April 02, 2019

Manchin, Capito Request Information On Decision To Close The CNCS Office In West Virginia

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, last week requested information from Barbara Stewart, CEO of Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), in regards to the Transformation and Sustainability Plan which would consolidate 46 state offices into eight regional offices, effectively closing the CNCS office in West Virginia. If enacted, West Virginia’s Senior Corps and AmeriCorps VISTA programs will be supervised by staffers located in an office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The letter said in part, “There are several components of CNCS’s plan that we applaud, such as, the proposal to improve the grant and member management systems along with the accounting and financial systems and the proposal to upgrade the IT services to a sustainable infrastructure. However, we are very concerned about the plan to consolidate the 46 state offices into eight regional offices. Under the current plan, West Virginia’s Senior Corps and AmeriCorps VISTA programs will be supervised by staffers located in an office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As you know, these programs thrive upon personal relationships that require individuals’ time and attention. We fear that this effort to reduce overhead will undermine the personal connections that have been the foundation for success.” 

The letter can be read below or in full here: 

Dear Ms. Stewart:

West Virginia has a rich and storied history of national service. Last year, West Virginia benefited from more than 3,700 people participating in national service across the Mountain State including 1,100 AmeriCorps members and more than 2,500 West Virginia seniors that took part in one of Senior Corps three programs. We are writing today to request more information about the Corporation for National and Community Service’s (CNCS) Transformation and Sustainability Plan.

The Transformation and Sustainability Plan outlines six strategic goals and priorities that are designed to strengthen and streamline national service programs. There are several components of CNCS’s plan that we applaud, such as, the proposal to improve the grant and member management systems along with the accounting and financial systems and the proposal to upgrade the IT services to a sustainable infrastructure. However, we are very concerned about the plan to consolidate the 46 state offices into eight regional offices. Under the current plan, West Virginia’s Senior Corps and AmeriCorps VISTA programs will be supervised by staffers located in an office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As you know, these programs thrive upon personal relationships that require individuals’ time and attention. We fear that this effort to reduce overhead will undermine the personal connections that have been the foundation for success.

We respectfully request prompt and thorough answers the following questions in order to get a clearer picture of the Transformation and Sustainability Plan’s potential impact on states like West Virginia: 

1.What measures has CNCS established to ensure that the quality and integrity of Senior Corps and AmeriCorps VISTA programs in West Virginia remain intact and successful throughout the proposed transition?

2.What has CNCS done to better understand the unique set of challenges that small and rural states, like West Virginia, have, and how will these challenges be addressed throughout the transition period?

3.What has CNCS done to limit the impact of this transition on the staff members in the state offices that are being closed? What specific resources are being made available to those staff members?

4.The first part of the Transformation and Sustainability plan began in February 2019. What, if any, challenges have you encountered so far?

5.Specifically, how is CNCS going to ensure that members of Congress and their staff are fully updated throughout the transition period? 

Thank you for your cooperation in answering these questions. We look forward to reviewing your responses and working with you to expand national service opportunities. 

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