PORTAGE, WIS. — The future of AmeriCorps is in limbo following the Trump administration’s decision to place most of its staff members on administrative leave.

In mid-April, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) took that action as part of its mission to cut government spending.

AmeriCorps is a national service program with hundreds of thousands of volunteers.

Serve Wisconsin, the state agency that oversees AmeriCorps programs in Wisconsin, had all of its funding terminated, according to Madison 365. 

That eliminated the jobs of 430 AmeriCorps members in the state.

It also stopped work at more than 300 sites statewide, including schools, clinics and homeless shelters.

Joli Guenther is the executive director at the Wisconsin Association for Homeless and Runaway Services (WAHRS).

That’s a statewide collective of organizations providing shelter and services to unhoused youth.

Guenther said her organization currently has 13 AmeriCorps members. Some of those members provide support to youth in crisis.

“They have somebody that is able to respond onsite, meet with that young person if needed,” she said. “They're able to give them things like clothing, food.”

Guenther said the cuts to AmeriCorps could have an impact on the safety of kids experiencing homelessness.

“There will be young people who are not reached,” she said. “There will be calls from police that are not able to be responded to when they have a young person that has been located on the street and that they are not able to return to their home.”

Dozens of programs across the state are impacted by the loss of about $14 million in federal AmeriCorps funding allocated to Wisconsin.

Jeanne Duffy is the executive director of Serve Wisconsin, which administers the funding to sites across the state.

“It was a shock,” she said. “I’m kind of shocked that it was a shock because we have been watching DOGE cut USAID and cancer research effective immediately. So why we didn't assume that this would happen to us and be better prepared?”

Gov. Tony Evers is part of the effort to sue the Trump administration over the cuts. He said the move will hurt Wisconsin kids and the people whose livelihood depends on the work. 

Duffy said this lawsuit is a step in the right direction, but she said she worries the damage caused to some organizations is already irreparable.

“We’ve broken the trust with our programs and members,” she said. “Will they come back when we can't guarantee this won't happen in the future?”

Guenther said WAHRS is committed to supporting AmeriCorps members without federal funding for at least the month of May.

She said after that, the future is uncertain.

“We know that there absolutely will be cutbacks in losses in our services,” Guenther said. “We really are looking at what does it take in order to support these members.”