Over 50 Organizations Sign Letter In Support of AmeriCorps

WASHINGTON, DC – Dozens of organizations signed onto a letter to express concern to Congress following the funding cuts and mass layoffs at AmeriCorps. AmeriCorps is a critical program that connects our country’s youth to the outdoors through the creation of jobs in conservation, disaster relief, and the outdoor economy.

The 59 organizations are all members of the Outdoors Alliance for Kids (OAK), an initiative with the shared goal of helping more children, youth, and families spend quality time outdoors, including National Parks Conservation Association, North American Association for Environmental Education, Sierra Club, The Corps Network, and The Wilderness Society.

“For decades, AmeriCorps has offered young adults an opportunity to serve their communities and a pathway to developing a career,” said Julia Hurwit, campaign manager for OAK. “Each year, tens of thousands of young people leave their marks on our country in a wide range of fields, including education, conservation, journalism, and science. It isn’t just a program that’s being cut; this represents generations of young people in whom we are no longer investing.”

The letter is being released in conjunction with planned visits to Capitol Hill for members to lobby with representatives and senators directly on the importance of the program.

Each year, AmeriCorps creates opportunities for 75,000 young people nationwide to serve, and these various programs benefit many individuals, communities, and fields of service. Projects include trail maintenance, forest resilience, weatherizing homes, developing parks, and protecting against wildfires. For every federal dollar invested, AmeriCorps generates $17 in U.S.-wide economic value through private matching funds and the services its members provide to students and seniors, veterans and their families, and disaster victims.

You can find the full letter on the OAK website here.

The full list of supporting organizations is below: