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.
