AmeriCorps Programs in Kansas have been terminated

KACEE Staff
May 2
3 min read

On Friday, April 25, 2025, after business hours, the Kansas Volunteer Commission received word that the entire state AmeriCorps Program has been terminated. KACEE's eeCorps Program is one of their state grantees.

KACEE currently has six AmeriCorps members serving across the state: One at KACEE, one at Great Plains Nature Center in Wichita, one Ernie Miller Nature Center in Olathe, one at Nature Reach in Pittsburg, one at Milford Nature Center in Junction City and one member who was about to begin service at the David Traylor Zoo in Emporia.

Our program, along with all the other programs in Kansas, was terminated as of Friday, April 25th.

KACEE staff attended a meeting on Monday, April 28th with the Volunteer Commission and staff who shared what they know at this time and did their best to give us guidance on how to wind things down. They did mention that it's possible that there may be a Temporary Restraining Order, which would halt the termination for a short period of time, or an Injunction, which could allow us to finish out the final four months of this grant, but that is all an uncertainty.

I've had constant communications with Leonore, who manages this program for KACEE, and we called an emergency meeting with our host sites and AmeriCorps members also on Monday, April 28th. This was one of the most difficult meetings Leonore and I have ever had; having to tell our host sites and more so, our AmeriCorps members, that their programs were done as of last Friday.

You could see the anxiety and upset in their faces. The majority of our members had anticipated serving for four more months and this abrupt end of service may leave some of them in difficult financial situations. I indicated that we'd work to try to find a way to fund their positions through the end of their service term and am putting together requests for emergency funding to do so.

These are remarkable young people who chose to serve, receiving a living allowance that is so low, it qualifies them for SNAP benefits. And they have accomplished so much.

To date, they've provided education programming to more than 7,500 Kansas kids and were on track to reach close to 14,000 by the end of the grant period. Each of our AmeriCorps members expressed concern and asked questions about how their host sites would cover the many programs they have already scheduled. I know of at least one member who has already expressed wanting to volunteer their time to make sure their host site isn't left in the lurch. Leonore is meeting with each member individually as we try to figure out their best path forward.

There is a lot up in the air as of now, but I want to express my profound gratitude to Leonore for navigating this difficult situation with grace and compassion, and to our host site leaders and supervisors for their leadership at this time and their strong interest in supporting their members to the best of their ability.

It is important to note, KACEE is not the only organization in Kansas impacted. In total, 19 organizations have had their grants terminated and 375 service members across the state have had their service ended. The following has been shared by the America's Service Commissions (click on the image to go to their page):

25 states have joined together and filed a lawsuit against the federal government. You can still take action to advocate for AmeriCorps programs like ours.