The budget proposal released by the White House last week calls for the total elimination of AmeriCorps and Senior Corps, two programs that enable us to live out the American tradition of serving our country. We should all be wondering what the loss of such an integral, if often humbly invisible, thread of our communities' fabric would mean.

AmeriCorps, Senior Corps and other national service programs place dedicated individuals in full-time service positions at local organizations in every state. Maryland alone hosts over 2,000 AmeriCorps members and 5,600 Senior Corps members, who all serve full-time to carry out local solutions to community needs. Federal funding through AmeriCorps and Senior Corps helps Maryland-based programs recruit, train and place these members, as well as to help cover the cost of their minimal benefits and living allowances. These programs cost very little and are extremely effective, both in Maryland and across the country.

The proposed elimination of these programs is based on an ideology that is not new. Federal grant-making agencies and social programs have always faced resistance from strict proponents of "small government" and reduced federal spending. However, national service has a history of transcending this sort of anti-spending rhetoric. Once legislators (of all political persuasions) have the chance to learn about national service, they realize how important and effective the investment is.

If the new administration truly understood national service programs like AmeriCorps and Senior Corps, no budget proposal would ever include their elimination. While Congress considers the White House's proposal, it is our job to help members (especially those who are new) learn about what these programs are, and how critically important they are to their districts.

First, any budget proposal that is truly committed to "America First" would never consider eliminating AmeriCorps. At its very core, AmeriCorps aims to strengthen our country by putting the needs of local communities first. Each year, AmeriCorps engages over 80,000 dedicated individuals who place their communities' goals ahead of their own. AmeriCorps allows local programs to obtain the support they require in order to meet their neighborhoods' most pressing needs. Those needs fall into a wide range of categories, spanning from education to disaster relief or job training. In response, AmeriCorps provides cross-issue support to locally generated solutions.

President Donald Trump's new $1.15 trillion budget would reshape America's government with the broad, conservative strokes he promised as a candidate, ordering generous increases for the military, slashing domestic programs and riling both fellow Republicans and Democrats by going after favored...

President Donald Trump's new $1.15 trillion budget would reshape America's government with the broad, conservative strokes he promised as a candidate, ordering generous increases for the military, slashing domestic programs and riling both fellow Republicans and Democrats by going after favored...

Second, if job creation is actually a serious goal of the new administration, it should be expanding the number of available AmeriCorps and Senior Corps positions — not reducing them. Senior Corps offers seniors a chance to serve, but also a chance to share their professional experience with younger individuals just entering the workforce. AmeriCorps provides all participants, but especially young people, the opportunity to gain significant professional experience. As an AmeriCorps alum myself, I cannot begin to express how valuable my experience as a member was. I gained transferable skills, a deeper understanding of Baltimore, the city I now call home, and a sense of direction that I did not have when I left college. Without this experience, I would not have the job I have today.

Here’s a snapshot of the mission and history of the 19 independent agencies President Trump said he would stop funding entirely under his “budget blueprint.” Trump’s proposal also calls for deep cuts in other agencies and departments, including the Environmental Protection Agency and the State...

Here’s a snapshot of the mission and history of the 19 independent agencies President Trump said he would stop funding entirely under his “budget blueprint.” Trump’s proposal also calls for deep cuts in other agencies and departments, including the Environmental Protection Agency and the State...

Third, a balanced budget craves agencies as effective and comprehensive as AmeriCorps. Federal student loans are repaid when members receive their education award. There is a return on investment of $3.95 for every $1 the government invests in AmeriCorps programs. And perhaps most importantly, the public-private partnerships generated by national service actually reduce the need for government spending on a wide variety of social services.

AmeriCorps works to bring together people of all shapes, beliefs and histories to cultivate and safeguard the very best America. The groups that partner with AmeriCorps are community- and state-led organizations whose faiths, sizes and missions vary widely; however, all of them are unified in their conviction that we are better when we serve something greater than ourselves. They all understand that the relationship between a citizen and her community is symbiotic; one simply cannot exist without the participation of the other.

As budget negotiations unfold in Washington, our new representatives must gain this same kind of understanding. As a result, it is my hope that they will reject any proposal that does not protect AmeriCorps and national service. As Marylanders who see this impact in our own communities, and as Americans who value community service, we should all help our representatives in Congress reach this conclusion.

Jackie Simon is a volunteer with Service Year Alliance. Her email is jackie.simon89@gmail.com.

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