The AmeriCorps program has been in the news a lot lately. The national service initiative, which had engaged around 200,000 volunteers across the U.S., was recently all but eliminated by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. According to a lawsuit filed by two dozen states in late April, about 85% of AmeriCorps’ workforce was put on administrative leave this spring.
What is AmeriCorps? A federal agency with the motto “Get things done,” AmeriCorps promotes public service and engages “members” in intensive volunteer programs across the country. More than 1.4 million Americans have served in AmeriCorps over its 30-year history, contributing to causes ranging from education, economic opportunity, disaster relief, environmental stewardship, health, and veterans affairs. AmeriCorps members pledge roughly a year of service and in exchange, receive a small living stipend and an education award that can be used to repay student loans and other higher education costs.
With a similar focus on service and volunteerism, it’s not surprising that many members of the Taproot staff are former AmeriCorps members. Six members of our team of “Roots” (what we at Taproot call ourselves) have served in AmeriCorps—that‘s 15% of our staff!
With the program now drastically cut, we’re reflecting on AmeriCorps’ impact, not just on communities across the country, but also on the lives and careers of our own team. These Roots turned their AmeriCorps experience into a long-term commitment to social change. In their words, “we find purpose, hope, and a call to keep serving.”
Kevin Worked Toward Social Impact
After graduating from college, Advisory Services Consultant Kevin Do had the desire to pursue a “social impact-driven career,” but wasn’t entirely sure how to get there. “I thought that AmeriCorps would be a great way to dedicate a year of my life towards service while learning more about the nonprofit sector and myself.”
Kevin served with City Year Boston where he tutored 5th graders before and after school. While working on math skills with 11-year-olds and creating corporate pro bono programming may not seem connected, Kevin said that his experience actually informs much of his current work with Taproot.
“During my service, I saw the major resource constraints that nonprofits were operating with,” he said. “Despite this, the educators at City Year and from my school showed up each day and gave 110%. I wanted to help close some of those resource gaps and support the people and organizations doing great work.”
Bethany Leaned into Discomfort
Much of Taproot’s work is around harnessing the power of volunteers. For Bethany Sapp, Taproot Plus Accounts Manager, that focus first began during her time with AmeriCorps.
One of the ramps Bethany’s team built for an elderly resident
“I led a group of volunteers in rural eastern Kentucky doing home repairs for seniors—specifically building lots of decks and ramps,” Bethany remembered. Her service was one of Bethany’s first professional experiences in volunteer management, something that’s still part of her job at Taproot. While drilling and sawing wood may not be involved these days, Bethany shared that she’s “still guiding volunteers on how they can utilize their skills to support others.”
Through AmeriCorps, Bethany was immersed in new situations and engaged with perspectives she hadn’t encountered before, creating opportunities to “get more comfortable with being uncomfortable.” Her service set Bethany up with the skills and experience necessary for a future of bringing together nonprofits and volunteers from all walks of life to achieve a common goal.
Bethany and furry friends she made during her AmeriCorps service
Kim Found Fulfillment Through Service
Senior Director of Community Engagement Kim Swartz’s AmeriCorps experience was with NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps), a program originally created by FDR’s New Deal. Like her Great Depression predecessors, Kim’s service was focused on infrastructure projects and restoring natural spaces, including habitat restoration for endangered pollinators in Oregon, building affordable housing in San Francisco, post-flood clean up in Death Valley, and conducting controlled burns to prepare for California’s wildfire season.
Kim operating heavy machinery during an affordable housing build
“My days ‘in office’ at Taproot may look a little different from my AmeriCorps adventures, but there is a through line in the sense of fulfillment you get from investing time and energy in the service of others,” Kim shared.
During her AmeriCorps service, Kim had the opportunity to speak with dozens of nonprofit leaders and learn about the hurdles they faced with traditional funding and volunteering models.
Kim (bottom left) and fellow AmeriCorps members after a long day restoring a butterfly habitat
Emily Welcomed Newcomers
Senior Associate Consultant Emily Carty joined AmeriCorps to develop leadership skills and explore her interest in food justice. She served with FoodCorps in Oakland, California, to help promote healthy eating habits at local schools. “I love working with kids, gardens, and education, so serving with FoodCorps was an intersection of all those interests,” she said.
Emily said that the skills she developed in AmeriCorps were important in advancing her career, including hard skills like project management, fundraising, and event planning, as well as the experience of being immersed with a largely Spanish-speaking population. “I gained so much perspective,” she reflected. “I learned about the challenges faced by students and families who are new to the U.S. and don’t speak English. Schools and other adult figures play a big role in welcoming them to their new life.”
Abbey Found Her People
Giving back and gaining career skills were common reasons why Roots joined AmeriCorps. While taking a break from college, Integrated Marketing Manager Abbey Hambright shared that her service also allowed her to “do something meaningful with my time while I figured myself out.”
Abbey (center right in pink shirt) and fellow AmeriCorps members from the nonprofit she served with.
Abbey served with a nonprofit in Indiana where she created peer mediation and conflict resolution programming in an under-resourced elementary school. She got first-hand experience with the severe lack of resources facing both public education and nonprofit organizations. In the process, she also gained a community of like-minded people who, like her, were looking to make a difference. Abbey shared that her time in AmeriCorps “gave me a focus and a community that changed my life.”
Abbey became a strong advocate for AmeriCorps service, especially for young people who are figuring out their career path, looking to build professional skills, or want to connect with their community. Years after her own service, she even advocated for her partner to join AmeriCorps VISTA, a move that set him on his career path as a grant writer.
Left: Abbey and some of her peer mediators. Right: ”Season of Peace” display Abbey created with young students during a reflection activity
Jeff Discovered a Through-Line in Volunteerism
Another NCCC AmeriCorps Member, Taproot Plus Accounts Director Jeff Brady helped nonprofits and local governments meet critical needs in education, public safety, health, and the environment. He had the opportunity to serve on a wildland fire team, responding to several incidents during his tenure. Later on in his career, Jeff also led multiple national AmeriCorps VISTA programs at the United Way and continues his advocacy as a board member for AmeriCorps Alums DC.
Jeff shared that while he’d traveled and lived in multiple places around the United States in the past, it was his AmeriCorps experience that gave him the deepest appreciation for community and country. “I had never experienced relationships with so many Americans from different places, cultures, religions, and economic backgrounds,” he said, adding that he maintains strong friendships with many of those he served with.
A Continuing Commitment
These stories reflect what’s possible when service is valued, supported, and celebrated. While Roots’ time in AmeriCorps was often years or even decades before they joined Taproot, common threads unite them: a belief in community, a willingness to roll up their sleeves, and a deep commitment to equity and progress.
“It’s no surprise to me that AmeriCorps alums gravitate toward Taproot,” said Kim Swartz. “We are an organization that serves as an activator for nonprofits, companies, foundations, and individuals to reinforce that when we all work together, we’re greater than the sum of our parts.”
Reflecting on his service, Jeff Brady shared his admiration for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s famous quote, “Everybody can be great because everybody can serve.” While we can’t all devote a year to volunteerism as AmeriCorps members do, there are opportunities to give back every day—illustrated by the thousands of hours of impact that Taproot facilitates each year.
“In the end, it’s about people,” Emily Carty reflected. “Our ability to build community, and to share resources equitably and effectively—it matters.”
For Taproot’s AmeriCorps alums, it’s clear that the commitment to serve hasn’t stopped; in fact, it became a lifelong calling. As we look to the future, we’re building on that legacy by creating new ways to serve: connecting professionals with nonprofits through pro bono support. Because when we all bring our skills to the table, we can keep getting things done.
