News
Statement from our Executive Director, David Stern
/ Updates
The President’s budget proposal eliminates funding for the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), which supports AmeriCorps, and the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), which funds legal aid. Legal representation is critical to ensure the fairness of the judicial system. These proposed cuts will result in millions of Americans losing access to housing, education, and other basic necessities that are essential to their health and well-being.
Equal Justice Works has AmeriCorps programs that provide legal services to vulnerable veterans, children, older Americans, and low-income people who face barriers to employment. In the last year alone, Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps lawyers:
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- Served more than 5,000 veterans and secured more than $7 million in economic benefits for the veterans
- Removed more than 6,300 barriers to employment, allowing people to obtain jobs and increase salaries
- If AmeriCorps funding is eliminated, these services will not be available next year.
Additionally, the President is also proposing to eliminate funding for LSC, the program that provides funding to legal aid organizations that represent low-income individuals who cannot afford a lawyer. Now is the time to act to ensure that Congress hears our voice and recognizes this need. We are asking you to join us by writing to your Representative and Senators to remind them about the importance of AmeriCorps in our communities and urge them to reject these proposed cuts.
Click here for the Voices for Service form to contact Congress to protect AmeriCorps*.
Click here to join the American Bar Association’s campaign to defend LSC.
Eliminating the budgets for AmeriCorps and LSC hurts our kids in the classroom, it hurts our families in need during a disaster, it hurts our veterans who deserve our advocacy, and it hurts our pursuit of equal access to justice for all.
– David
*Please remember that AmeriCorps members can inform legislators of the good work they are doing but are prohibited from asking legislators to vote in any particular way. Please reach out to Renee Lavigne at (202)864-5949 or email us at [email protected].