The Third Goal: Bringing Peace Corps Home

Although we have finished our Peace Corps assignments, we will always be Volunteers at heart. Our task now is to help other Americans to better understand the people and cultures of the countries where we once served.

Education/Cultural Exchange

Speakers- We invite inquiries from interested schools, community service groups, and other organizations who would like speakers, information, or other services which we may be able to provide. Each year in March, over 50 RPCV members speak at local schools for Peace Corps Day. CRPCA is currently updating its speaker listings. Organizations have requested talks on a number of Peace Corps topics in the past and our organization has been able to supply presenters. If you have a desire to share your Peace Corps experience (and show those slides you haven't looked at in years) with various groups please join the Speakers Bureau.

World Beat Festival- In past years, CRPCA has hosted a Peace Corps booth at the fun Salem World Beat Festival in late June.

Fundraisers

Annual Fall Dinner- Serving up familiar country of service dishes and Peace Corps humor, this annual dinner raises money for a wide variety of projects. Past dinners have raised funds for Sierra Leonean refugees in camps in Guinea and benefited the Committee for a Museum for the Peace Corps Experience.

Calendars- Each year since 1990 during the holiday season, CRPCA has sold the international calendar created by the Madison, Wisconsin RPCV group. We are one of the top-selling groups in the country. Proceeds from sales of the 2007 calendar are going toward the American Domestic Violence Crisis Line.

Service

Recruitment- CRPCA members regularly act as a resource to the Regional Peace Corps Recruitment Office by doing slide presentations and speaking with those interested in applying for Peace Corps Service. Springtime regularly brings one of our largest soirées with prospective volunteers and RPCVs gathering for a night of questions, answers, slides and stories at the Lucky Lab.

Volunteer- The word Volunteer is still special to us. As a group we have participated in various activities such as supporting newly arrived refugee families, tree planting, developmental education, OPB pledge drives, home weatherization crews and beach clean-ups. It is estimated that over 78% of RPCVs have formally volunteered their time to causes since their return.

Last modified: February 10, 2008