The U.S. Peace Corps turns 65 this year, and it is not ready to retire. Established by President John F. Kennedy on March 1, 1961, the agency has spent six decades sending Americans abroad in partnership with communities around the world. To date, nearly 250,000 volunteers have served, impacting millions of lives. Of those, more than 8,900 Floridians have answered the call.
Most people know of the Peace Corps as a program through which citizens sacrifice two years of the comforts of home to work with counterparts in other countries – more than 60 countries at present, and 140 countries since its founding – in the spirit of friendship, progress, and mutual understanding.
What is often forgotten is that the experiences and skills learned in service come home with the volunteers to the tremendous benefit of our communities here at home. Because of the Peace Corps, tens of thousands of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers came home to become teachers, health care workers, entrepreneurs, public servants and community leaders. Returned Peace Corps Volunteers continue to serve by fulfilling Peace Corps’ 3rd Goal: to help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.
In 2001, I served in the rural community of San Pedro Pinula, Guatemala as a sustainable agriculture and animal husbandry volunteer. For more than two years, I worked alongside families whose lives revolved around the land and the animals they raised. Together, we improved animal health, increased productivity, and protected natural resources. We formed an official poultry cooperative so their products could be marketed long after I returned home to Florida. Service runs in my family; my husband, Ben, also served in Guatemala, and my parents served together in Paraguay (2011-2013) after retiring.
The Peace Corps has adapted to a changing world. Health volunteers help communities combat HIV/AIDS. Education volunteers connect students and schools to the digital world. Environment volunteers help farmers build resilience in the face of climate change. The Peace Corps continues to offer Americans meaningful ways to serve and to help address the world’s most pressing challenges.Please join us for two Peace Corps Week events, organized in collaboration with Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of North Florida (RPCV-NF) and the FSU Peace Corps recruiter.On Wednesday, March 4, “Peace Corps Storytelling” will feature nine former volunteers sharing one-of-a-kind stories about their experience at Fool’s Fire Brewing Company (415 St. Francis St. Tallahassee) from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
“Engage Your World Peace Corps Meet & Greet” will be held at the FSU Center for Global Engagement Auditorium (110 S. Woodward Ave.) on Thursday, March 5th. Join FSU Peace Corps Recruiter and local RPCVs for light refreshments followed by a panel discussion starting at 5 p.m.Both of these events are open to the community, college students and anyone interested in serving. For more information visit RPCV-NF on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/peacecorpstallahassee or Instagram @peacecorpstallahassee or visit peacecorps.gov to learn more about the toughest job you’ll ever love.
Johanna Poston served in the Peace Corps in Guatemala from 2001 to 2004 and is a resident of Tallahassee.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Peace Corps turns 65: ‘The toughest job you’ll ever love’ | Opinion
Reporting by Johanna Poston, Your Turn / Tallahassee Democrat
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