January Newsletter: Our values need champions, and your voice matters

January 28, 2025

January Newsletter: Our values need champions, and your voice matters

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Dear Supporters,


I have long said that Peace Corps Park is an initiative of and by this passionate community of returned volunteers – and all those who believe in the values of international peace and partnership. With our recent end-of-year fundraising campaign, which raised more than $700,000 to help us tell our story in Washington, D.C., we are reminded of the passion of this community and express our sincere gratitude for the support we have received, big and small, from our diverse group of contributors.


Two of the most important ways we evaluate our fundraising are by looking at how many new donors we are attracting, and how many existing donors are being motivated to give again. Of the almost 400 people who made contributions to Peace Corps Park since Giving Tuesday, more than a third were repeat donors, meaning we are both attracting new support and motivating our existing donors to increase their impact. As we enter the second half of the fundraising effort, we are more inspired than ever by the growing number of supporters working together to make Peace Corps Park a reality.


We have heard from so many of you how meaningful it was to hear the messages from our end-of-year campaign advocates about their belief in the importance of Peace Corps Park, and their reasons for supporting the project. We are honored to have such distinguished voices advocating for the Park, including champions for the Peace Corps in Congress, an influential director of the Peace Corps, and an international diplomat who was inspired as a child by the Peace Corps Volunteers who were assigned to his hometown.


At a time when many of us share concerns about America’s commitment to longstanding global partnerships, it’s critical that we use our voices to help more people understand the positive impact that programs like the Peace Corps have on building allies and partners in every region of the world.


An inspiring quote from a recent op-ed in the Washington Post resonates especially loudly in describing the importance of the symbols that stand on the National Mall, a backdrop of presidential inaugurations and speeches that have defined our country for generations.

“Things change over time. Stories, even national myths, get updates as new champions emerge from different groups. Often unwelcomed, their contributions long underappreciated, these people became sources of national greatness nonetheless, earning their places in America’s story and their spots in its pantheon.”

Thank you for your support, in whatever way you are able to provide it, in making the values of the Peace Corps part of America’s story.


Yours in service,

An image of Glenn Blumhorst's handwritten signature

Glenn A. Blumhorst
Chief Advancement Officer
Peace Corps Foundation


President and CEO, National Peace Corps Association (2013-22)
RPCV Guatemala (1988-91)


GBlumhorst@PeaceCorpsCommemorative.org


Peace Corps Park advocates lend their voices


Peace Corps Park’s end-of-year campaign included testimonials from four key supporters who lent their voices, names and support to our effort to build this lasting symbol of our shared values in Washington, D.C. Their motivations speak to the importance of this project, and inspire all of us with their dedication and leadership. In case you missed them, read their appeals (and all of our archives) in the news section of our website.

An image of Congressman Sam Farr

Hon. Sam Farr


Sam Farr, a champion of the Peace Corps for all of his 44 years in Congress, told us about the importance of commemorating this bold vision in our nation’s capital. 


“The Peace Corps is a powerful idea. It remains as bold as it was almost 65 years ago, and that boldness deserves a place among the monuments and memorials that decorate the landscape in Washington, D.C.”

Hon. Carrie Hessler-Radelet


Former Director of the Peace Corps Carrie Hessler-Radelet inspired us with her reminder that our shared values of service and partnership can still build bridges of peace today and in the future.


“Peace Corps Park is a space where stories of service will come alive—a place where we will celebrate the uniquely American spirit of Peace Corps dedicated to fostering understanding and building bridges of peace. It is a place where anyone, regardless of culture, race, faith, ethnicity, or background, can reflect upon the idea that we are all part of one human family.”

An image of Kul Chandra Gautam

Kul Chandra Gautam


Nepali diplomat Kul Chandra Gautam highlighted the unique role that this community plays in fostering international peace and solidarity.


“I know from my own personal experience and observation the transformational impact that Peace Corps volunteers can make on the lives of many ordinary people and future leaders of the world, and I sincerely believe that the Peace Corps can be the greatest organization dedicated to promoting global solidarity at the people-to-people level.”

