Perspective: AmeriCorps shows us ‘we’re not truly alone’

SBP’s Director of Service Experience writes about the importance of AmeriCorps in making the nation stronger, more resilient

By Mike Sullivan

For people like me who grew up in the Midwest, tornado sirens are as familiar as spring thunderstorms. It wasn’t until May 22, 2011 that I experienced the power and terror those sirens warned against. 

That Sunday afternoon, an EF5 tornado devastated Joplin, Missouri, where I was living. 

The destruction was unimaginable, and the thought of rebuilding was overwhelming. But the road to recovery was paved with an unforgettable outpouring of support, love, and a sense of unity unparalleled by anything else I’ve experienced. 

People from across the country, including dedicated AmeriCorps members, came together in Joplin to rebuild and restore hope. The AmeriCorps members worked tirelessly alongside first responders in the days following the disaster. They helped clear debris, support survivors, and rebuild homes for Joplin’s most vulnerable people in the weeks, months, and years that followed. 

I learned from AmeriCorps members that even in our darkest hour, we’re never truly alone.

My experience in Joplin sparked a passion for disaster response and long-term recovery that has shaped my life. In an effort to give back an ounce of what I felt and saw in Joplin, I left for New York in 2015 to serve as an AmeriCorps member supporting SBP’s response to Hurricane Sandy. That was nine years ago, and I haven’t looked back. 

National service makes America stronger

Today, Congress is debating the FY25 budget, and the U.S. House of Representatives has proposed eliminating funding for AmeriCorps—the very program that empowered those volunteers to serve Joplin and countless other communities across the nation. AmeriCorps, a 30-year-old national service and volunteerism program, provides critical people-power to local nonprofit, faith-based, and community organizations that meet our country’s most immediate needs in education, health, public safety, homeland security, and disaster response.

I now serve as Director of Service Experience at SBP, where I am privileged to influence SBP’s volunteer and AmeriCorps programming that helps return families to safe, sanitary, and secure homes. Here are some of the many ways AmeriCorps members work on the front lines with SBP to help communities rebuild, recover, and return home after disasters.

• Since 2006, more than 2,000 AmeriCorps members have served with SBP, rebuilding over 3,480 homes in 16 disaster-affected communities across the United States. These homes represent more than just physical structures; they are the lifeblood of the families who live in them, often their greatest asset. 
• By helping to rebuild these homes, AmeriCorps members have preserved the home equity of countless low-income families, ensuring they have a foundation upon which to rebuild their lives.
• Beyond physically rebuilding homes, SBP AmeriCorps members recruit volunteers who fall in love with service and become champions for shrinking the time between disaster and recovery. 
• SBP AmeriCorps members have helped navigate the lengthy and involved assistance process for thousands of clients, yielding more than $4.4 million in individual disaster assistance through FEMA. 

America needs AmeriCorps

SBP AmeriCorps members such as Abimarie Rivera are also working with SBP to better prepare communities before disasters strike. Abimarie noticed  that vital emergency shelter information in her municipality in Puerto Rico was outdated. Abimarie worked to create an updated map and guide and has since distributed it to hundreds of families who will benefit from having this vital information at hand during the next major hurricane. 

The work of SBP—and other nonprofit organizations—to empower communities to withstand and recover from natural disasters is more important than ever. These disasters have become more frequent and more severe. The communities at highest risk are often the least protected. If Congress eliminates AmeriCorps funding in the 2025 budget, Americans in at-risk communities will pay the price.

We cannot afford to lose AmeriCorps. We must invest in it, not only to honor the legacy of those who have served, but also to ensure more families in vulnerable situations have access to help, not fewer. 

Now is the time to take a stand and tell your representatives that without AmeriCorps, American families will be deprived of the vital disaster recovery assistance that rebuilt Joplin and countless other communities during their time of crisis. The heartbeat of America lies in our nation’s ability to come together in times of need. AmeriCorps is the embodiment of that spirit. Let’s make sure it continues to thrive and serve us for generations to come.