MONTCLAIR, NJ — A community farm in Montclair that battles food insecurity across Essex County says it has been “devastated” by the Trump administration’s recent gutting of AmeriCorps.
Montclair Community Farms (MCF) is one of many groups across the nation that has been impacted by a controversial federal stop-work order for the popular federal agency, its staff say.
Last week, the Trump administration abruptly canceled nearly $400 million in grants and cut 85 percent of the agency’s workforce as part of its ongoing mission to trim the federal budget via the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
AmeriCorps funds community services related to education, disaster preparedness, conservation and more. Every year, the agency – which has a budget of nearly $1 billion – puts more than 200,000 volunteers across the nation to work at jobs like after-school tutoring, delivering meals to seniors, helping to run drug recovery programs and providing disaster relief.
AmeriCorps will continue taking “proactive action” to align with the Trump-Vance administration’s directives, the agency says on its website.
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The cutbacks have hit nonprofits who depend on AmeriCorps volunteers hard – including one in Montclair.
According to Montclair Community Farms, its members are deeply worried about the future of their work.
“This past week, we received the devastating news that the AmeriCorps program has been issued a federal stop-work order, which means we are suddenly losing half of our farm team right at the height of our growing season,” the group reported this week.
“AmeriCorps provides stipends that allow passionate, service-minded individuals to work with nonprofits like MCF,” staff continued. “Over the years, more than 30 AmeriCorps members have come through MCF. Many of our staff, especially those from historically underrepresented backgrounds, got their start with us through AmeriCorps. They’ve been instrumental to our mission: growing food, running programs, building community, and pushing forward a vision of justice and sustainability.”
In 2024, the nonprofit supplied over 2,000 pounds of nutritious food to 1,444 community members at 60 markets. Its mobile farmstand expanded to serve senior housing sites, food pantries and farmer's markets across Essex County, and it supported more than 450 SNAP/FMNP participants.
Now, all that is at risk, staff members at MCF say.
The nonprofit said there are three ways that people can help support it in a time of need:
“This stop-work order is not just a bureaucratic hiccup, it’s a blow to real people doing real work, and to the communities we serve,” Montclair Community Farms said. “Without this support, we are at serious risk of scaling back our food production and outreach during a time when food insecurity continues to rise.”
AMERICORPS, TRUMP AND LAWSUITS
Trump has made trimming “woke” ideology from the federal budget one of his priorities since his inauguration.
The White House previously announced plans to put a blanket pause on federal grants and loans, including those that have already been approved.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said AmeriCorps had failed eight consecutive audits and identified over $45 million in improper payments in 2024 alone, Reuters reported.
"President Trump has the legal right to restore accountability to the entire executive branch," Kelly said.
In a proclamation for National Volunteer Week, the president wrote that volunteerism is “central to the American way of life.”
“In soup kitchens, shelters, schools, hospitals, and religious organizations across the country, volunteers encompass a spirit of kindness and compassion to help those in need,” Trump said. “These exemplary citizens are role models for their communities and inspire us all with their commitment to selfless service.”
Just a few days later, news about the sweeping cuts to AmeriCorps broke.
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said the state was informed in late April that more than $6 million of AmeriCorps grants had been terminated.
On April 29, Platkin announced that New Jersey is joining a multi-state lawsuit that challenges the Trump administration’s “dismantling” of AmeriCorps.
According to the attorney general’s office:
“The lawsuit alleges that the Trump administration has acted unlawfully in its gutting of AmeriCorps, violating both the Administrative Procedure Act and the separation of powers under the U.S. Constitution. Congress has created AmeriCorps and the programs it administers, and the president cannot dismantle the agency or prevent it from administering appropriated grants or carrying out its statutorily assigned duties.”
“Gutting AmeriCorps is illegal and reckless, and it will deprive our communities in New Jersey of key programs that educate students with special needs, support individuals in addiction recovery, and help our state rebuild after national disasters,” Platkin argued.
“AmeriCorps volunteers serve our communities every single day, and we will stand up for the critical programs AmeriCorps supports,” he added. “We will fight this senseless move and look forward to seeing the Trump administration in court.”
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