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Greetings!
Combating global hunger begins with education. A big effort on that front is coming up.
Have you filled out the survey about Peace Corps illness/injury? Join the nearly 1,000 who already have.
And, final thanks to NPCA's outgoing President for his advocacy and service to the Peace Corps community.
It's all below, in your October monthly update.
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 Nearly One Thousand Surveyed So Far on Illness, Injury Issues
Members of the group Health Justice for Peace Corps Volunteers report nearly 1,000 members of the Peace Corps community have so far taken a survey that seeks to assess both the scope of debilitating injury or or illness over the years, and challenges Returned Peace Corps Volunteers have faced in receiving the care, attention and support they need and deserve.
There is still time to assist in this effort.
Your first step? Follow this link to take the survey. The group is interested in hearing from all RPCVs, including those who had no medical concerns during service.
Your second step? Share this survey with 5 - 10 other members of your country of service group, and ask them to do the same.
Acting Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet is expressing her commitment to ensure that sick or injured RPCVs receive the help and support they deserve. Follow this link to read her statement.
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 October 16th is World Food Day - What Can You Do?
Many of the nation's leading international development and humanitarian assistance organizations have next Wednesday, October 16th, marked on their calendar.
That is the date for World Food Day, a day to remind family and friends, neighbors and co-workers, presidential candidates and other political leaders, that nearly one out of seven people in the world are undernourished, and we have the resources and capacity to address this challenge.
Follow the link below to read about one Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who is passionate about this issue. Then, let us know about your plans to participate in World Food Day.
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 Steadily Stepping Up: NPCA Advocacy Coordinators
For many years, Newport Rhode Island RPCV Katie Dyer (Central African Republic 84-86) has been one of the leaders of the Rhode Island Returned Peace Corps Volunteers.
During the recent Third Goal Expo in Providence, Katie agreed to take on another leadership role - serving as a volunteer advocacy coordinator for her state, assisting with information sharing and activist mobilization in support of NPCA advocacy initiatives.
Throughout 2012, we have been growing our list of state/regional advocacy coordinators. Currently, either through NPCA recruitment or existing positions within NPCA affiliate groups, we have seventeen coordinators in the following states: Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin.
Would you like to be the 18th advocacy coordinator to sign up? Contact NPCA Advocacy Director Jonathan Pearson to find out more about the responsibilities for this important volunteer position.
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 NPCA Contributors in September: Thank You!
National Peace Corps Association Board Member Sharon Keld has many Peace Corps experiences, serving as a business volunteer in Morocco between 2006 and 2008, and twice as a Peace Corps Response volunteer in the Philippines (2009 - 2010) and Armenia (2011).
Last September Sharon came to Washington for our 50th Anniversary Advocacy Day. Her involvement included meeting with her Congressman, Tim Bishop, to share her experiences and make the case for a bigger and better Peace Corps.
This September, Sharon helped in an equally important way, making a dedicated donation to our advocacy program! She is among more than 150 recipients of our monthly advocacy news to donate to the NPCA, either with a membership donation, general support donation, or a special gift to advocacy.
We are grateful to all those advocates who supported NPCA in September. For others, be the first to make a donation in October.
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Election Season
Advocacy
With a very close race for president, there will be a great deal of campaigning in the next two months, especially in battleground states.
Congressional elections will bring at least 50 new lawmakers to Capitol Hill...with the possibility that number could rise to 100 or more.
While advocacy as a member of the National Peace Corps Association is a strictly non-partisan undertaking, you can use the final stretch of the campaign season to raise the issue of the Peace Corps and other issues of global concern. By asking for candidate positions on these issues with a campaign canvasser, a volunteer phone caller, or the candidate directly, you are beginning the education process for potential new members of Congress and raising awareness for all candidates that there is a constituency for a just and humane foreign policy.
Get Started Now: The ONE Campaign is collecting petition signatures asking the candidates for President to outline their plans to address global poverty and preventable diseases.
Contact us to share your stories about efforts to raise Peace Corps and other global issues with your local candidates.
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 Tap, Tap, Tap:
The Road to 250K - One Record at a Time
By now we hope you heard about the Find the 250K Campaign. It's the National Peace Corps Association's unprecedented effort to find the tens of thousands of RPCVs and former staff who over the years have been lost from any comprehensive alumni database.
This can be a challenging, tedious process. For example, after a summer break for our friends at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, we are back reviewing and collecting the information from cards left at the message board that was part of the Peace Corps 50th anniversary exhibit.
Finding the 250K can also be a lot of fun too! For example, hearing some of the great stories and capturing some of the great energy from those within our community who attended our first annual gathering last June in Minneapolis. Follow this link to watch a video from Minneapolis.
We're confident we will hit our first year goal for the campaign by "finding" 10,000 additional members of our community. But you can help! Reach out to people you served with, send them this link and ask them to connect with the NPCA today. Thanks!
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 Featured Advocate: Kevin F. F. Quigley
For nearly a decade, Kevin Quigley (pictured here with RPCV Congressman Tom Petri during a Director's Circle Capitol Hill gathering in 2011) has been leading the Peace Corps community in his position as President of the National Peace Corps Association. This includes tremendous contributions to our revived advocacy program.
Follow the link below to read more about Kevin, including his next assignment - a step away from the NPCA, but an exciting step forward in his continued commitment to service.
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You still want to make a difference. Be a member to continue serving, connect with others, and support the legacy of the Peace Corps.
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DC AREA ADVOCATES:
WE NEED VOLUNTEERS
If you live in the Washington D.C. area, we are in need of volunteers to help our advocacy program, especially over the next six months.
The aftermath of November elections will require a lot of updating of our state-specific resources, as we prepare for our 9th Annual National Day of Action next March.
Additionally, we are getting some great response with lots of updated information through our Find the 250K Campaign. We could use some extra hands to help us work through and update all this new data.
Can you help us out? Please contact us today.
Thanks!
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This Month's Featured Advocate...
Kevin F. F. Quigley
Thailand
1976 - 1979
Arlington, VA
Read More Below
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SUBSCRIBE TO NPCA
ADVOCACY NEWS
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FEDERAL EMPLOYEE?
Please remember and support the National Peace Corps Association during the Combined Federal Campaign
OUR CFC # IS 11708
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OUR SECOND YEAR OF GLOBAL HOUSE PARTIES
In an ongoing effort to mark the importance of September 22nd in Peace Corps history, the NPCA promoted the holding of global house parties to mark the anniversary of the signing of the Peace Corps Act.
Check out how folks responded!
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OPEN FORUM!
HOW ARE WE DOING?
Soooo, our monthly advocacy updates attempt to share a range of key information and action opportunities with you.
But...
Is there anything you want to share with us? What's working, what's not. What would you like to see more (or less) of?
It's your turn. Open forum.
Follow the link below and offer your thoughts to National Peace Corps Director Jonathan Pearson
Thanks!
jonathan@peacecorpsconnect.org
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An Appropriate Cap to Wear for the WORLD Series! Check out our online store ! We offer a wide selection of Peace Corps and NPCA logo merchandise--from t-shirts and coffee mugs, to pins and license plate frames.
A portion of your purchase supports the efforts of the National Peace Corps Association. Thank you!
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The National Peace Corps Association is recognized by Charity Navigator as a Four Star Charity, the highest rating given by this independent evaluator which analyses the financial health and efficiencies of non-profit organizations.
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