A Message from The Corps Network’s Government Relations Team: Planning for a Government Shutdown – January/February 2026
By Danielle Owen and Meghan Castellano Shea
Read this blog from The Corps Network’s Government Relations Team about recent updates from Washington and what they mean for the Service and Conservation Corps community.
2:42 p.m. ET on February 3, 2026
On the afternoon of February 3, the House passed an updated Fiscal Year (FY26) funding package that includes appropriations for the Labor, Health, and Human Services (LHHS), Defense, State-Foreign Operations, Transportation-HUD, and Financial Services bills, along with a two-week continuing resolution for the Homeland Security bill. The LHHS bill funds AmeriCorps and the Department of Labor, while the Homeland Security bill funds Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The package now awaits the President’s signature. Once enacted, eleven of the twelve annual federal funding bills for FY26 will have been completed.
Now that the updated package, including the two-week CR for the Homeland Security bill, has been passed, Congress has just under two weeks to put together a final full-year FY26 Homeland Security funding bill that can garner enough support to pass both chambers and be signed into law.
On Monday night, the House Rules Committee met and voted along party lines to advance the funding package. Late Tuesday morning, the House adopted the rule governing debate, with Republicans voting 217 to 215 to move the package forward. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) was the only Republican to oppose the procedural vote. After one hour of debate on final passage, the House voted to pass the updated funding package by a vote of 217 to 214. 21 Democrats voted in support of the measure AND 21 Republicans voted against it.
Also on Monday, several House Republicans discussed attaching the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act to the package. The bill would require individuals to show proof of citizenship in person to register to vote in federal elections. Although the House passed the SAVE Act in April 2025, it has not passed the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) stated that attaching the SAVE Act would jeopardize the package’s chances in the Senate. President Trump similarly posted on Truth Social that the package should be sent to his desk “WITHOUT DELAY” and that there should be “NO CHANGES at this time.” As a result, the proposal to attach the SAVE Act did not advance.
A Message from The Corps Network’s Government Relations Team: Government Shutdown – Fall 2025
By Danielle Owen and Meghan Castellano Shea
Read this blog from The Corps Network’s Government Relations Team about recent updates from Washington and what they mean for the Service and Conservation Corps community.
Updated 11:12 a.m. ET on November 13, 2025
As of November 13, the federal government shutdown has ended. Earlier this week, the Senate passed an amended version of the House-passed Continuing Resolution (CR), and on Wednesday evening, the House voted on that updated measure. As a reminder, the amended CR that the Senate passed:
- Extends current funding levels through January 30, 2026
- Includes three full-year appropriations bills: Agriculture, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction-Veterans Affairs
- Reverses shutdown-related layoffs and restricts future cuts
- Provides back pay for all federal workers
Ultimately, by a vote of 222 to 209, the House passed the amended CR. Six Democrats voted yes on the measure, and two Republicans voted no. The six Democrats listed below who voted to pass the CR represent swing districts.
- Jared Golden (D-ME)
- Adam Gray (D-CA)
- Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA)
- Don Davis (D-NC)
- Henry Cuellar (D-TX)
- Tom Suozzi (D-NY)
Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Greg Steube (R-FL) were the only House Republicans to vote against advancing the measure.
Late Wednesday night, President Trump signed the amended CR into law, formally ending the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
With the shutdown resolved, other developments on Capitol Hill continue to unfold.
Yesterday, Representative Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) was sworn into office. She was elected in a special election held on September 23 to fill the Congressional seat previously held by her father, the late Rep. Raúl Grijalva.
An extension of Affordable Care Act (ACA) healthcare subsidies was a key priority for Democrats during the government shutdown. To help reach a deal to reopen the government, Senate Republicans agreed to hold a vote on the extension by mid-December. Meanwhile, House Democrats are considering a discharge petition to extend the subsidies for three years. This procedural tool allows a majority of House members (218 signatures) to bring a bill directly to the floor, bypassing committee leadership. If all Democrats sign on, only four Republican members would need to join them.
As for the remaining nine Fiscal Year 2026 funding bills, reports indicate the Senate is preparing a package of four to vote on next week. They plan to use the House-passed Fiscal Year 2026 Defense spending bill as the legislative vehicle, replacing its text with the Senate versions of the Defense, Labor-Health and Human Services (LHHS), Commerce-Justice-Science, and Transportation-HUD bills.
