Greetings Friends of Wind Dance Farm & Earth Education Center,
 
I am sharing sad news of an event that occurred this past week. On Monday, April 28, Wind Dance received an unexpected email that our invaluable AmeriCorps Vista members, Elisha Garcia and Maureen Nisch, were terminated immediately. This sudden cut is a result of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) efforts to eliminate the AmeriCorps program under the current administration. Elisha and Maureen received a living stipend for their services through the AmeriCorps program.  
 

Essential to Our Mission

As AmeriCorps VISTA members, Elisha and Maureen provide extensive administrative support, including educational program management, capacity building, curriculum development, grant writing, volunteer recruitment, monitoring citizen scientist projects, social media updates, newsletter management, and a host of other Wind Dance tasks, and there are a lot! 
 
In addition to their AmeriCorps VISTA position, Elisha and Maureen work as educators for Wind Dance two days a week. They are a part of an amazing team of educators that gently guide youth providing experiential learning activities instilling curiosity, wonder, exploration, and the love of learning. They are invaluable to the flow, function, and management of Wind Dance, and are invaluable as educators.  
 

Our Fight for Clarity

This past week has been challenging as I try to make sense of their termination and seek clarity.  I have been on the phone with various organizations and in communication with our direct contact who oversees our VISTA program. There are contradictions in what to expect and communication with upper management is now scant, if any. Phones have been cut and emails are going unanswered. It is a mess. I still have questions and am struggling to get answers, but I will keep trying. 
 

Supporting Our VISTA Members Through the Storm

After meeting with board members, we are striving to financially support Elisha and Maureen as they complete their original AmeriCorps VISTA commitments until the end of their year-long agreements - Maureen through August 2025 and Elisha through January 2026. The support needed is $21,486. We have requested funding from two foundations, and Wind Dance has committed to providing support through July should funding not be available.

 

If you would like to contribute to our efforts, you can donate through the link at the bottom of this page.​​​
 

Please write “AmeriCorps VISTA support” in the comment line.

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Another Way You Can Make a Difference
 
Elisha and Maureen love being a part of Wind Dance and working with our amazing team that keeps Wind Dance running in a positive, uplifting, professional, and fun manner. Their support for me and the organization is beautiful and remarkable. As we navigate the sudden termination of AmeriCorps positions nationwide, we are all moving forward with uncertainty, but also with hope, confidence, and the sharing of our story. 
 
We ask you to share our story too. Please take action by writing to and calling members of Congress, or submitting letters to the editor of local papers.  We especially ask you to contact Senator Shelley Moore Capito. She has been a champion of AmeriCorps in the past and received a national award for her efforts last year. Please implore her to do everything she can to fully fund the work performed by the AmeriCorps program in the upcoming funding cycle that runs from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.  
 

Below is a template of what you can modify and use when you write or call her office.

Both would be ideal! 
 

Thank you for your support during this challenge and reaching out to share our story and inspire change. 
 
Sincerely,

~Leslie Devine-Milbourne
Founder and Director
Wind Dance Farm & Earth Education Center
 
 

Suggested Verbiage for Calling and Writing to Senator Capito

 

Hello, my name is [your name] and I live in [your town and County].
I am calling to tell Senator Capito how important the AmeriCorps Program was to me here in (insert your town/ County). I’d like to thank her for the strong support she has demonstrated for the AmeriCorps program. With the current cuts, I hope she’ll find other ways to fund the services formerly performed by the AmeriCorps program in the upcoming funding cycle. Wind Dance Farm & Earth Education Center, a non-profit organization in Morgan County, has been able to thrive with the support of AmeriCorps VISTA members who are deeply involved in developing and implementing initiatives that support academic growth, extracurricular enrichment, and year-round programming for youth. Their AmeriCorps VISTA roles have been essential to the function and flow that support invaluable educational programs for youth of West Virginia.  
 

 

 

Please remember how important it is to remain polite in your tone and word choice, as it will be better received by the person on the other end of the phone. Shelley Moore Capito has historically been a champion of AmeriCorps, and we are reaching out to thank her and urge her continued support of this type of program. Thank you!

 

Senator Shelley Moore Capito

(304) 262-9285 (best to call the local office) or

(202) 224-6472 (ask for Mimi Vance, her legislative assistant for education)
 

Mimi_Vance@capito.senate.gov
 

https://www.capito.senate.gov/contact/contact-my-office

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If you would like to contribute to our efforts:

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