John,
It's Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes. Last week, I did something I'd never done before: I went grocery shopping at a West Valley Walmart with an 89-year-old woman named Vertie and her AmeriCorps volunteer, Karen.
Vertie is legally blind and uses a walker. She lives alone on Social Security and her late husband's Coast Guard pension. Her closest daughter has MS and is "blinder than me," as Vertie puts it, so they can't help each other.
Two years ago, Vertie called the Area Agency on Aging and was connected with Karen, a 75-year-old AmeriCorps volunteer who helps Vertie with doctor's appointments and grocery runs.
Then Trump cut off AmeriCorps funding.
Karen had to call Vertie on a Friday afternoon to tell her the program was ending. At first, Vertie was shocked. Then she panicked. How would she get to the grocery store? How would she get her medication? How would she get to her doctor's appointments?
Vertie took a cab to one appointment. The driver dropped her off at the curb. She had to ask strangers which door to go in. She walked into the wrong building. It's not safe. It's not right.
So I sued Trump — and we won.
We forced the release of millions in federal funding for AmeriCorps. Now, Vertie has Karen back. And last week, I got to see exactly what this program means.
While we were shopping, Vertie told me something surprising: she voted for Trump. But when his administration cut AmeriCorps, she called Arizona's two senators and the White House to complain.
"I told them about this program, how it means so much to me because I'm legally blind and, it's like, I'm just totally lost without some help," she said.
That's what this work is about. It's not about Republican or Democratic. It's about protecting programs that Arizona families depend on.
The economic value of volunteers like Karen was equal to $1.7 billion nationwide in 2019 — and it's likely higher today. Without AmeriCorps, people like Vertie would have to hire home health aides at $36 an hour with a minimum of three to five hours per visit. Most seniors can't afford that.
As we finished shopping and I said goodbye to Vertie and Karen, I thought: This is why I keep suing Trump when he breaks the law. Because real people depend on these programs to live with dignity.
Can you chip in today to help me keep fighting for programs like AmeriCorps?
When Trump tries to cut funding that hurts Arizona families, I take him to court and I win. That's my job.
Thanks for having my back,
-Kris
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