Duckworth says AmeriCorps is ‘vital’ to East St. Louis

Ariel Perkins, 20, of Washington Park, has been an AmeriCorps volunteer since August and works in a kindergarten classroom at Dunbar Elementary as a volunteer aide. She works with children helping youngsters with their homework, and with some grading.

“I like working with people; I love working with kids,” Perkins said.

Perkins was one of several AmeriCorps volunteers who met with U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, on Monday, as she stopped by the Lessie Bates Davis Adult Day Services Center, which also serves as the East St. Louis AmeriCorps facility and as a food pantry.

Duckworth visited the area while Congress is on a two-week spring recess.

The state’s junior senator also had scheduled visits to Southwestern Illinois College’s Sam Wolf Granite City campus and Granite City business Icon Mechanical.

AmeriCorps will help Perkins go to school to study psychology or pre-law.

“I like serving others; I get a thrill out of helping other people and seeing other people smile,” Perkins said.

However, a federal funding cut could make that more difficult for AmeriCorps volunteers such as Perkins. President Donald Trump’s budget proposal calls for cutting federal funding for AmeriCorps programs around the country.

Volunteers in AmeriCorps serve in community programs in exchange for money to be used for college tuition.

“This facility and facilities like this, all across Illinois and across the country, are in real danger with the president’s budget,” Duckworth said. “It would slash funding for social service agencies. This facility could potentially be shut down.”

Scott McFarland is the executive director of Serve Illinois, which oversees all of the AmeriCorps programs in the state.

East St. Louis is the largest AmeriCorps investment outside of Chicago with about $2 million that comes into East St. Louis, McFarland said. Across the state, Serve Illinois manages $16 million a year in federal dollars that go to programs such as AmeriCorps.

Last year, AmeriCorps members across the state served about 300,000 people, and gave out 2.6 million meals.

“The services we do are immeasurable,” McFarland said. “The impact would be very costly for communities.”

During her visit to the center, Duckworth visited with seniors having lunch to speak about some of their concerns, as well as AmeriCorps volunteers.

“This is incredibly vital to the community especially for those who are most vulnerable, and then a facility like this that could be shut down,” Duckworth said. “I’m here because I fully support the efforts of the volunteers who are here. I believe strongly we need national service and AmeriCorps program is a way for people to serve in exchange for college money.”

The East St. Louis facility helps feed as many as 700 people receive meals every week and has programs that serve more than 400 children, Duckworth said.

One of those to receive a meal from the facility is Lillie Butler-Lawrence, of East St. Louis, who comes to the Lessie Bates House when she can get a ride.

“I could get something to eat daily and socialize,” Butler-Lawrence said. “I really like this center.”

Butler-Lawrence also took some time to talk to Duckworth about some other issues in East St. Louis.

“Our infrastructure, public works department needs more help than anything,” Butler-Lawrence said. “It is dark in this city. (And) we don’t have sewer; sewer is backing up in our basement.”

Duckworth on other issues

Duckworth also touched upon several topics while meeting with the media on Monday:

▪  On North Korea: What should the United States be doing in regards to North Korea in light of their failed missile launch?

“I think there is little predictability when it comes to the regime that’s in power in North Korea, which is why it is even more important for the administration to come forward with a real comprehensive plan. They need to come to Congress and talk to us and explain what their strategy is with dealing with North Korea. This is a regime that represses and starves its own people, has numerous human rights violations and is a real threat to our ally in the region of South Korea, and we have troops right now in South Korea working with the South Korean military.

“I think what we need to do is to get a comprehensive plan from the president, certainly stand by our allies in South Korea and reinforce that partnership, but I think it’s time for the Trump Administration come to congress tell us what their goals are.”

▪  On Syria: Should the U.S. be more involved?

“I was horrified just as everyone else to see those pictures, but remember in addition to the one gas attack, the Syrian regime has been butchering its own people dropping barrel bombs on hospitals, on children on schools. It’s simply not acceptable. What we need to be doing is showing leadership and also pushing our allies in the region. This is our allies’ backyard, and certainly be pressuring Russia and Iran to ensure they put whatever pressure they can on the Assad regime. Whatever happens, I think Bashar al-Assad must be removed from power. Whatever the brokered agreement is must include removal of this man, who is a butcher.”

▪  On getting more workers at Granite City Steel:

“There are two things the administration can do, and I wish they would do it, and I’ve been pressuring them to do it. One, is you need to do something about the Chinese dumping steel into this country. This is something I spoke (about) with the new secretary of commerce during his confirmation hearing … and I said, ‘You know, you have to work on this.’ The Chinese dump steel here, unfairly, selling steel below the cost producing it, and driving American steel manufacturers out of the market. He agreed that was happening. I will be pressuring (Secretary Wilbur) Ross. ... I sit on the Commerce Committee, to fight American manufacturers, fight for American steel makers on that front to fight the Chinese for their illegal steel dumping.

“The other thing the administration can do is come forward with an infrastructure plan. We need at least $1 trillion in investments in infrastructure across this country. Some right here in this region, whether it’s the Merchants Bridge, whether it’s roads and rails, or schools. If we were to come up with an infrastructure investment program we would reignite the building that could happen in this country. ... The other thing I’m pushing as well … is to require any steel used in a pipeline, such as the Keystone Pipeline or the Dakota Pipeline, be made from U.S. steel. The administration recently went back on their promise and said that they’re going to allow the Dakota Pipeline to be (built) with foreign steel. That’s not acceptable. If we’re going to build these pipelines, then let’s use American steel for that.”

▪  On whether Democrats would participate in efforts to change the Affordable Care Act:

“I’m at the table right now if they want to do any updates to improve the Affordable Care Act. I do think we need more providers, but to repeal it without having a replacement plan is not acceptable. That would throw as many as 26 million Americans out onto the streets with no health insurance whatsoever — hat simply is not acceptable. I’m already sitting at the table. If you want to fix it, I’ll be right there. I’ve already voted to fix the Affordable Care Act. I’ve voted to repeal the medical device tax, which is one of the things we were able to do. There are other things that can be done and I’m certainly willing to do that.”

This story was originally published April 17, 2017 at 10:27 AM with the headline "Duckworth says AmeriCorps is ‘vital’ to East St. Louis."