Hon. Joe Kennedy III


Joe Kennedy III recalled his own Peace Corps service and talked about why it is the proudest line on his resume.


“Let’s be the country that gave the world the Peace Corps. A country that refuses to set anything less than a high-water mark for human rights. A country that sees dignity in diversity, one that keeps its promises. A country that is not just great but truly good.”


Steve Fischman makes a generous donation


Like many supporters of Peace Corps Park, Steve Fischman was thinking about the future when he chose to make a generous donation of $250,000 to build this symbol of our shared values in Washington, D.C.

An image of Steve Fischman

“The Park is motivation for the future; I want people to understand what this experience does for you, what it can do for your life,” he said, remembering the impact that his service had on his world view.


“You meet a whole part of the world that you haven’t had any contact with and you learn about what’s great about their lives. The fact that they are poor doesn’t define them. You learn that there’s just a limitation on opportunity that some of us don’t experience here.”


The fight against poverty has long been a focus of Steve’s philanthropic activity, donating funds, time and leadership to groups like Bend the Arc, where he served as national chairman and was an early supporter of Barack Obama’s community organizing efforts.

Based in Boston, his real estate projects have spanned the country, leaving an impact in bricks and mortar. He is particularly motivated to see Peace Corps Park become a reality in such an important location in sight of the U.S. Capitol.


“To be there standing among the other memorials shows how important the Peace Corps is,” he said. “It hopefully will get the world to notice and to think about what a great opportunity this is, was, and could still be.”


Please join us in thanking Steve for his support.


Storytelling that makes a difference


Storytelling has always been an important part of the Peace Corps’ “Third Goal” to help Americans better understand other cultures and peoples, and it will be a central component of the educational role of Peace Corps Park, helping both digital and in-person visitors get a broad picture of how volunteer service makes a better world. This month we highlight a few storytelling initiatives that support this mission.

Fundraising Update: $700,000 closer to our goal


We have been so inspired by the generosity from this community, with 397 contributors giving more than $700,000 to the Park’s year-end fundraising campaign. We gratefully acknowledge the following donors, who have made generous new contributions and/or pledges since November 26, 2024:


See our growing list of cumulative gifts to the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation


$250,000 - $499,999

Steve Fischman*


$100,000 - $249,999

Kevin F.F. Quigley and Susan L.Q. Flaherty


$50,000 - $99,999

Robert Y. Olsen


$20,000 - $49,999

Robert Crooks*
John Hoffman*
Ken and Lucy Lehman
Chris and Kathleen Matthews
JM Zell Partners Ltd*


$10,000 - $19,999

Albert H. "Tony" Barclay*
George and Carol Chaffey
Jacqueline Denning
Franklin R. Innes*
Eric Melby and Pamela Tripp-Melby
Josephine K. "Jody" Olsen*


$5,000 - $9,999

Donna M. Anderson*
Glenn and Cathy Blumhorst*
Judy Greenspon*
Susan Corcoran Hayes*
Margaret Riley*
Christopher J. Siegler*
Cecilia M. Stratford*
Robert Terry and Judith Whitney-Terry*
Mal Warwick*


$2,500 - $4,999

India VII RPCVs
Priscilla Goldfarb*
Marjorie Maritzen
William Morrow
Carrie Hessler-Radelet*
Sarah Wells*
Aaron Williams*


$1,000 - $2,499

James and Juliana Bancroft
Charles and Martha Clifford*
Gail Coburn
Merrie Henshaw Corbett
Geri Critchley*
Jay Davidson*
Rosalyn P. Doggett*
Elliott Fiedler
Bonnie S. Gottlieb*
Lyle Harding*
Ray C. Haselby
Charles Hobbie
Sarah Connolly Jordan
Barbara A. Kelly*
Christopher and Claudine Klose
Sam Lawson and Laurel Mayer*
Nancy Maier
Anthony Michael Marzolla*
Michael and Hannah Mazer
Raymond and Judith McGuire*
Carolyn A. Mulford
Matthew Niskanen*
Jonathan Eric Pearson
Mary Pendleton*
Patty Reed
Alexis Rieffel*
Richard M. Roderick*
Anne Lawrence and Paul Roose
Jerri Rush*
Michael Sears
Douglas & Margaret Sheldon
Maricarmen Smith-Martinez
Genevieve Wangsness
Arnee Blauer Winshall
Steven Wolf*


