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Greetings!
Election Day has come and gone. While many great champions will be leaving Capitol Hill, one new RPCV lawmaker has been elected.
The clock is ticking to pass Peace Corps Commemorative legislation.
Also, we want to secure at least 100 RPCV groups on a joint letter to President Obama about Peace Corps funding and the next agency director.
It's time for your November monthly update.
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 NPCA Preparing Group Letter to President Obama
With the re-election of President Obama, the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) has prepared an important sign-on letter for RPCV member groups. The sign-on letter references two important issues.- Providing strong funding for Peace Corps in the President's Fiscal Year 2014 budget request.
- Outlining key criteria in nominating the next Peace Corps Director.
If you are connected to an RPCV member group, please review this letter and bring it to the attention of your group leaders. We are collecting signatures from member groups until December 3rd.
Our goal is to secure at least 100 group signatures in the next few weeks. Contact us at advocacy@peacecorpsconnect.org for details on how to sign on.
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 Kennedy Election Increases RPCVs in House
Come January, the number of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers in the House of Representatives will increase to five. That increase comes with the election of Joseph Kennedy III (Dominican Republic 04-06).
The other four House RPCVs won re-election, most by very comfortable margins.
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 Thank Outgoing Lawmakers Who Supported Peace Corps
Several lawmakers who lost their re-election bids were strong and regular supporters of legislation and other initiatives to support and strengthen the Peace Corps. Among the major Peace Corps champions who won't be returning in January are Representatives Howard Berman (D-CA), Pete Stark (D-CA), Leonard Boswell (D-IA), Ben Chandler (D-KY) and Betty Sutton (D-OH).
Other lawmakers who provided some key support for the Peace Corps but were defeated also should be thanked. They include Representatives Laura Richardson (D-CA), David Rivera (R-FL) and Nan Hayworth (R-NY).
Additionally, nearly three dozen Representatives and Senators who had previously lost primary races or announced their retirement have been big champions for the Peace Corps.
With approximately 70 new members joining the Senate and House in January, our upcoming advocacy will certainly include introducing these members to the Peace Corps community.
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 Zero Hour for
Peace Corps Commemorative
If you want to see an outside space near the National Mall to mark the historic significance of the founding of the Peace Corps more than fifty years ago, the time to act is now!
We have made tremendous progress in the last two years to pass House Bill 854 and Senate Bill 1421, a key step that is necessary to build a modest, privately funded Peace Corps Commemorative near the National Mall.
Unfortunately, time is running out. Congress returns to work next week to work on a number of major issues. There's a chance the commemorative legislation will be able to pass in this period. However, all the progress we've achieved will dial back to zero in 2013.
Take Action Now:
- First and most important: If your member(s) of Congress are on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, or the House Natural Resources Committee, please contact them now and urge them to pass Peace Corps Commemorative legislation before the end of this year.
- If your lawmakers are among the 22 Senators and 159 Congressmen/women who have co-sponsored this legislation, please ask that they use their leadership to ensure that the Peace Corps Commemorative legislation passes.
- If you are represented by members of the Senate or House who have not yet co-sponsored Peace Corps Commemorative legislation, please contact them and ask them to co-sponsor the legislation and help lead efforts to make sure these bills are passed this year.
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 NPCA Contributors in October: Thank You!
Malaysia RPCV Paul Murphy is becoming a mainstay of our Capitol Hill Advocacy efforts.
He's also a mainstay in being a regular contributor to support National Peace Corps programs. That includes Paul's general membership to the NPCA in October, a small portion of which supports our advocacy activities.
Paul is among more than 130 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 October. For other advocates receiving this newsletter, be the first to make a donation in November.
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 Mark Your Calendars
National Day of Action: February 28, 2013
February 28th: The new 113th Congress will only be a few weeks old. No doubt some of the new members will still be unpacking their boxes and learning how to navigate the underground tunnels on Capitol Hill.
February 28th: That day will mark the National Peace Corps Association's next major activity on Capitol Hill and around the country. That's the day when we will hold our 9th Annual National Day of Action in Support of the Peace Corps.
It's a day when we ask everyone to set aside five minutes to contact their lawmakers about the Peace Corps. And, in recent years, we've had a great group of advocates who come to Washington to back up the nationwide mobilization by holding dozens of face-to-face meetings and visiting virtually every congressional office to demonstrate there is a strong constituency for a strong and vibrant Peace Corps.
Be the first to register to for our Capitol Hill advocacy next February 28th. Contact advocacy@peacecorpsconnect.org and sign up today!
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 Featured Advocate: Barbara Kelly
We are so proud of the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) who are stepping up and strengthening our network by agreeing to serve as Advocacy Coordinators for their state or region.
One of these individuals is Barbara Kelly (Senegal 71-73) of Kinnelon New Jersey, Advocacy Coordinator for the New Jersey RPCVs.
No doubt New Jersey has been in our thoughts and prayers. But before Hurricane Sandy came ashore, Barbara brought fellow RPCVs together for two advocacy workshops.
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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...
Barbara Kelly
Senegal
1971 - 1973
Kinnelon, NJ
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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HEALTH SURVEY RESPONSES STILL BEING COLLECTED
Thousands of you have already shared your experiences and thoughts to a survey NPCA is circulating in conjunction with the group Health Justice for Peace Corps Volunteers.
Follow this link and set aside about 10 minutes to take the survey. Then, share it with other RPCVs you know.
Thanks!
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Show Your Peace Corps Pride! 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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