Papca newsletter winter 2014 15 by Jessica McAtamney

Philadelphia Area Peace Corps Associa0on

SOJOURNERS Winter 2014

Table of Contents

Membership: Join or Renew

3………..From the President

A membership in the Na0onal Peace Corps Associa0on (NPCA) en0tles you to membership with your local aﬃliate group, the Philadelphia Area Peace Corps Associa0on (PAPCA), a subscrip0on to World View magazine, discounts on travel and merchandise, and access to a number of members‐only beneﬁts such as the NPCA’s online directory. Your membership supports legisla0ve advocacy, global educa0on, and more.

4………..Meet Your Board Members 6………..PAPCA Advocacy Day 8………..Holiday Tradi0ons 10………..Announcements 13……...Recent Events 15……...Upcoming Events

Interested in wri+ng for the newsle1er? We’d love to share your stories and photos! Email Jeanne‐Marie at: Jeanne_marie19@hotmail.com with ideas, ques+ons, or simply to express your interest.

PAPCA uses your funds to pay for opera0ng costs such as the web‐ site, email service, newsle]er produc0on, and event costs—all to keep you informed of our ac0vi0es and upcoming events. We oﬀer monthly dinners and several service ac0vi0es each year. We do‐ nate to various worthy projects (currently, microloans through KIVA). To join the NPCA and PAPCA ($50/year) 

By check: make check out to NPCA. Include your address, phone number, email, country and years of service, and choose PAPCA as your aﬃliate group. (You may add addi0onal aﬃliate groups, such as “Friends of [Country]” for $15 per group.) Mail your check to:

Na0onal Peace Corps Associa0on—Membership

1900 L. Street NW, Suite 610

Washington, DC 20036



Online: visit h]p://peacecorpsconnect.org/membership

To join PAPCA ($15/year) 

Sandy Voge

1939 E. Zabenko Dr.

Wilmington, DE 19808



By check: make check out to PAPCA. Include your address, phone number, email, country and years of service. Mail your check to:

Online: visit h]p://phillyrpcv.com/ Membership_Financials.html

From the President Dear PAPCA‐Members, We’ve had another great PAPCA year! Thanks to all of the PAPCA Board Directors for helping to organize and host our different ac0vi0es this year. Without the commitment of the all‐ volunteer board, PAPCA would just be an acronym! Our Second Saturday Dinners con0nue to increase in popularity. Each restaurant gives us an opportunity to explore different cuisine, and occasionally in a different area of the city. In January, we’ll launch a new online RSVP‐system to help keep track of who is coming to each dinner. We communicate days (some0mes weeks) in advance with the restaurant to coordi‐ nate the meal, especially since many of the restaurants we go to are small and family‐ owned. We certainly don’t want to overwhelm a local eatery with our large group, so we ap‐ preciate your 0mely RSVP. In year ahead we have a number of efforts that will con0nue to engage our mul0‐ genera0onal membership and the general Peace Corps community. We will be revamping PAPCA’s par0cipa0on with Peace Corps Partnerships some0me mid‐year, and will be working closing with the NPCA on advocacy efforts. We are constantly looking for good service oppor‐ tuni0es for our members to par0cipate in ‐ if you work at an organiza0on (or know of one) that may be of interest to RPCVs, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Our service events typ‐ ically a]ract 10‐15 RPCVs and we try to find ac0vi0es on Saturdays. We con0nue to com‐ municate regularly with the local recruiter, Rachel Brown, on Peace Corps (the agency) efforts in the area ‐ be on the lookout for joint RPCV events in the new year! Next year we’re also going to try to update our website. If you, or someone you know, can help us with our website, please contact me. Con todo mi cariño (with much love to you all), Kimiko (Honduras, 2003‐2005)

Meet Your Board Members Kimiko Doherty Honduras ‘03‐’05 President

Kerry Coughlin Moldova ‘11‐’13 Vice President

Roseanne Rostock Philippines ‘00‐’02 Secretary

Sandy Voge Nepal ‘90‐’92 Treasurer/ Membership Chair

Jessica McAtamney (Guatemala ‘97‐’99)