Other gifts to $999

Annette Acosta
Joe Adair*
Mary Ahrens
Alice Alexander*
Martha Allshouse Hull
America's Charities
Donald Anderson
Jean Ansell
Thomas Appel*
Mary Jo Arnoldi*
William David Austin
David Ayres
Robert Bach
Baitz Family
Leigh Baker
Mary Alice Ball*
James Barborak*
Katherine Barotti
Frederick Barton
Bette Bass*
Carrie Bassett
Sondra and William Bechhoefer*
Leo Bellantoni
Nancy Bennett
R. Scott Berg
Jon Berg
Blackbaud Giving Fund*
David Blackstun
Amy Blackwell
Wade Blackwood
Lonna Bloom
William Booth
Anna and Parker Borg
Andrew Bosco
Nathaniel Bowditch
Fran Bowman
Kathleen Brandes
Nick Bubnovich
Ann Buessing Johnston
Martin G. Burns
Jim Caffrey*
Daniel Cahill
Benny and Carol Cespedes*
Charities Aid Foundation*
Lori Christenson
Mary Christopherson*
Donna D. Clarke
Paul Clifford
Paul Cloyd
William Combs*
Jaime Comella
Paul Converse*
Jennifer Cook
Nancy Corn
Patrick Corrigan
Michael Coulson
Brent Cromley
Stephen Culp
Dawn Daniels and Mark Miller
Leita Davis
James De Deo
Robert Denniston*
Mary DeWitt-Dia
Margaret Dickenson
Kerry Dinneen*
Cathleen Disney
Jerry Doll
Hallie Mitchell Dow
Mary Dowling
Richard Drobnick
Jan Droegkamp
Helene Dudley*
Bruce Edwards*
Frederick Eisenbud
Mari Ennis-Applegate
Thea Evensen*
Jim Feaster*
Thomas Fisher
Anne Fitzgerald
Allen Fleming
Kenneth E. Flies*
Roger Follas
James Freeman
Melissa Frisk
John E. Frost*
Elizabeth Fuhrman
Bill Gallagher*
Dorothy and George Gamble
Cathleen Garman
Christine Gavitt*
John and Ellen Geiger
Sharen Gendebien*
Matthew Gerhardt*
Bret Gifford
Lorraine Gill
Ted Goble
Donald Gogniat
Deanna G. Goldstein
Gloria J. Haars
Andrew Haering
Don Haffner
Christine Hagerbaumer
John Hale
R. Diane Hall*
Bryce Hamilton*
Hammig/Shipley Fund
Thomas Marvin Hancock
Connie Hankins
Peter Hansen
James Hanson
Christopher Haragan*
Charmaine Harkins
Kathleen Harnig*
Erika Harris*
Michael Hayes
Zeida Heavener
Harvey Helfand
Matt Henderson and Barb Bessette-Henderson
David Hennekes
Thomas Hesketh
Donald Hesse
Michael Heyn
Donald Hodgen*
Rebecca Z Hoff
Ruth Hoffman
Anne Holic
Priscilla Hoobler
John Hooper
Arthur Horowitz
Paul Ingle