Corps Impact Highlight: Food Security
Food insecurity impacts approximately 13.5% of Americans.
Corps have a history of providing access to food and supporting community nutrition. In 2024, Corps distributed thousands of meals to those in need. Among larger programs, AmeriCorps NCCC led the way with 44,416 meals provided, while The Sustainability Institute topped the list for smaller Corps with 3,091 meals distributed.
In addition to food distribution, many Corps also grow food. Several organizations – including Civic Works, Green City Force, and the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps – cultivate fresh produce for populations in need and provide community education on agriculture and healthy cooking, all while also giving Corpsmembers the opportunity to learn valuable skills in farming and communication. Los Angeles Conservation Corps leads a program to divert food from the landfill, helping feed hundreds of people and reducing the environmental impact of food waste.
Right now, the 42 million Americans who receive SNAP benefits face uncertainty as questions remain about the distribution of food stamps during the ongoing government shutdown. As we enter the season of giving, The Corps Network would like to highlight and thank a few of the Corps that play a role in helping provide nutritious food to their neighbors.
Civic Works
Civic Works’ Real Food Farm operates a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program that provides fresh produce from May through November. The farm also delivers food to eligible older adults through its Affordable Produce Delivery Program and participates in farmers markets throughout Baltimore. Corpsmembers interested in urban agriculture gain valuable farming skills during their service terms.
Real Food Farm features outdoor growing fields, beehives, and more than 100 fruit trees. It also includes a greenhouse for seedlings and a pavilion for educational programming. In 2023, Civic Works distributed 79,298 pounds of fresh produce to the community.
Green City Force
From June through November, Green City Force (GCF) operates farmstands at its six urban farms across NYC through the program Farms at NYCHA (New York City Housing Authority). GCF Corps Members train for green jobs while serving NYCHA residents by distributing fresh produce grown on site in exchange for compostable waste, volunteer time, or completion of a resident feedback survey. Since 2013, GCF Corps Members have grown more than 210,000 pounds of organic produce and collected more than 427,000 pounds of organic waste for composting. Corps Members also do cooking demonstrations and provide education for the community about how food is grown, nutritional benefits, and local closed-loop solutions like composting.
Vermont Youth Conservation Corps
The Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (VYCC) cultivates 11 acres of organic produce, raises chickens, and prepares farm-fresh meals from scratch. Corpsmembers who join the program learn farming techniques and help care for the crops, soil, and animals.
VYCC’s farm is unique in that it grows produce for participants of their Health Care Share program. This program partners with Vermont’s health care system to allow providers to prescribe farm shares to patients based on their individual needs. Participants receive fresh produce and chicken that are grown, raised, and processed by Corpsmembers.
Los Angeles Conservation Corps
Los Angeles Conservation Corps (LACC) runs a food rescue and composting initiative. In fiscal year 2024 – 2025 alone, LACC helped collect over 797,500 pounds of would-be food waste from San Fernando Valley grocery stores, saving roughly 664,500 meals and transforming the remaining food into 109,129 pounds of compost.
LACC reports that the environmental impact of this initiative is the equivalent to saving 1,709 metric tons of CO2 avoided or 108 million gallons of water saved.
Share Your Favorite Pics: FY25 Annual Report Cover Contest
Calling all Corps photographers!
Does your Corps have standout photos from this past year? We know you do! Now is the perfect time to share them. We invite member organizations of The Corps Network to share your favorite pictures from 2025 to be considered for the cover of The Corps Network FY25 annual report.
We are looking for high-quality, eye-catching images that showcase what makes your impactful and resilient Corps programs so great. We specifically hope to see photos demonstrating Corpsmembers in action and the impact of their work. See below for more criteria details.
Even if your Corps’ photo doesn’t make the cover, please note that almost every photo submitted will be used elsewhere in the annual report or in other documents and resources produced by The Corps Network in the future. We sincerely appreciate all the content we’ve received in past cover photo contests.
The last day to submit photos is Friday, January 23, 2026. The Corps Network FY25 annual report will be published in February. Thank you for your participation!
[Photo in banner: FY24 annual report cover photo, Lomakatsi Restoration Project]
Criteria/Suggestions + How to Submit Entries
- Each Corps may submit up to 8 photos.
- The deadline to participate in the contest is Friday, January 23, 2026.
- Photos must be high resolution (300 dpi preferred).
- Please provide a few details about the photo (where it was taken, who is in the picture, etc.).
