West Virginia's Preservation Alliance Tackles AmeriCorps Cuts with Innovative Solutions
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — After Last month’s reduction in AmeriCorps funding by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) That affected 250 individuals throughout West Virginia, groups that were positively influenced by the reductions, such as the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia (PAWV), are now attempting to determine their subsequent steps.
"This will significantly affect our program, our organization, as well as all the sites we've been collaborating with," stated Danielle Parker, the Executive Director of PAWV.
The reductions likewise impacted 22 employees who were serving across 20 historic locations as part of the PAWV’s "Preserve WV AmeriCorps Program." According to Parker, even though PAWV has collaborated with 20 historic sites this year, their reach extends much further statewide. They frequently engage members in service initiatives at numerous sites that do not host AmeriCorps members.
For the preservation and cultural heritage tourism sectors we have within the state, they will face significant impacts," Parker noted further. "As we're experiencing effects from various directions.
Parker mentioned that PAWV heavily relies on arts and humanities funding, which is now facing potential cuts. She informed 12 News that the organization has employed AmeriCorps members for more than ten years to ensure full staffing at these locations.
"Parker stated that maintaining these locations operational has become significantly more difficult due to the absence of a funding mechanism. 'It's extremely challenging for counties and local governments to secure funds from their respective commissions or municipal administrations to support these facilities,' " he explained.
Parker mentioned that the PAWV members are worried about the delayed upkeep of publicly owned locations and the future of their collections. She pointed out that these budget reductions will impact the group's outreach capabilities and its capacity to support other facilities.
According to Parker, the PAWV recently established a historic trades team with members on its statewide site to do hands-on projects. However, due to the elimination of this AmeriCorps funding, the organization is having to pull some of these people back while looking for other avenues to help support them.
“We’re seeing that we’re going to be stunted in the growth of training historic trades professionals as well for our state, where we’re already seeing a decline in available craftspeople,” she added.
As soon as the organization learned about the budget reductions the previous week, they promptly informed the impacted locations to enable them to start making plans. Parker mentioned that the sites experiencing losses are attempting various strategies to retain their members, with several of these sites exploring different options. like the Clarksburg History Museum, even resorting to fundraising.
“We are trying to transfer members to other programs that have not been defunded yet,” said Parker. “So that’s a little tricky because you’re still seeing that maybe the sites will still lose their members. So maybe they move to another program that’s in their community, but they’re doing something entirely different.”
Parker added that the PAWV is trying to consider the option of transferring sites and members to programs that overlap with their programmatic area(s). She said that there are currently two programs in the state that could possibly take on a site, but the organization is still in the process of working through those details.
When queried about whether the organization had been provided with an explanation for these reductions, Parker mentioned that the rationale they got was inconclusive. "They informed us that we no longer match the administration's objectives, yet failed to specify why," she further explained.
Parker mentioned that because the PAWV is involved in workforce development via the AmeriCorps program, she expected them to align with these efforts. She expressed uncertainty about what the program does now that seems out of step, making long-term planning challenging.
Parker stated, 'Funding priorities sometimes shift, and you have to navigate those changes.' He added, 'Currently, we're working on figuring out how to address this.'
Parker encouraged the public to take a look at the full list The following historic sites in North Central West Virginia have been impacted by these reductions: 1. [Site Name 1] 2. [Site Name 2] 3. [Site Name 3]
- Arthurdale Heritage located in Preston County
- The Clarksburg History Museum located in Harrison County
- The Morgantown History Museum located in Monongalia County
- The Northern Appalachian Coal Mining Heritage Association located in Marion County
If you've been to any of these locations, please be aware that they're currently facing threats from various directions, and this is an opportunity for those who can to lend their support," Parker noted additionally. "This could involve giving your time through volunteer work, providing financial contributions, or educating yourself further on their activities.
You can find more information about the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia and the entities that they serve on the organization’s website .
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