As a former AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer this breaks my heart. 25 years ago I worked full time for a year, living on a stipend of $11,000, recruiting volunteers for literacy tutoring in a public school system that needed them badly. I recruited 95 college student volunteers who gave their time and care freely to 2nd-4th grade students that grew to love their tutors over that year.
All the full-time AmeriCorps volunteers I met and worked with were sincerely devoted to their work, all while living at the poverty line. In my experience, the benefit of this program goes far beyond the budget. This is short-sighted, and seems to me like a selfishly-motivated decision.
