Sudden termination of AmeriCorps funding in Wisconsin has left hundreds of young service workers jobless and disrupted vital services across schools, nonprofits, and community health programs. The cuts eliminated the jobs of 430 active AmeriCorps members in Wisconsin, including 69 in Dane County, and halted programming at more than 300 sites statewide.

The AmeriCorps members worked in schools, clinics, homeless shelters and other direct service agencies.

Serve Wisconsin, the state agency that oversees AmeriCorps programs in Wisconsin, learned at about 6:20 pm Friday that all funding for AmeriCorps programs was terminated effective immediately because the programs no longer “aligned with agency priorities.”

The AmeriCorps website lists the agency’s priorities as disaster services, economic opportunity, education, environmental stewardship, healthy futures, and supporting veterans and military families.

Serve Wisconsin executive director Jeanne Duffy said the cut will also affect about 680 service workers scheduled to work in summer programs.