From Dismissed by DOGE to Rooted in Renewal: Lessons from the Soil After AmeriCorps
From Dismissed by DOGE to Rooted in Renewal: Lessons from the Soil After AmeriCorps
On April 28, 2025, I received a text message from my project manager inviting me to a "required Zoom meeting." Like many other AmeriCorps members, I joined, unaware that it would be my last official acts of service, ending May 9, 2025. Within minutes, I and hundreds of others across the country were dismissed. Not for misconduct. Not for poor performance. But because the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) decided our roles were expendable.
Just like that, my position as a Literacy Mentor with The United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierras was over.
For months, I had poured my energy into helping children unlock the magic of reading. I tested, tracked progress, encouraged hesitant learners, and celebrated every small victory. The work was slow, like planting seeds. And suddenly, it was gone.
But life has a way of continuing, and so does growth.
Finding Grounding in the Garden
In the days that followed, I found myself drawn to the soil. That’s where I discovered something unexpected: cover crops, those quiet, overlooked plants that restore depleted soil, were telling a story that mirrored mine.
Cover crops don’t bloom to impress. They grow for the benefit of what comes next.
They fix nitrogen, suppress weeds, prevent erosion, and give the land time to heal. And that’s what I needed, healing, not just from the job loss, but from the deep sense of being undervalued.
We Are More Than Our Titles
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Dismissed doesn’t mean destroyed. Like cover crops, the work AmeriCorps members do might not always be visible, but it is vital.
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The soil remembers. Just as soil retains the nutrients of a well-tended crop, our communities carry the impact of our service long after we’re gone.
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We were doing real work. And no department, policy, or acronym can take that away.
So today, I tend my garden. I rebuild. I restore. And I remember that in every discarded role, there lies the root of something new.
🌱 Watch this video to learn how cover cropping/gardening in general can restore soil, and maybe your spirit, too.
Roni~
🌱🌸✨
✨ As a Life Coach, I help people simplify their lives, heal from setbacks, and grow through personal transformation. Whether you're navigating change, rebuilding after loss, or seeking clarity, I offer support, tools, and strategies to help you get your ACT 2gether, rooted in purpose, aligned with your values, and grounded like healthy soil ready for new growth.
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