We are extremely saddened by the termination of several other AmeriCorps programs in West Virginia and many more nationwide. These losses of funding have affected many partner organizations within our region. While our own AmeriCorps program has been unaffected and AFNHA remains fully operational, we mourn these losses and expect serious consequences for our communities.
AFNHA Remains Committed to Serving Our Community
Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area (AFNHA) understands that recent news and rumors regarding funding cuts to AmeriCorps and other programs may be causing concern within our community. We want to assure our current and prospective participants, partners, and supporters that AFNHA remains fully operational and committed to its mission.
We are aware of some specific programs that have been cut in West Virginia. While changes are occurring at the state and national level, we want to be clear that our local operations have not been affected at this time. We are in regular communication with our funding agencies and are actively working to understand the implications for West Virginia organizations.
Our priority is the well-being and success of our participants. We understand that uncertainty can be unsettling, and we want to emphasize our unwavering dedication to providing full support to our Partner Sites and AmeriCorps members. Our track record of support to the central Appalachian forest - its history, culture, natural resources, and forest heritage - speaks to our stability and effectiveness. We will maintain our focus on cultural heritage, conservation, and tourism to support rural community development in western Maryland and the highlands of West Virginia.
We encourage individuals to rely on official communications from AFNHA for accurate information about our programs. We are committed to transparency and will communicate directly with our stakeholders should any changes occur that impact our local operations.
In the meantime, we are enthusiastically continuing our recruitment efforts and look forward to welcoming new Site Partners and AmeriCorps members who will benefit from the opportunities our programs provide. And we are currently exploring how we as an organization can support related projects within our region that have been disrupted. We believe in the power of partnerships and communication across geographic lines and interest areas, with diverse and open participation, and remain confident in our ability to deliver on our promises.
We appreciate the continued trust and support of our community. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us directly at (304) 636-6182, or afnha@afnha.org.
Take Action:
Contact your Members of Congress by email or phone using the outreach tools provided by Voices for National Service, or contribute your service year story to help showcase why we need AmeriCorps.
Donate to the national emergency assistance fund for AmeriCorps members
Related Links:
Learn more about our individual AmeriCorps members and how they are serving their sites and communities. In our 2023-24 member service year, we supported 34 AmeriCorps members at 20 organizations whose sites, programs, and activities were visited by 39,860 individuals. These members delivered educational programs to an audience of over 5,000 individuals, treated and improved 1,052 acres of public land, and managed 1,501 hours of volunteer service.
In 2024, AmeriCorps programs produced federal funding and local project support totalling $31,089,477 in Maryland and $20,808,549 in West Virginia.
Follow America’s Service Commissions and Service Year for the latest news and updates on AmeriCorps.
Find Updates & FAQs for Executive Actions Impacting Nonprofits from WV Nonprofit Association.
See interactive maps with data on policy, funding, and workforce changes and their localized effect from The Impact Project and CAP.
Call to Action: Show Your Support for AmeriCorps
Dear friends and supporters,
Many of you have already read the news that National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) AmeriCorps Members were exited early in mid-April. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) recently began meetings with the AmeriCorps Agency (Corporation for National and Community Service) and is beginning to review their various programs, oversight, and grants management systems. NCCC is just one of several National Service programs administered by CNCS including AmeriCorps State and National, VISTA, and AmeriCorps Seniors. More recently, it’s been reported that most CNCS staff have been laid off and some VISTA and State & National programs have received grant cancellation notices.
AFNHA AmeriCorps is partially funded with a grant from AmeriCorps federal through their State and National program. It is a public-private partnership that has to date provided over 700,000 hours of professional development to its participating members, and the same number of hours to our AFNHA partners for boots on the ground projects in areas such as historic preservation, nature conservation and monitoring, cultural preservation, storytelling, trail building, and education.
Our current understanding is that while AmeriCorps funding remains in place for the current fiscal year, staffing is being cut all across the federal program endangering the viability of this federally legislated and appropriated program. It is now more important than ever that our elected officials and members of the public understand the value of AmeriCorps and its impact in our communities.
We call on you to share how AmeriCorps has impacted you, your community, and our region, and to express your support for National Service.
Take Action:
Contact your Members of Congress by email or phone using the outreach tools provided by Voices for National Service, or contribute your service year story to help showcase why we need AmeriCorps.
Donate to the national emergency assistance fund for AmeriCorps members
Related Links:
Learn more about our individual AmeriCorps members and how they are serving their sites and communities. In our 2023-24 member service year, we supported 34 AmeriCorps members at 20 organizations whose sites, programs, and activities were visited by 39,860 individuals. These members delivered educational programs to an audience of over 5,000 individuals, treated and improved 1,052 acres of public land, and managed 1,501 hours of volunteer service.
In 2024, AmeriCorps programs produced federal funding and local project support totalling $31,089,477 in Maryland and $20,808,549 in West Virginia.
Follow America’s Service Commissions and Service Year for the latest news and updates.
AFNHA AmeriCorps Members Support Local Organizations
AmeriCorps members serving with Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area (AFNHA) recently presented a donation to the Augusta Heritage Center to support their scholarship fund. AmeriCorps members raised funds for this project by organizing a square dance. This was one of several organizations supported by AFNHA AmeriCorps members through their annual community service projects.