Meet Your Board Members Jeanne‐Marie Hagan Ellen Rhudy

Moldova ‘07‐’09

Macedonia ‘09‐’11

Newsle]er Chair

Paula Larson Thailand ‘83‐’85 Service Chair

Jane Behnke Afghanistan ‘70‐’72

Member‐at‐large

Huu Ngo

Meg Baker

Papua New Guinea ‘99‐’01

Ghana ‘78‐’79

Member‐at‐large

NPCA Advocacy Day Earlier this fall, Jonathan Pearson of the Na0onal Peace Corps Associa0on (NPCA, and the organiza0on PAPCA is an affiliate of), let his DC office for a week for a 11‐city, 12‐day road trip throughout Pennsylvania. Included in his road trip was a weekend visit in Philadelphia to conduct an advocacy work‐ shop and to join us at our November Second Saturday dinner. Jonathan (Micronesia 87‐89) has been NPCA’s Advocacy Direc‐ tor for close to 10 years. Jonathan works both with NPCA members to promote policies related to the Peace Corps and their Volunteers, as well as advoca0ng for global issues that impact the lives of people and communi0es in countries where Peace Corps volunteers served. In addi0on to the occasional road trip Jonathan coordinates NPCA’s Na0onal Day of Ac0on each March, the annual Capitol Hill meet‐and‐greet with policy and lawmakers. He also works throughout the year with RPCVs who are unable to come to Washington, D.C., to spearhead advocacy efforts by phone and email to lawmakers. RPCVs are the best advocates for pre]y much anything related to the Peace Corps. We provide a first‐hand insight on the life and 0mes of a Peace Corps Volunteer having served abroad as a Volunteer. We also have a pre]y insighuul world view having lived and worked around the world. Issues that RPCVs can advocate for include overall funding for the agency, global issues (global poverty, climate change), health jus0ce (i.e. be]er health‐related support for RPCVs), as well as policies for current volunteers (i.e. student loan for‐ giveness for service). No ma]er where an elected official sits on the poli0cal spectrum, almost every poli0cian will have something posi0ve to say about the Peace Corps. During Jonathan’s presenta0on, he showed us the vo0ng records of two congress‐ men ‐ one from the far let, and the other on the far right. But when it came to Peace Corps, both were suppor0ve and voted in favor of the Peace Corps. PAPCA members wri0ng le]ers to PA Senators

NPCA Advocacy Day

How can YOU be a Peace Corps Advocate?

How can YOU be a Peace Corps Advocate? * Begin by thinking and answering this ques‐ 0ons: Why is Peace Corps important to our na0on? * Connect with Ryan Ruggerio (South Africa, 2010‐ 2013), who has volunteered to help Jonathan and NPCA on advocacy eﬀorts for Southeast Pennsylva‐ nia, South Jersey and Delaware. Ryan will work closely with Jonathan to conduct a future advocacy workshop and le]er‐wri0ng campaigns. Connect with Ryan at ryanrug@gmail.com * Connect with Jonathan Pearson and be a part of NPCA’s Advocacy Network. He’ll update you on advoca‐ cy news and ac0on opportuni0es about 1‐3 0mes each month. Jonathan’s email address is: jonathan@peacecorpsconnect.org *Mark your calendar for next year’s NPCA Na0onal Day of Ac0on that will be on March 5th, 2015. Prior to the event, Ryan will organize le]er‐wri0ng eﬀorts for RPCVs on why the Peace Corps is important to our na‐ 0on and to encourage our congressional leaders to support Peace Corps funding (among other things!).

Happy New Year! Gëzuar Vi+n e Ri (Albanian) Bonne Année (French) Sur sdei chhnam thmei (Khmer) La Mulți Ani (Romanian) Feliz Año Nuevo (Spanish) Selamat tahun baru (Indonesian) Sanad wanagsan (Somali) Mwaka Mzuri (Swahili) Unyaka Omusha Omuhle (Zulu) We asked two PAPCA members to share their experiences of holiday tradi0ons while in country… Roseanne Rostock shared her holiday expe‐ riences in the Philippines. About 80% of Filipinos are Catholic, and religious holidays are one of those places where you can real‐ ly see the Spanish inﬂuence in the Philip‐ pines. Christmas Eve is a bigger deal for Filipinos than Christmas Day. I spent Christ‐ mas Eve 2000 at church with my host fami‐ ly, where my host sister Michelle played Mary in the Na0vity Play. Ater the play, we sang Christmas carols outside the church while children paraded around the churchyard carrying paroles – star‐shaped lanterns made from paper and bamboo. Eventually everyone entered the church to celebrate midnight mass. Ater mass we returned home for the late‐night Noche Buena dinner of Fili‐ pino spaghe}, fruit salad, imported cheese and ham. Ater a late night, we spent Christmas Day sleeping in and relaxing.

