Council on Aging Senors Programs at risk due to DOGE layoffs

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AmeriCorps Seniors Programs at Risk: Council on Aging Faces Funding Crisis

The Council on Aging of West Florida is facing a serious funding crisis that threatens vital programs for seniors and children in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. Recent administrative changes at AmeriCorps have left local senior volunteer programs in limbo, with uncertainty about future funding beyond April 2025.

“On Wednesday night, late at night, we got word that most of the people, the staff at the national federal level for AmeriCorps were laid off,” explained Emily Echevarria, Marketing Communications Director for the Council on Aging.

Why this matters: The administrative upheaval has effectively cut off communication channels needed to access allocated funds.

Alesia Macklin, Director of Senior Volunteer Programs, expressed her frustration:

“I can’t get in touch with our regional portfolio manager or our administration in DC. Everyone is on admin leave.”

Programs That Make a Difference

The AmeriCorps Seniors programs include Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions, which provide crucial services to our community:

Foster Grandparents: Seniors aged 55+ work in daycares, Head Start programs, and public schools, providing tutoring, mentoring, and nurturing to children who need additional support.
Senior Companions: Volunteers assist other older adults in homes and assisted living facilities, helping them maintain independence and providing respite for caregivers.

“We have metrics, we have compliance. We are not just out here just willy-nilly spending these dollars,” Macklin emphasized. “We actually have the paperwork to show you every single solitary thing that we’re doing and how we’re being fiscally responsible.”

The measurable outcomes of these programs are clear, particularly in local schools. Macklin said, “I can tell you specific stories of children who were not realizing gains in their vocabulary, their literacy, and now all of a sudden this child has gone from here to there because of the granny being in the school.”

For Senior Companions, the impact extends to healthcare savings: “You don’t have to use your Medicaid and your Medicare because we are taking care of you here. So you’re not in a long-term care facility, you’re not in a rehab, you’re not at an ER.”

A Dual Impact

“This program is as much for those volunteers as it is for the people they serve,” notes Echevarria. “They all tell me when I go in and do an impact story and talk about their experience, they say, ‘I don’t know what I would be doing with my time. I would be more sedentary. I would be less engaged, I would be less connected.’“

The timing couldn’t be worse, as April is Volunteer Appreciation Month, when these dedicated seniors should be celebrated rather than worried about their future.

How You Can Help

Our community needs to speak up about the importance of these programs. Please contact Congressman Jimmy Patronis to express your concern:

Online: Submit a message through his official website at https://patronis.house.gov/address_authentication?form=/contact/email-me
By Phone: Call his Washington office at (202) 225-4136

Patronis has stood up for Pensacola and Escambia County during the BP oil spill and after Hurricane Sally. Let him know that AmeriCorps Seniors programs provide essential services to our community’s most vulnerable populations and deserve continued funding and support.

Your voice can make a difference in ensuring these vital programs continue serving seniors in our community.

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Council on Aging Senors Programs at risk due to DOGE layoffs

AmeriCorps Seniors Programs at Risk: Council on Aging Faces Funding Crisis

Programs That Make a Difference

A Dual Impact

How You Can Help

Rules for Comments

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