March 1 is the 50th Anniversary of the Peace Corps, and as a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV)*, Macedonia 2006-2009, I’m joining the celebration, here, on Facebook, on local TV and in print.

Did you know that over the past 50 years, 200,000+ Volunteers have served in 139 countries?

• 8,655 Volunteers are serving in 77 countries, as I type. 
• 60% female, 40% male
• 93% single, 7% married
• 19% of Peace Corps Volunteers are minorities
• 28 is average age
• 7 % of volunteers are over 50. (I was!)
• 90% have at least an undergraduate degree 

What Volunteers do?

• Education: 37%
• Health & HIV/AIDS: 22%
• Business Development: 14% (That’s what I did.) 
• Environment: 13%
• Agriculture: 4%
• Youth Development: 5%
• Other: 5% 

 Where they do it?

• Africa: 37%
• Latin America: 24%
• Eastern Europe/Central Asia: 21% (Me in Macedonia, south-eastern Europe.)
• Asia: 7%
• The Caribbean: 5%
• North Africa/Middle East: 4%
• Pacific Islands: 3% 

Personal Virtual Celebrations

For a more personal look at what it’s like to be a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV), please join us on Wednesdays in March when I share the tales and triumphs, memories and moments of five adventurous folks, who served at different times in different places, but all  loved, or grew to love, their PC service. Until then you can read about other “Notable Returned Volunteers” on the PC website.

I’ll also be celebrating with a FB event. At least 80 PCVs or RPCVS that I know or my invitees know, will be posting a few words and photos about their Peace Corps service on their walls tomorrow, March 1. You’ll be able to see some of their comments on the Wishful Thinking Works FB page. Stop by. 

Local Fun

This morning I’m taping a local morning show. This afternoon, I’m doing an interview with a local newspaper; I’ll link when it’s published. And, best of all, Tuesday night I’ll be enjoying an international dinner with other local RPCVs that I haven’t met yet!  Can’t wait to hear their stories.

Hope you hear about Peace Corps everywhere you go, because if you do – it means we are doing our jobs!

And, if you have ever, even for a moment, thought of joining Peace Corps, I hope you find a way to make it a part of the life you really want. What will you do . . .   I did, and I will never regret or forget it! For my stories and photos, just enter Macedonia in the “Search” box above and hit “This Site”.

* Peace Corps calls all Peace Corps Volunteers, who have successfully completed their service “Returned”, not former Peace Corps Volunteers. It’s their way of saying once a Volunteer, always a Volunteer. I like that.