A major win for AmeriCorps came on Thursday, July 31, when the Senate Appropriations Committee approved its fiscal year 2026/2027 Labor, Health and Human Services (Labor-HHS) bill, providing funding for the national service program. However, the future is still uncertain.
“AmeriCorps in West Virginia provides critical capacity to community organizations that are doing disaster relief, low-income housing, afterschool programs, and a whole variety of projects and programs led by community members to help make their communities be places where people can get ahead, work together, and build a future. AmeriCorps is also one of West Virginia’s premiere workforce development programs, and builds skills and experience in committed and passionate volunteers,” High Rocks Educational Corporation Executive Director Sarah Riley said. “We are grateful to Chairwoman Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), who leads the committee that decides on AmeriCorps funding. We have been in constant contact with her office directly through the past couple of months, and we are thankful for her leadership in working to save AmeriCorps in West Virginia.”
The budget was passed through a bipartisan vote of 26-3 and provides $197 billion in discretionary funding overall. The House Appropriations Committee will mark up its version of the bill later in September. This means that although this is a win, the fight to keep the program continues as the long appropriations process is ongoing and requires continued engagement from the public.
The High Rocks AmeriCorps program, along with nine other West Virginia AmeriCorps programs, was cut unexpectedly in the spring, and the future of the program nationally has been in question ever since. Promising news came over the summer that High Rocks expects to receive a limited number of AmeriCorps slots starting in September 2025, and is actively recruiting AmeriCorps volunteers, while they continue to work to get all the remaining funds for AmeriCorps released for next year. The High Rocks AmeriCorps program is one of seven major programs the organization runs to educate, empower, and inspire young people in West Virginia and beyond, programs that span from campfire to career.
“Ensuring the funding for AmeriCorps in 2026 and beyond shows a commitment toward national service and the communities that benefit from AmeriCorps service, as well as the individuals that serve in the program, gaining valuable experience and college tuition assistance,” Riley said. “AmeriCorps here in West Virginia has always had large bipartisan support. It’s not a political issue, and our programs are so effective and efficient all across the state. It also provides a key workforce development opportunity that helps retain young talent here in West Virginia.”
This is just the beginning of the appropriations process. The House has yet to weigh in. Final decisions on the Federal budget will be made in the months ahead as Congress negotiates final spending levels. At this time, nothing is final, and the threat to national services is still very real.
“We have to keep pushing,” Riley said. “This is a major win, but it is still important to let our representatives know that AmeriCorps is important to our communities. In West Virginia specifically, AmeriCorps has been supported across all party lines because it serves to fill in where other agencies cannot.”
To advocate for AmeriCorps and thank our representatives, please contact Representative Riley Moore at 304-350-6995 and Representative Carol Miller at 681-945-6556. You can also call Senator Jim Justice at 304-342-5855.
