November 2015
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Save the date! 

Peace Corps Connect 2016, in conjunction with the Peace Corps' 55th anniversary, will be held in Washington, DC from September 22-25, 2016. The conference itself will take place on Friday and Saturday (Sept. 23-24) and will be preceded by the National Day of Action on Thursday September 22.
NPCA Creating a Benevolent Fund for RPCVs in Need 
NPCA has designed the new Peace Corps Community Fund to include a Benevolent Fund.

While the vast majority of us lead healthy and productive lives following our service, some experience health issues that can challenge us in life's transitions after our Volunteer service. Your support for the Community Fund will help Returned Peace Corps Volunteers in need. It's as simple as that.

Why We're Asking You to Call One Person
It's "go" time! 

If you haven't already, please call Rep. Kay Granger's D.C. office at 202-225-5071 and urge her to fully fund the Peace Corps at $410 million, in order to:
  • meet the historic supply of 23,000 Americans wanting to join the Peace Corps (a 32% increase from last year, and more than doubled since 2013)
  • meet the demand of 20 new countries asking for Volunteers
  • enhance and enlarge crucial programming like girls and women empowerment
Rep. Granger is Chairman of the House State, Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, making her the most important voice in Peace Corps funding. Speak with a staffer or leave a message. Your brief phone call could make Peace Corps available to 555 new Volunteers and thousands of community members.
NPCA Offering Trips to Iran, Cuba in 2016; Holiday Travel Discounts
The National Peace Corps Association's Next Step Travel program will be adding an inaugural trip to Iran and two trips to Cuba in 2016

The trip, "Bridge to Iran: Into the Heartland," has been designed in partnership with Peace Corps Iran Association and will be implemented by San Francisco-based travel company Global Exchange. 
 
Registration for Iran is now open and Cuba will be open for registration next week. Be sure to sign up for our Next Step Travel email list, so that you'll be the first to hear when registration goes live. All of these trips are expected to sell out.  
 
Don't miss our group discount for holiday travel to Guatemala and the Dominican Republic.


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Peace Corps Champion Farr to Step Down from Congress
To his colleagues, he is often referred to as "Mr. Peace Corps" for his dogged determination to expand, improve and promote the Peace Corps. Now, after forty years in elected office - including 23 years representing the Central Coast of California in the House of Representatives - Sam Farr (Colombia 1964-1966) has announced his retirement.  ... 

Building a Network of Mental Health Support for Returned Volunteers
"When I graduated from college, I had three options: teacher, secretary, or nurse." 

Suffice it to say that Jeanne Paul, who for the last five years has served as a board member and the Mentor Coordinator for the Southeast Michigan Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (SEMI RPCV) affiliate group, chose none of those. Today, she's working to launch a network of RPCV mental health practitioners ...


The Peace Corps Community Fund will support more efforts like this. Become an NPCA Mission Partner and increase transitional support for RPCVs as they come home.  
Reunions: We Love Them! 
We know that Peace Corps friends are lifelong friends -- and don't have to look any further than our inboxes for proof. Several Returned Peace Corps Volunteers got in touch with us this past month, to share Reunion photos and updates. 
  • There was the Colombia I group proudly proclaiming that "the older we get, the better we were!"
  • And the Guatemala III group, which gathered at the University of New Mexico in Los Cruces, New Mexico, their original training site. Along with a lot of reminiscing, they met with current Volunteers in the Peace Corps Masters International Program.
Be Included: We're Publishing a Peace Corps Community Directory 
PC Directory
NPCA is preparing to publish a Peace Corps Community Directory to keep our community connected. It will be the most comprehensive resource to date for all those who share the Peace Corps experience. 

The Peace Corps Community Directory -- which will be available in printed and digital format -- is being produced in partnership with Publishing Concepts (PCI). You will likely be contacted by them in the coming weeks by postcard and email. Please be sure to respond to make sure we have accurate country of service and contact information to publish ... 

More from NPCA ... 
NPCA Featured Member Group: 
Friends of Korea
While Peace Corps Volunteers served in South Korea for only fifteen years, the impact and ongoing relationship of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) and former staff with their former country of service has been staggering. Read more about the Friends of Korea, our featured affiliate group for November ...

Get Ready for the Holidays!
Looking for unique gifts for the Volunteers and Returned Volunteers in your life? Celebrate your connection to the Peace Corps family with Peace Corps logo apparel, stickers, flags patches, bumper stickers and more from our online store.  

NPCA Members Get Call Discounts with Netagogo
Netagogo is an international call service provider offering exclusive discounted rates to NPCA members, while benefiting the Peace Corps community. For every purchase you make, 15% will be donated to the NPCA with an additional 10% donated to the NPCA affiliate group of your choice! 

In Memoriam
While we regularly remember the lives and achievements of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) who recently passed away, we also honor those who served as staff. Among those we lost in the month of September were several individuals who held key Peace Corps staff positions overseas in service to our nation.

Recognize Excellence: Help Us Find the Next Wofford Award Winner
Each year, the NPCA spotlights an inspiring host country national who has been impacted by a Peace Corps Volunteer -- individuals like Berhane Daba of Ethiopia. The 2015 recipient of the Harris Wofford Global Citizen Award, her advocacy for women with disabilities embodies the far-reaching impact of the Peace Corps. Help us find more Berhanes! The deadline for consideration for the 2016 Wofford award is January 31, 2016. 
Let Girls Learn: A Powerful Collaboration
Empowering leaders. Working hand in hand with communities. Increasing the impact of Peace Corps Volunteers. 

These are the three pillars of the #LetGirlsLearn initiative -- goals that all RPCVs can get behind. There are many ways to get involved!

Scholarships
Scholarships for RPCVs? Yes Please!
Making your plans for graduate school? Join the nine NPCA members who earned over $80,000 in scholarships in 2014. Check out the generous scholarships available exclusively to NPCA members. Before you send in your application, learn more here.



Need a Job? Want to Hire an RPCV?
Visit our job site to see employers who are looking to hire RPCVs. Learn more

And don't forget to join our LinkedIn group! It's exclusively for PCVs and RPCVs. 

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