In North Philadelphia, Francine Flemings vividly remembers how Hurricane Ida unleashed havoc in her home in September 2021. Water surged in through a broken downspout and crested through a hole in the roof, invading her living space and wreaking havoc on her ceiling, baseboards, and the structural integrity of her flooring.
“I had standing water in here,” Flemings recalled, reflecting on the aftermath of that intense storm.
More than three years post-disaster, hope for repairs had arrived through AmeriCorps, a federal initiative that provides young volunteers aged 18 to 26 with a modest living allowance. These volunteers engage in projects across various communities, including critical home repairs for those affected by natural disasters.
However, funding cuts from the Trump administration led to an unexpected halt in these volunteer operations, leaving residents like Flemings in the lurch.
“It makes me want to cry,” she expressed, emphasizing the immediate impact of the volunteers’ sudden absence.
The AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) volunteers had been engaged in repairing homes damaged by Hurricane Ida in Pennsylvania, working under the guidance of the Pennsylvania Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster. They had been scheduled to commence work on Flemings’ kitchen last Wednesday, according to Brian Baer, a director associated with the coalition.
Yet, when the day arrived, the volunteers were nowhere to be found. AmeriCorps had already sent them home, temporarily halting the repairs needed for numerous families.
“In an abundance of places, they’re needed all over,” Flemings lamented about the diminishing volunteer support.
Beginning their work in early March, the cohort of 11 AmeriCorps volunteers had addressed storm damage in Berks County and the Philadelphia area. AmeriCorps data indicate that they were meant to remain in Pennsylvania until the following Wednesday, completing vital repair work for those devastated by Hurricane Ida and another storm in the spring of 2023.
However, in a disappointing message forwarded to WHYY News, a regional AmeriCorps official informed the disaster relief coalition that NCCC Members would be pulled from the field due to “new operational parameters” aligned with the Trump administration’s policies aimed at reducing governmental expenses.
The official conveyed that the decision was made under an urgent timeline and illustrated a waning ability to support members effectively.
Tragically, the crew of young volunteers departed Philadelphia the following morning, as confirmed by Julia Frank, President of the Pennsylvania Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster.
At the time of their mobilization, many homes in the area, including Flemings’, had received partial repairs. Wind and rain from Hurricane Ida had worsened previously existing damage, particularly after a demolition of a neighboring row house.
While the coalition had rectified her roof and basic drywall issues in the past, Flemings expressed disappointment at the unresolved condition of her kitchen. With uneven flooring, missing ceiling tiles, and a hole beneath her door still in place, the urgency for repairs felt overwhelming.
Despite Baer’s efforts to guide the AmeriCorps volunteers in tackling Flemings’ kitchen over the next week, he now anticipates a potential wait until August or September to recruit another volunteer crew to complete the job—nearly four years after Hurricane Ida’s chaos.
Baer noted that around 250 homes were still awaiting essential repairs. Local faith groups and service organizations in Philadelphia could assist, but the reliability and magnitude of AmeriCorps labor made the situation especially challenging.
Flemings’ frustration echoed loudly, reflecting a sentiment of despair.
“I would have fixed it myself if I had the funds,” she asserted, questioning how much longer her home repairs would remain stagnated.
However, Flemings is not the only victim grappling with delayed recovery. Danyel Johnson, from West Philadelphia, also faced setbacks when rainwater inundated her basement, prompting mold growth on the walls. As the AmeriCorps volunteers were replacing drywall in her home, she learned that their presence would now be short-lived, leaving many repairs incomplete.
“This was a complete shock and surprise for me,” Johnson shared, with unfinished work still lingering in her home.
Though new drywall was installed and doors hung, her home remained a patchwork of incomplete repairs, necessitating further attention from volunteers.
“I wish [the volunteers] could have stayed,” she expressed, praising their efforts while lamenting the abrupt end to the assistance.
From Flemings’ to Johnson’s homes, the withdrawal of AmeriCorps volunteers has stalled critical repairs for six households, leaving many families in distress and uncertainty in the wake of two separate storms.
With the departure of the AmeriCorps crew, the coalition now finds itself needing to navigate through the logistical challenges to find new volunteers, despite having relied on AmeriCorps volunteers, who contributed over 1,920 hours of labor valued at more than $63,000 in repairs—a remarkable support for such recovery efforts.
“Volunteers are a huge part of our effort as they save us thousands of dollars in labor costs,” noted Frank in an email regarding the situation.
image source from：https://whyy.org/articles/trump-americorps-cuts-delay-philadelphia-storm-recovery-projects/
