AmeriCorps Funding Cuts

This April, we received notice from the Illinois Department of Human Services that our AmeriCorps program was terminated by the Department of Government Efficiency. Nature At The Confluence is one of over 1,000 AmeriCorps host sites nationwide that received cancellation notice this spring, affecting more than 30,000 AmeriCorps members. Despite the

program cut, we chose to hire Isabelle – who was slated to be our AmeriCorps member- to honor the commitment we made and hire her as an employee with our organizational funds. Our summer intern is vital to our mission of creating community connections. Already in her first two weeks, Isabelle helped lead field trips, guided volunteers in removing invasive species, and cleaned litter out of Kelly Creek. As a small staff, having a third person makes a huge difference in what we are able to provide to our community. We are asking you to reach out to your federal legislators and let them know how these AmeriCorps cuts affect your community: https://voicesforservice.org/take-action/contact-congress/

Nature At The Confluence has benefited from this federal service program since our inception, and I have personally served two AmeriCorps terms that shaped my professional trajectory. In 2018 I served through AmeriCorps at the Northern Illinois Food Bank, helping deliver free meals to children and families, which taught me a great deal about creating programs to serve the needs of people. In 2020, I served through AmeriCorps at Severson Dells and coordinated community science programs and the 815 Outside program, which revealed to me the vast and unique network of people who want to protect our natural world and call our Stateline area home. Without my AmeriCorps experiences, I would not be in this role today, and most other past AmeriCorps members say the same. I join nature center and nonprofit leaders across the country in saying: we are devasted by the decision.