Hispanic Heritage Month: RPCV Jeannette is proud of herself and her heritage.
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Jeannette (Jenny) is proud of herself and her heritage. by Jeannette Sanchez I grew up as a mixed race Mexican American in Alaska who eventually moved to Missouri where I raised my two kids. When my children went off to college, I signed up for Peace Corps (PC) Response and one of my three PC assignments was in Guyana. This was a very different experience for me since most Guyanese saw me as the 'White Girl' – a label I did not connect to. Being seen as white (not Latina) was challenging for me. It felt...
Booker, Tillis Introduce Resolution Celebrating 65 Years of the Peace Corps and Honoring Nearly 250,000 Americans Who Answered the Call to Serve
Originally posted by the office of Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) SEPTEMBER 22, 2026 (WASHINGTON, DC) — Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) introduced a resolution celebrating the 65th anniversary of the Peace Corps and commending its volunteers for more than six decades of public service focused on enhancing U.S. global leadership, strengthening international stability, empowering communities, and expanding people-to-people ties. U.S. Representatives John Garamendi (D-CA-08) and Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen (R-American Samoa) introduced a companion resolution in the House. Since President John F. Kennedy issued his historic call to service and established the Peace Corps on...
Garamendi, Radewagen Introduce Bipartisan Concurrent Resolution Commemorating the 65th Anniversary of the U.S. Peace Corps
Originally posted by the office of Representative John Garamendi (CA) SEPTEMBER 22, 2026 (WASHINGTON, DC) — Today, Congressman John Garamendi (CA-08), the only Returned Peace Corps Volunteer serving in Congress and Co-Chair of the Congressional Peace Corps Caucus, introduced a bipartisan concurrent resolution with Congresswoman Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen (American Samoa) to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the establishment of the United States Peace Corps. The resolution officially honors the service, legacy, and ongoing global impact of the nearly 250,000 Americans who have answered the call to service since President John F. Kennedy founded the agency in 1961. “Patti and...
TAKE ACTION: Concurrent House and Senate Resolutions to Honor Peace Corps Service
For 65 years, Peace Corps Volunteers and staff have served our nation. We have shared skills and taken part in transformative cultural exchange that has helped build strong relationships between the U.S. and 144 countries worldwide This year, Congress can honor the nearly 250,000 volunteers who have served since 1961. RPCV Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) and Delegate Amata Radewagen (R-American Samoa) have introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives (H.Con.Res.119, "Honoring the 65th Anniversary of the Peace Corps"). Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) have introduced a concurrent resolution in the Senate (S.Res.872). Together, the concurrent...
The National Peace Corps Association Calls for Preservation of the Kennedy Center
September 21, 2026 (Washington, DC) - Today, the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) calls for preservation of the historic John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. On September 15th, the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees held a meeting and voted to close the Center for renovation and reconstruction, following a prior statement by the Trump administration’s legal team claiming that “without those efforts, the Center will deteriorate further into an unsafe, decrepit structure that will be required to be taken down, with a determination to follow on what to build on the site.” On the 17th, U.S. District Judge...
Take Action: Oppose House Amendment to Defund the Peace Corps
As the House of Representatives prepares to consider H.R. 8595, the FY27 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs (NSRP) appropriations bill, Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) has filed Amendment #137, which would eliminate the Peace Corps' entire $410.5 million appropriation. The House Rules Committee has advanced the bill and amendment for House floor consideration, expected Thursday, June 25th. Contact your Representatives today and ask them to oppose any effort to eliminate funding for the Peace Corps. Congress could make a decision on Peace Corps funding within days. Help us pass 5,000 letters sent by Thursday. Click here to take...
New Politics Academy and NPCA Announce Partnership to Support Returned Peace Corps Volunteers Pursuing Public Office
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 16, 2026 Media Contacts: Aly Ferguson, New Politics Academy, aly@newpolitics.org and Joe Shaffner, Vice President, National Peace Corps Association, jshaffner@peacecorpsconnect.org As originally published by New Politics ________________________________ BOSTON (June 16, 2026) – Today, New Politics Academy (NPA) and the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) announced a partnership to support Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) who are continuing their service through public office. NPA works with leaders who have demonstrated a commitment to putting community and country over self, preparing them to run for office and lead effectively once elected. The Memorandum of Understanding between the two organizations...
The Sunrise We Carry
By Mike Roman (Kiribati 00-02) Twenty-six years ago, I stepped off a plane in Kiribati with a backpack, a notebook, and no real understanding of how deeply a place could shape a life. I believed I was there to serve. What I did not understand was that I was entering into a relationship, one that would stretch across decades, following me into classrooms, city halls, courtrooms, and conversations about what it means to move, to belong, and to survive in a changing world. In Kiribati, I learned how to live without money. It was also where I learned how people...
Peace Corps Reorganizing to Streamline Operations in Washington, DC
Following extensive dialogue and a period of review with Congress and discussions with the Peace Corps Employees Union, Peace Corps/Washington is preparing for a reorganization of the Washington, DC office. With this reorganization, the agency's intent is to streamline operations to improve communications, responsiveness to country offices, and improve overall efficiencies across the agency. This reorganization will not result in further reductions in workforce. Rather, it is focused on departmental restructuring and reporting streams. One important change is the consolidation of all country post management into a single leadership and operations division, with five geographic units: The Americas: Colombia, Costa Rica,...
The Moment I realized Belonging Isn’t Automatic
By: Jeannette Sanchez, she-hers (Peace Corps Response, Ukraine 13-14, Guyana 14-15, VPPP Moldova 23) I remember standing in a campus space meant for everyone – but it didn’t always feel that way. It was early in my time as a Diversity Center Manager at Normandale Community College. The room was active, full of students moving between conversations, some laughing, others quietly observing. On the surface, it looked like success: engagement, diversity, energy. But as I watched more closely, I noticed something else – patterns of separation. Students are grouped by familiarity. Some lingering at the edges, unsure if they truly...