It seems to be a stunt by the US for getting attention for going across the world volunteeering, rather than just helping people at home in the US. Like the media attention-grabber when Madonna went to Africa to adopt kids instead of just adopting kids from the US.
I know someone who wants to join the Peace Corps, likely for genuinely noble reasons. They said they could do things like have the opportunity to build infrastructure in places that need it.
I mean mutual aid doesn’t pay great either so effectively the peace corps or americorps would be doing mutual aid (i.e. teaching english as a second language and providing reading and literacy assistance for adults, idk, I consider that significant aid) for minimum wage for a "non"profit
the difference really being that one pays some and at least looks good on a resume and the other, idk how mutual mutual aid is necessarily and at least minimum wage is pay