Happy New Year! Jeanne‐Marie Hagan shared her experiences In Moldova. Christmas is celebrated according to the Russian Ortho‐ dox calendar in January. The night before Christmas Eve, “Ajunul Craciunului”, and on New Year’s Eve children go out caroling house to house and receive candy, fruit and some0mes money. The children would otern be dressed up like in this picture. On Christmas morning someone in the village would dress up as Mos Craciun (Santa Claus) and would hand out sweets. Every holiday a Moldovan family would hold a masa, or meal, which would have small plates of food to share. Stuffed peppers, grape leaves, mamaliga (polenta), cheeses, meat pa}es and my favorite, placinte, a flaky pastry stuffed with cheese, cabbage and some0mes pumpkin!

Announcements

Host Families Needed! As RPCVs, we all know ﬁrsthand how essen0al a great host family is to a posi0ve experience living abroad. Would you like to be a part of that experience for someone else? Interna0onal Experience is looking for all kinds of families to host: married or single, with or without children ‐ what's most important is your ability to provide a comfortable and loving home. You would be hos0ng a high school student from another country for one school year. You can express preferences regarding age, gender, and interests. Interna0on‐ al Experience and your local coordinator will provide you with support throughout the dura0on of your 0me hos0ng. Your student will be a part of your family's life for a year, and just like with many of our host fami‐ lies, you'd be forming a bond to last a life0me. If this sounds interes0ng to you, please contact local coordinator Kerry Coughlin (Moldova 11‐13 and PAPCA Vice President) to learn more about this opportunity and what it entails. Addi0onally, if you know anyone who you think may be interested, please pass on Kerry's informa0on. Kerry Coughlin: k.coughlin@interna0onal‐experience.net h]p://usa.interna0onal‐experience.net/ We are now on Facebook! Search for Philly RPCVs (h]ps://www.facebook.com/groups/phillyrpcvs/) to connect with other RPCVs in the area, learn about local events of interest and volunteer opportuni0es, search housing requests and job pos0ngs, and more

Peace Corps Community Archives is Looking For RPCV Memorabilia The Peace Corps Community Archive at American University is looking for dona0ons of personal memorabil‐ ia from RPCVs in order to create a living history of the Peace Corps and the communi0es where volunteers have served. The archive also accepts dona0ons of materials that have been accumulated by any of the re‐ gional or country groups in order to give a home to these groups’ collec0ons. The Peace Corps Community Archive curated by the American University Library collects, preserves, and makes available materials that were created and acquired by Peace Corps Volunteers. The archive is used to support student and scholarly research, create exhibits, and provide educa0onal and public programs that document the experiences and impact of individuals who served in the Peace Corps. Started in 2012, the ar‐ chive con0nues to solicit dona0ons from RPCVs. Materials created and/or acquired by volunteers during their service can be donated, such as: correspondence, diaries, ﬁlm, photographs, reports, lesson plans, scrapbooks, and sound recordings. If you are interested in making a dona0on please contact the archive at archives@american.edu by telephone at +1 (202) 885‐3256. By dona0ng to the archive you will be ensuring that your personal legacy of Peace Corps service will not be forgo]en; instead, your service will con0nue to have a posi0ve impact for genera0ons to come.

Announcements

Breast Cancer Risk Study for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers The Na0onal Peace Corps Associa0on has partnered with researchers at Baylor College of Medicine to study possible links between health outcomes and medica0ons taken during Peace Corps service. The inves0gators have developed an online survey for RPCVs to measure health and health‐aﬀec0ng behaviors. The goal is that EVERY woman who served in the Peace Corps between 1961 and 1990 is represented in this study. Studies suggest that people who took a commonly used medica0on in the past to prevent or cure malaria may be at lower risk of developing some diseases today, such as cancer or heart disease. Baylor College of Medicine is developing studies to examine this link, beginning with this online survey to compare a large group of women who took the medica0on to a large group of women who didn’t. For more informa0on, visit the study’s website. h]p://www.peacecorpsconnect.org/cancerstudy No exhaus0ve list of RPCVs who served during that 0me is available, so the inves0gators are coun0ng on your help! If you are a woman who served in the Peace Corps between 1961 and 1990 please email: corpschronicles@bcm.edu. The survey takes about 30‐40 minutes and can be taken online or over the phone. Ques0on topics include lifestyle risk factors for diseases and a brief medical history

