CASPER, Wyo. — A Christmas miracle in April.
That’s what representatives for the Casper Housing Authority called the news they received on Friday, just 24 hours after finding out that the AmeriCorps NCCC volunteers they were preparing to host weren’t actually coming.
The reason they weren’t coming was because the entire program was canceled by the Department of Government Efficiency.
“Over the next six weeks, 10 young volunteers were planning to help the CHA, CHA CARES and Urban Thistle Farm build their ongoing community garden and market project, located in the old playground area at the former North Casper Elementary School,” Oil City News reported on Thursday.
Kim Summerall-Wright, the CEO for the Casper Housing Authority, found out in an email that the team would not actually be coming, though.
“I got it around 4 on Tuesday afternoon, and initially it was shock, just kind of feeling sick,” she said. “We were sitting here ready to go; they were supposed to be here in a couple of days.”
The team was slated to arrive Friday and, according to a press release from the CHA, “their work was going to transform the Urban Thistle Farm into a food production facility: from finishing geo-dome greenhouses, to building infrastructure and planting over 500 plants for food production, they were to be a force for good.”
But then DOGE canceled the program.
Read More: DOGE cuts yank AmeriCorps volunteers bound for Casper Housing Authority project
The postponement comes a day after the agency was visited by the Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, led by billionaire industrialist Elon Musk. The Trump administration has been slashing federal agencies and funding since taking office earlier this year.
The unexpected postponement of AmeriCorps projects was first reported by the New York Post on Wednesday morning, which describes the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps, or NCCC, program as one of the largest federal civil services organizations.
“In alignment with the Trump-Vance Administration priorities … AmeriCorps NCCC is working within new operational parameters that impact the program’s ability to sustain program operations,” the memo said, according to the Post’s report. “As a result, AmeriCorps is sending all NCCC members to their homes of record as soon as possible.”
It was devastating news for the Casper Housing Authority and Urban Thistle Farm, but they didn’t wallow. Instead, they partnered with another local organization and they found a solution.
“In the wake of the cancelation of the AmeriCorps NCCC program, CHA Staff decided to reach out to one of the AmeriCorps members they had hosted last fall and ask if they were interested in coming to Casper anyway,” the CHA release states. “The housing was secured, supplies were ready, and work plan solid. All that was needed was the funding to pay 10 people for 6 weeks of work.
“And that’s when the Zimmerman Family Foundation stepped in. They said they would cover the entire cost to host the crew. In what can only be deemed a Christmas Miracle on this snowy April day, the plan is back on and as only some seasoned non-profit staff can pivot, Kim Summerall-Wright and Jamie Purcell did just that.”
Now, the team of volunteers will arrive May 5. The plan is to stagger out over the summer, with the majority of the work on Urban Thistle Farm to be completed in just six weeks.
“We are overwhelmed with gratitude to both the former AmeriCorps members, for saying ‘Yes’ to this idea, and to the Zimmerman Family Foundation for their kind and generous gift to bring this idea to life,” Summerall-Wright said.
Jamie Purcell, farm manager for Urban Thistle, agreed.
“Hosting an AmeriCorps Team is a bit different than just having a community work day — which we will also do. Teams show up trained and professional — with proper equipment and the work ethic of giving 100% for 40 hours a week,” Purcell said. “When you are planning to accomplish the tasks we lined out with 400 man hours a week, at a six-week time frame, that’s a huge loss of resources. Additionally, the crew was planning to host a community garden day and do outreach through other CHA programs. Now, we can continue on this massively powerful path to create a local food solution for our neighbors in North Casper and beyond.”
While the majority of the cost is being covered by the Zimmerman Family Foundation, Summerall-Wright and Purcell said that those who are interesting in supporting the mission may do so via PayPal.
For more information, visit the Urban Thistle Farm Market website or follow the market on Facebook.
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