Taking bread orders

And a bunch more thoughts on the harm of defunding AmeriCorps

Good morning bread friends!

This month we’re partnering with Operation Fresh Start to support them in response to the federal government’s abrupt abandonment of funding for AmeriCorps.

Through Operation Fresh Start (OFS) young adults have completed conservation projects in Dane County that improve our public land, manage habitats, build or maintain trails, plant trees, and complete other projects with a focus on members receiving training for future employment in green industry trades.

This OFS land conservation program has existed for over 20 years and is was funded by Americorps. I’m familiar with this program from my time on the Madison City Council. The city’s parks department truly loved this program. More than any other city department, the parks department relies on seasonal employees. In my time serving the city, I had long conversations with the Superintendent of the Parks Department about how proud he was that seasonal employment in his department was an onramp for full time employment within the city, and how great it was that OFS was a real part of that seasonal worker program because it was having a measurable impact on increasing the diversity of skilled applicants for city jobs.

Not only did job opportunities exist within the City for OFS graduates, but arborist apprenticeships are available through City of Madison, Dane County, Capital City Tree Experts, Hooper Corporation, and other employer members of the WI Arborist Association. Plus beyond arbor work… other skilled-trade related apprenticeship opportunities existed for OFS graduates through placement with Findorff & Son, Stevens Construction, and others in our community.

This one individual AmeriCorps program in our community was creating long ripple effects for good. Bringing families into the middle class, beautifying our parks, restoring our land, and uplifting our community for generations to come.

The federal government is not only ending funding for this in the future, but they’ve abruptly betrayed their commitments to fund this for this year… but why?

Certainly not in the name of efficiency.

How do I know that to be true? Because the unique model for AmeriCorps means the Wisconsin AmeriCorps programs received 12.8 million in grant funding this year from AmeriCorp’s program and then leveraged an additional $8.47 million from the private sector, foundations, and other sources – further increasing the return on the federal investment for Wisconsin communities.

If you want to explore some of the family supporting and community enriching programs that President Trump has defunded, and are now likely going extinct, check out this link:

While this administration is actively promoting a fear of their authoritarian backlash that seems to be successfully keeping plenty of people relatively quiet in the face of injustice and general harm being done to our country and to our communities… I do want to acknowledge that this particular offense seems to be bringing people to speak out.

As I sign off for this morning, below I’ve included the full text from an op-ed by a Republican Congressman from Nebraska speaking out against the defunding of AmeriCorps.

In the meantime… be good to each other.
Love you all.
Mo Cheeks

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By Congressman Don Bacon

Why destroy a program that enriches America every day — including in financial returns?

But there’s a difference between common-sense cuts to underperforming or bloated agencies and haphazardly eliminating every program a software engineer fails to appreciate, as the U.S. DOGE Service, or Department of Government Efficiency, is attempting with national service.

AmeriCorps has been one of the most effective public service initiatives of the post-Vietnam era. It allows young Americans to serve their country — many for the first time — through efforts ranging from disaster recovery and food-bank staffing to teaching and tutoring students and supporting our veterans and senior citizens. The program fosters civic pride, develops life-changing job skills and strengthens communities in every corner of this country.

I was honored to serve for nearly 30 years in the U.S. Air Force, and I recognize that not everyone is suited for the military. But many of those patriotic Americans still wish to contribute to our country. AmeriCorps is a way to do that.

These young men and women don’t serve for accolades or headlines — they simply believe in making a difference. And their work, often behind the scenes, brings hope and practical support to thousands of Americans every day. AmeriCorps is national service at its best: voluntary, community-based, impactful and efficient.

If DOGE were genuinely focused on creating a more efficient federal government, it would model everything on AmeriCorps. Unlike most federal agencies, AmeriCorps is almost exclusively directed by state governors, who are always better positioned than Washington to decide where and how to spend and deploy resources. It is a public-private partnership that marries nominal federal investment with matching private contributions. Every federal tax dollar invested in its programs generates a $17 return to society at large through increased earning potential (both by AmeriCorps members and those they serve) and reduced reliance on state and federal government support.

I know of no other federal agency that generates that kind of taxpayer return on investment through positive, measurable outcomes. For these reasons, I am profoundly troubled by the recent wave of national service cuts directed by DOGE.

Not only are we stripping Americans of a chance to serve, but the communities these services support are left scrambling. Teach for America, Habitat for Humanity, City Year, Boys and Girls Clubs, Big Brothers Big Sisters — each of their budgets, workforce and impact will be gutted by these cuts. At the same time, disaster response efforts and AmeriCorps Senior programs that connect senior volunteers with second-act opportunities, including foster grandparents and senior companion programs, are similarly being shut down. These cuts are being implemented without a clear strategy — just an arbitrary push to meet a numeric goal.

It’s a sledgehammer approach when a scalpel is what’s needed.

We can and should focus on eliminating waste, but we must also protect what works. AmeriCorps is not a bloated bureaucracy — it’s a lean, high-return investment in service, leadership and community resilience. With every dollar spent, the return in lives changed and communities improved is undeniable.

At a time when division dominates our headlines, AmeriCorps brings people together around a common purpose. That’s something worth preserving.

I urge my colleagues and the administration to pause and consider the long-term implications of these decisions. If we want to build a stronger nation, we must continue supporting service, not sidelining it.