The Experiment in Interna+onal Living The Experiment in Interna0onal Living (www.experiment.org) provides summer abroad programs for high school students who want to connect deeply and engage meaningfully with the richness and complexi0es of another country. The Experiment in Interna0onal Living has been offering immersive experien0al learning programs abroad since 1932. Sargent Shriver, the architect of the Peace Corps, had a life‐changing experi‐ ence as a par0cipant on one of the first Experiment in Interna0onal Living programs. Two years ater his pro‐ gram, he returned to serve as an Experiment group leader to Germany and Austria, and he later served as a group leader to France. These experiences helped Sargent Shriver crat the founding principles of the Peace Corps. He ul0mately invited Experiment president Gordon Boyce to help train the first Peace Corps volun‐ teers to Gabon and Pakistan, which was the start of a deep, decades‐long partnership between the Peace Corps, The Experiment in Interna0onal Living, and World Learning, the parent organiza0on of The Experi‐ ment. Each year, hundreds of Experimenters come away from their summer abroad with invaluable new skills, con‐ nec0ons, awareness, and knowledge that helps them to thrive—and lead—in diverse, intercultural environ‐ ments. Apply online for summer 2015 programs at www.experiment.org. Need‐based financial aid is availa‐ ble, up to 50 percent of the program fee. Should you have any ques0ons, please contact The Experiment at 1‐800‐345‐2929 or at experiment@worldlearning.org.

Announcements

The Na+onal Peace Corps Associa+on has created an Ebola Relief Fund In collabora0on with Returned Peace Corps Volunteer member groups represen0ng three of the main affect‐ ed countries — Friends of Guinea, Friends of Liberia and Friends of Sierra Leone — and in response to com‐ munity interest to assist in the region, the Na0onal Peace Corps Associa0on (NPCA) is launching an Ebola Relief Fund. Contribu0ons, which are tax deduc0ble, will be accepted and acknowledged via the NPCA web‐ site and designated 100% towards Ebola‐related relief efforts. Ebola virus disease The Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a severe, oten fatal illness to humans, and the major outbreak that has oc‐ curred in West Africa requires substan0al resources to try to bring it under control. The virus is transmi]ed to people from wild animals and spreads in the human popula0on through human‐to ‐human transmission. The average EVD case fatality rate is around 50%. Case fatality rates have varied from 25% to 90% in past outbreaks. The first EVD outbreaks occurred in remote villages in Central Africa, near tropical rainforests, but the most recent outbreak in west Africa has involved major urban as well as rural areas. Local community engagement is key. The Peace Corps community is uniquely posi0oned to help iden0fy and support efforts in local communi0es in the affected countries where resources can have a significant impact. [Read our guest blogs, When Ebola Came Calling, background on earlier RPCV member group Ebola re‐ sponse; and Sierra Leone Group One Stands in Solidarity.] EBOLA RELIEF FUND The funds will be distributed to ve]ed organiza0ons working in West Africa as determined by a fund steering commi]ee. This commi]ee will be comprised ini0ally of up to two representa0ves of each of the above NPCA member groups, chaired by Russell Morgan, Dr.P.H. (Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, Kenya 1966‐ 1969) and with staff support from NPCA Vice President Anne Baker and NPCA Special Assistant Intern Jackie Steinkamp. All contributed funds will go directly to Ebola relief efforts. h1p://www.NPCAEbolaRelief.org

Recent Events

Indonesia Restaurant

Moldova Restaurant

Dalak Restaurant

PAPCA Annual Picnic!

Upcoming Events NEW RSVP SYSTEM COMING SOON! Wednesday, January 7: RPCV HAPPY HOUR at Perch Pub 1345 Locust St, Philadelphia, PA, 19107 (No RSVP necessary) Saturday, January 10: DINNER at Khmer Kitchen (Cambodian, BYOB) 1700 South 6th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19148; (Limit: 22 people due to space constraints) Wednesday, February 4: RPCV HAPPY HOUR at Perch Pub 1345 Locust St, Philadelphia, PA, 19107 (No RSVP necessary) Saturday, February 14: DINNER at Sazon (Venezuelan) 941 Spring Garden St., Philadelphia, PA 19123; 215‐763‐2500 Wednesday, March 4: RPCV HAPPY HOUR at Perch Pub 1345 Locust St, Philadelphia, PA, 19107 (No RSVP necessary) Saturday, March 14: DINNER at Le Bercail (African/French) 4519 Bal0more Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19143; 267‐292‐5805 Wednesday, April 1: RPCV HAPPY HOUR at Perch Pub 1345 Locust St, Philadelphia, PA, 19107 (No RSVP necessary) Saturday, April 11: DINNER at Moldova Restaurant (Eastern European, BYOB) 9808 Bustleton Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19115; 267‐538‐2710 Wednesday, May 6: RPCV HAPPY HOUR at Perch Pub 1345 Locust St, Philadelphia, PA, 19107 (No RSVP necessary) Saturday, May 9: DINNER at Mekong River (Vietnamese) 1120 ‐ 1124 Front Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147; 215‐467‐6100 Wednesday, June 3: RPCV HAPPY HOUR at Perch Pub 1345 Locust St, Philadelphia, PA, 19107 (No RSVP necessary)