- Let us know if there is a specific person who should receive photo credit. Otherwise, we will credit your organization.
- Add a title to each photo submission
- Preferred file formats are .jpg, .jpeg, and .png. (if you have .heic pictures, please consider converting them to .jpeg files using a free tool like this).
- Please no images that don’t include people. We want to see great photos of Corpsmembers at work.
- Both landscape-oriented and portrait photos are welcome.
- Please no photos that have been heavily edited or have an obvious filter applied.
- Photos taken within the past year are preferred.
- Remember – even if your picture is not chosen for the cover, we may use it elsewhere in the report or in other resources from The Corps Network.
How to Submit Your Photos
Please email entries to Edward Kim, ekim@corpsnetwork.org. Don’t forget to include a few details about each photo, including whether a specific person should receive credit. If your photos are too large to send in one message, feel free to send them in multiple emails or use a file-sharing service like Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud, or WeTransfer. You can also share photo submissions by creating a new folder in this Google Drive. We can’t wait to see and share your entries!
Corpsmember Voices: Belen Reyes – Why AmeriCorps Matters
AmeriCorps is facing many threats: grants have been cancelled, staff positions have been terminated, funding has been withheld. Everyone who cares about national service is encouraged to contact their lawmakers and advocate for the preservation of AmeriCorps and its funding. Click here to learn more and take action. Read below for a personal statement from 2025 Corpsmember of the Year Belen Reyes an alumna of San Jose Conservation Corps about the importance of AmeriCorps to her life and the lives of others.
When I joined AmeriCorps at San Jose Conservation Corps (SJCC), I was just looking to find housing and stability. I struggled with homelessness since a young age; I felt like I didn’t have a place
in the world. AmeriCorps changed that.
I moved into a tiny home built by youth like me through SJCC’s construction program. That home didn’t just provide a roof over my head, it helped me feel safe and grounded for the first time in years. What I found through AmeriCorps was more than shelter: I found purpose, healing, and community.
Unfortunately, AmeriCorps is under threat. There were staff and funding cuts this spring and up until the end of August, the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) was impounding approximately $200 million in fiscal year 2025 AmeriCorps grants. The fiscal year 2026 funding bill in the U.S. House of Representatives proposes to cut AmeriCorps funding in half. The president’s 2026 budget request proposes to eliminate AmeriCorps entirely. This would be devastating for thousands of young people like me.
When I started AmeriCorps, I didn’t know what to expect. I quickly learned this was a chance to do something meaningful and further my education. I was homeless when I joined, living in my car after leaving a family shelter. After my first 30 days, I was able to move into my tiny home. I now had housing and job security. My crew at SJCC planted trees and helped with community events – like a Día de los Muertos celebration, the annual Turkey Trot, and a 9/11 Remembrance Day ceremony. These moments filled me with a sense of connection. AmeriCorps also helped me prepare for my driver’s license test, even when I didn’t have a decent car yet. These small steps built my confidence and gave me hope.
The biggest shift in my life came in 2023 when I deployed to Guam after Typhoon Mawar. I was personally struggling at the time. In July 2022, I lost my home in a fire, which left me completely displaced. Around the same time, my sibling was in and out of the hospital, my sister-in-law was in a coma after giving birth, and I had just gone through a very painful court trial. I was depressed and felt like I was losing everything. Then the opportunity to serve in Guam came.
I was one of eight AmeriCorps members from SJCC chosen to help a community in crisis. I’ll never forget arriving after the 14-hour flight, getting trained on the hazards, and stepping into the role of a first responder. I had purpose again. I wasn’t surviving anymore, I was living.
Being in Guam reminded me of my own family and culture. Supporting survivors, hearing their stories, and helping them rebuild gave me a renewed sense of strength. I was no longer a victim of my circumstances. I was a survivor, and I was choosing to live with hope.
When I returned home, I jumped back into service. I helped in shelters, supported other survivors, and joined a committee at a leading advocacy organization for children. I kept fighting for myself, for others, and after three long years, I won my court case and was able to move out of the tiny home to live independently. I continue to work on my mental health every day.
AmeriCorps changed my life. It gave me the tools to keep going. For people like me, national service is lifesaving. It opens doors we never knew existed. And that’s not even including the educational funding for college you earn with every hour you serve.
I hope AmeriCorps continues to be available for generations to come. People like me don’t just need second chances, we need someone to believe we deserve them.
