I don’t remember exactly what I earned during my AmeriCorps term — just under $13,000, I think. I qualified for food stamps.

I shared a one-bedroom basement apartment with four other people. I drove a beat up Nissan pick truck through St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, building floor systems and hanging siding for new homes meant to replace those destroyed Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

But what I remember most are the people. A crew of volunteers — politically, racially, and religiously diverse — united by one thing: a belief that America is better when neighbors show up for one another.

That term of service changed me. It grounded me in community. It introduced me to some of the most selfless people I have ever met. And it launched a career built around a simple idea: that service — real, grassroots, people-powered service — can change lives.

That’s what AmeriCorps does. Quietly. Every day. In communities large and small, urban and rural, across all 50 states.

Which is why what is happening in Washington right now is so damaging.

Since April, the Trump administration has taken aggressive steps to dismantle AmeriCorps. The newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) abruptly terminated nearly $400 million in AmeriCorps grant funding — cutting off support to more than 1,000 nonprofits and 32,000 service members, including AmeriCorps Seniors. More than 750 FEMA Corps and NCCC members were issued stop-work orders with no notice. Over 85% of agency staff were dismissed, halting key functions like enrollment, member deployment, and grant disbursement.

These actions do not just jeopardize a federal agency; they destabilize community-based programs that serve children, seniors, veterans, disaster survivors, and so many others.

Here in Connecticut, those cuts landed hard.

At Big Brothers Big Sisters of Connecticut, we operate a Foster Grandparent Program, which gets 90% of its funding through AmeriCorps Seniors. It is simple and powerful: low-income older adults mentor children in under-resourced classrooms across Hartford, New Britain, Windham, Norwich, and New London. Many serve up to 40 hours a week, offering one-on-one support to students who need extra guidance and care.

In the past year alone, our Foster Grandparents helped nearly 400 children catch up to their peers. Without AmeriCorps, this program and others like it will have to shut down.

Thankfully, there is a path forward. The State of Connecticut joined 23 other states and the District of Columbia in suing the administration over the termination of funding awards. Just recently, a federal court issued a preliminary injunction, allowing participating states to restore AmeriCorps programs to status quo as of April 25.

This is a major win for communities like ours, but it is far from a total fix. The ruling provides no relief to the 26 states and territories not included in the suit. Tens of thousands of AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers remain without support. Their service terms have ended, their stipends and education awards are frozen, and their work has been cut short.

And the President’s FY26 budget still calls for the complete elimination of AmeriCorps.

That would be a tragic mistake.

AmeriCorps is one of the most effective, efficient, bipartisan service models our country has ever created. Each year, it mobilizes over 200,000 members to address local needs — tutoring students, supporting disaster relief, fighting hunger, helping seniors age with dignity. AmeriCorps members aren’t flown in by Washington — they’re recruited locally to respond to their communities’ needs.

While serving, corps members develop job skills and a commitment to the common good. For older adults, service reduces social isolation, builds purpose, and offers meaningful connection at a time in life when those things are often in short supply.

AmeriCorps works. That’s why nonprofits, schools, and faith-based organizations across the country depend on it. That’s why I believe in it. And that’s why I’m asking our federal delegation to act now.

Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, and U.S. Reps. John Larson, Joe Courtney, Rosa DeLauro, Jim Himes, and Jahana Hayes — please protect AmeriCorps. Restore full funding. Defend the people and communities this program serves. And speak out against the continued politicization of national service.

This is not about partisanship. It’s about people. It’s about keeping teachers supported, children mentored, homes rebuilt, and local nonprofits equipped to meet rising needs.

AmeriCorps taught me that service is one of the purest expressions of citizenship. We need more of it—not less. And in this moment, we need leaders who understand that public service is worth preserving.

Let’s not dismantle what’s working. Let’s protect it—and make it stronger.

Ryan Matthews is a West Hartford resident and serves as the Vice President of Programs at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Connecticut and a Commissioner on the Connecticut Commission on Community Service.