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August 2014 Newsletter follow us on

District Meetings - Growing and Getting Ready for Action!

Late last week Scott King (Chad 1970-71) of Charleston, West Virginia contacted us as one of the latest NPCA advocates taking the lead in organizing August/September district office meetings in his area. Scott (photo, far right) helped organize a meeting with the office of Senator Joe Manchin last year.

From West Virginia to Washington state, up to forty (or more?) district office meetings are in the works in at least seventeen states.

Senate meetings will focus on Peace Corps funding. House meetings will focus on funding, the House Peace Corps Caucus, the Respect for Peace Corps Volunteers Act and support for a House Resolution supporting International Service.

Ready to get on board?

RPCV Member Groups Signing Important Letter to the President

Stable funding for the Peace Corps for the fiscal year that's set to begin in October (FY 2015) is expected as both branches of Congress and the President are currently recommending $380 million for the agency.

The NPCA is beginning the first step on funding for Fiscal Year 2016. RPCV member group leaders are being asked to sign a letter to the President, urging him to request a strong increase in Peace Corps funding when he submits his FY 2016 budget to Congress early next year. This letter will come soon after this video of the President urging citizens to consider Peace Corps service.

So far, 23 groups have signed this letter. We want to surpass 100 in the next four weeks. Contact advocacy@peacecorpsconnect.org to find out if your RPCV member group has signed the letter.

You can expect an action next month for individuals urging the President to increase funding for the Peace Corps.

Honor International Service

Peace Corps is considered by many to be the "gold standard" of international volunteer service.

Inspired by the Peace Corps, many other programs have emerged in the past fifty years to provide opportunities to serve abroad.

One of our district office advocacy issues is support for a House resolution honoring international volunteers. District meeting or not, you can take action here.

NPCA Advocacy Coordinators

Congratulations to New York City Advocacy Coordinator and Niger/Jamaica RPCV Sean McLernon (above right), who has been accepted at Georgetown Law School.

You know what that means? We're looking for a new, New York City Advocacy Coordinator! It's not just the Big Apple. Arizona, Oregon, South Carolina and Vermont are among the states where we seek volunteer leaders to help.

Shining Light on Africa

As leaders of nearly 50 African nations are in Washington for a U.S. sponsored summit, we alert our advocates to our global issues action for the month of August.

The ONE Campaign is leading an advocacy effort to bring more electricity to the African continent, and the current focus is on the U.S. Senate.

Take Action Now

Traffic Briefing

Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of non-natural American deaths abroad. And for citizens living in these developing nations, the statistics are moving in the wrong direction.

That was the message during a Capitol Hill briefing in late July, organized by the Fund for Global Health. Want to learn more? Follow this link.

Featured Advocate:

Kay Dixon

Advocacy with the National Peace Corps Association is "a fun way to support the Peace Corps community as well as an opportunity to see our Government in action." So says Kay Dixon (Colombia 1962-64) of Spokane Washington, our August featured advocate.

Kay is among those who are seeking district office meetings this August and September.

Follow the link to learn more, including how Kay's district office outreach last year led to an unexpected, rewarding surprise!

PENNSYLVANIA BOUND
Our next "We're Looking for a Few Good Advocates Tour" is planned for Pennsylvania in early November. Keystone State advocates, can you help? Contact us.

STATE RESOURCES
Planning district office advocacy meetings? Be sure to check out our state resources page to help with your planning.

IN MEMORIAM
We honor members of the Peace Corps community who we lost in recent months. Follow this link.

ADVOCACY BLOGS
Want the early line on many of the stories found in our monthly update? A good source is our advocacy blogs, which can be found on the NPCA homepage.

PEACE CORPS FAST FACTS
Planning district office advocacy meetings? Be sure to check out Peace Corps' Fast Facts page to help with your planning.

FIND US ON FACEBOOK

News and comments on recent headlines: Peace Corps health and safety, a revised application processs and more.

BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE
It's an annual summer feature. The Hill newspaper reveals its "50 most Beautiful People" who work on or near Capitol Hill. This year's list includes an RPCV!

MEMBER GROUPS
Planning district office advocacy meetings? Be sure to check out our member groups page to help identify other local RPCVs to join you.

PEACE CORPS STORE
From late summer treats to back-to-school shopping lists. Get your Peace Corps and NPCA gear here!

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