed despite her ongoing caseload. “I went in [to work the next day] anyways,” she said, describing the personal relationships and trust she had built with clients over months of service. “I met with some clients…that I’m in the middle of working on stuff with, so I didn’t want to not meet with them. Some of them I’ve been working with for over a year, and I know that they would be really devastated to just lose that relationship.”

She described the profound impact of her work with local residents: “Some of my clients, I’ll never forget, like they’re people that I grew to really love, and they’re people that came in and they were struggling, and now they’re helped,” she said. “One client [I] helped leave a domestic violence situation and moved to another state. I helped another client through a really ugly divorce… And… clients that I have [helped with] them overcoming  addiction, they’re still coming in, and they have a long-term relationships with this center… .”

For AmeriCorps member Kyle Groben, who served through the AFACTR program, the news was a gut punch personally as he struggled to figure out how to deal with his own finances and it was painful because he worried about those he was working with. “I was helping people out with submitting tax forms and helping people out with legal paperwork and getting them referred to legal services throughout county,” he said. Groben’s role also included identifying people who could benefit from programs like CalWORKs and CalFresh, and helping them get signed up. “I’d make sure they had what they needed,” he explained.

Groben also worked helping distribute supplies for Food for People and at the Blue Lake Senior Center.  “It’s whoever comes in the door, and you figure out what they need and how you can help them out,” he said.

He noted that AmeriCorps workers were spread throughout Humboldt County and their services were lost to the communities: “There was four scattered across Eureka, one in McKinleyville, one in Bridgeville, one in Redway/Garberville” and other areas that he didn’t name.

For Lorey Keele, Community Services Director at Redwood Community Action Agency, the cuts highlight a deeper challenge. “AmeriCorps members have always been essential, helping families with everything from food distribution to transportation to navigating social services,” Keele explained.

The work done by AmeriCorps in Humboldt County has been vital in addressing some of the highest rates of reported child abuse in the state. “We’re second or third in California in terms of child abuse cases,” Keele believes. “AmeriCorps has been a crucial partner in keeping kids and families out of that system and giving them the support they need before things get worse…Losing them hits hard, but we’re committed to filling that gap however we can.”

Locally, the loss of AmeriCorps members hit hard, but the response was helpful. “Initially I was really angry… and devastated,” said Lauren Beaman, an AmeriCorps case manager at the McKinleyville Family Resource Center. “The very next day, Taffy Stockton…was on it, and she was organizing, and I know that all the executive directors from all the family resource centers came together to fight for their AmeriCorps…. I’m grateful that the community cares about us, and I felt really loved and cared about.”

In Southern Humboldt, the shockwaves reached the Family Resource Center in Redway. But local agencies rallied not just there but all around the County. Amy Terrones, Southern Humboldt Family Resource Center Coordinator explained, “Within 24 hours of the cut, Redwood Community Action Agency and Child Welfare Services signed an agreement to reinstate AmeriCorps members using local funds.” Five of the nine AmeriCorps members who had previously worked in Humboldt for local agencies chose to stay on. Others had already accepted other opportunities by the time the agreements were solidified.

Meanwhile, for Ashley Farrington’s AmeriCorps conservation crew, the work felt too important to walk away from and they were excited about seeing remote areas of Humboldt County. She said the crew wanted “the experience of seeing the place that everybody was really hyping up around, how beautiful it was.”

She and four of her teammates organized a return as volunteers for BLM, using a GoFundMe campaign to cover travel and food while they continued their trail maintenance and conservation work on the rugged Lost Coast. Her team’s fundraiser raised more than enough to cover their flights and basic expenses and they were set to come to the Lost Coast in early June to continue trail maintenance and conservation work. “[W]e had committed these few months left—like now we have nothing to do, so why not take the opportunity to try and keep volunteering?” she explained.

Although DOGE’s terminations have disrupted many lives—and forced local agencies to scramble for funding—the determination of both AmeriCorps members and local organizations is clear. Whether by volunteering, finding alternative funding, or forging new partnerships, many folks are determined not to let vital services disappear.

The impact of AmeriCorps goes beyond staffing. “Some of my clients, I’ll never forget,” said Beaman. “I’ve helped people leave domestic violence, navigate divorces, and overcome addiction. These are life-changing services, and AmeriCorps gave me the tools and the support to do that work.”

Amy Terrones, Community Resources Director at the Southern Humboldt Community Health Care District, emphasized that while AmeriCorps’ abrupt exit was painful, local agencies quickly scrambled to keep key positions. “Redwood Community Action Agency and Child Welfare Services signed a contract and an MOU to reinstate AmeriCorps members using local funding,” she said. “Five of the nine members in Humboldt chose to stay on. It felt like there was a lot of positivity and collaboration despite the sudden loss.”

Terrones remains optimistic. “I like the AmeriCorps programs for so many reasons, but I’m optimistic we’ll find a way to continue,” she said. “Our ultimate goal is to provide services to the community. I think we’ll be able to make that happen, even if it means restructuring how we do things.”

Lorey Keele, Community Services Director at Redwood Community Action Agency, underscored the scale of the challenge. “For years, we’ve had anywhere from nine to a dozen AmeriCorps members each year. They’ve been essential in distributing food, helping families get CalFresh, finding housing, and supporting seniors,” she explained. “When DOGE pulled the plug, it threatened so many of those connections.”

But Keele said the local agencies are working hard to bridge the gap. “We’ve been able to squeak out a little money from other sources to keep some positions going until the end of June,” she said. “Our AmeriCorps members are so well-trained and dedicated that many of them found jobs within the first week of the cut. They’re that good.”

The broader impact of DOGE’s cuts is being felt statewide. “I read an article that said they were going after more than 400 agencies, and AmeriCorps was one of them,” Beaman said. “The Heritage Foundation has been trying to get rid of AmeriCorps since it started. They see it as a waste of money. But here in Humboldt, we know how essential it is.”

The future of AmeriCorps in Humboldt County remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: local organizations and volunteers are determined to continue serving the community. As Keele said, AmeriCorps members have been essential to making local programs work. She told us that they have “been able to provide additional service…to family resource centers by helping distribute food bags and food stuff to people who were low income, to helping to get elderly people to and from their doctor’s appointment, helping people find a house and helping people find jobs, helping people…create job descriptions and resumes.”

Even in the face of federal cuts, that commitment endures.