by allyson licht
At 9:40 p.m. Monday, April 28, one email threw everything I had been working toward into question: The Trump-Vance Administration had terminated Michigan’s AmeriCorps funding, abruptly cutting off support for the Michigan Healthy Climate (MHC) Corps program midway through my service term.
As a member of the MHC Corps, a vital state AmeriCorps initiative focused on advancing Michigan’s climate goals, I spent the past several months working with a local nonprofit. Meanwhile, fellow corps members served at other nonprofits and government agencies across the state to reduce carbon emissions, enhance sustainability, and foster climate resilience.
Just the week before, our cohort had gathered in Detroit for the MHC Conference, the pinnacle of our service term and a celebration of the momentum we had been building.
During the MHC Conference, more than a thousand climate leaders, policymakers, and advocates gathered to reflect on Michigan’s progress and the advancement of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s MI Healthy Climate Plan.
It was a rallying point for action and I left inspired by remarks from both the governor and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II, who emphasized the urgency of climate action and its potential to drive innovation, equity, and economic growth.
Then, a few days later, that hope was shattered by the sudden and devastating policy change that halted my work and the progress we had made.
After leaving Detroit energized and hopeful, I found myself cut off from the work I’d dedicated myself to — as if the doors to a brighter future for Michiganders had been slammed shut.
I’ve spent the last five months deeply committed to building connections within my community in Traverse City, from joining the Traverse City Area Public Schools’ sustainability committee to working with local student sustainability leaders and fostering partnerships across Michigan. The MHC Corps program has been crucial in these efforts, providing resources and empowering people like me to act on our climate goals and create real, lasting change.
Now, I’m being told to walk away from those projects, leaving work unfinished and momentum lost. This funding cut doesn’t just affect me, it disrupts a network of individuals and communities working toward Michigan’s environmental future.
Many of these changes may feel distant or abstract if they haven’t touched your life directly, but they’re already reshaping the futures of your neighbors, friends, and community. In just the first 100 days of this new administration, vital programs have been dismantled with little warning, and the harm caused by these actions is undeniable.
The loss of AmeriCorps funding in Michigan isn’t just a budget cut, it’s a blow to climate progress, public service, and the young people dedicating themselves to building a more resilient state.
I don’t have all the answers, but I know this: If we stay silent, more essential work will be undone.
I urge you to take a stand; contact your state legislators and let them know how vital these programs are to Michigan’s sustainability goals.
Support local initiatives that continue to drive climate action. Now is the time to defend our shared values and fight for a future that includes all of us.
About the author: Allyson Licht currently serves as a MI Healthy Climate Corps member, with Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities as her host. MI Healthy Climate Corps is an AmeriCorps program administered by the Office of Climate and Energy in Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy in partnership with the Community Economic Development Association of Michigan, and supported by the Michigan Community Service Commission.