Dee and Kay Jacobs
John Jacobs
Janice Jedkins
Allen Jokinen
Kathleen Jones
Gregory Junge
Carolyn Kari*
Paula Keady
Terry Keir
Madeline Kellner
John Kelly*
Sonya Kibler
Sarah Kinder
Kris Klein Pfaff
Kent Kluth
Lawrence Knowles
William A. Kolbe
Helen Kott
Marcia Krasnow
Teresa Kuklinski
Karen Larson*
Leonardo Lazaro Alonso
Gail LeBow*
Timothy E. Leifer
Marvin LeRoy*
Ronald Levesque
Sarah Levin
Mark Levine
Victoria Littlejohn
Henry Loeser
Carroll Long
Glenn Love
Peter Lowenthal
Brendan Lupetin
John Macchi
Mary Dana Marks
Elizabeth Mathewson
Diane McCormack
Stephen McCutchan*
Elaine A. McDermott*
Janis McGlone*
Therese M. McWhinney
Barbara Meyer*
Nancy and L. John Meyers
David Miller
MaryAnn Minutillo
Gary Mitchell
Harvr Mogul
Julie Montgomery and Todd Sheffield
Katherine Montgomery*
Ann Moore*
Nancy Morrissey
Dick Morten
Wesley Mukoyama*
Joel Mullen
Ronald Munia
Frances Mys
Suzanne Nilsen*
Nancy J. Nusz
Roberta Nutt
Timothy O'Brien
Ann O'Malley
Noreen O'Meara
Bud and Sue Oliveira*
Edward Oshiro
PayPal Giving Fund*
Jon Perry
Becky Peters
Richard Pfau
Ann Pfingsten*
Margaret Pollack
Robert Postle
Thomas Potter*
Laura Potts-Wirht
Primerica
David Purcell
Richard "Dick" Pyle
Andrew Quinn
Michael Rainey
Russell and Mary Ramirez
Stephen and Sandra Randels
William Reese
Nancy Rich*
Arianna Richard*
Theresa Ring
Allen Roberts
Bob Roberts
Alan Robinson
Richard M. Roderick*
Bill Roelofs*
Peter and Matina Ross
Vicky Rosser
Steve Rothe
Ross Royster
Beth Russell
Kelly Russell
Barbara Ruys
Antonio and Michele Sacconaghi*
William Sachs
Theres Salus*
Joseph Schoder*
Eleanor Schofield
Karen Schwarzwalder and Dave Ferguson
Shelly Segall*
Alexander Shakow*
Maureen Shanley
Frances Shapiro-Skrobe
Richard Shaver
Kathryn Shaw-Gardner*
Richard Sidy
Paul Sigala
Tom Sinclair*
Duane and Janet Smith
Judith A. Smith*
Mike Smith*
Philip Smith*
Robert Smythe*
Harvey Somers
Dennis Sommer
Dorothy Soper*
Sallie Sperling
Daniel Sprague
Sheldon Starman
Maurice Sterns
Ben F. Stetson
Sheri Stonier-Montoya*
Barbara Stout
Erik Streed
Gregory Strick*
Peter Stubben*
Donna Sumption
Allan and Bonnie Sweet*
Charles and Nancy Sweetman
Christopher Szecsey*
Nancy Talbott
Joby Taylor*
D. Theiler
Michael Thomas
Shirley Thompson
Kay Thompson
Paul Thompson
Pat Toalson
Marie and Nathalie Torrens
Michele Tsuchiya
Gabriel F. Tucker
Victoria Tunba*
Richard and Julette Uebner
Jeraldine van den Top
Mattie Vega
Tom Vernon
Thea Vierling
Julie Walstra
Robert Waltermire*
Theodore Walters
Helen Wand*
Charles and Betsy Warner
Mary Lou Weathers
Rita Weil
David Weiss*
Dana Wekerle
John Wenderoth
Mary Ann Wertenberger-Hart
Conrad Wesselhoeft
Carol and Ralph Wetterhahn
Leslie Wexler*
Anna Whitcomb*
Martha Whitman and Larry Frankel
Jerry Withers
Susan Wolfson
Jennifer Woltz
Christopher Wolz*
Diane Wood
Joe Yanci
Elaine Yastishock
Gail Yates*
Alan Yount
Fortune Zuckerman


* New gift in addition to prior gift

PEACE CORPS PARK AMBASSADORS

(Donors making recurring monthly contributions of any size)


Sue Aiken
Linda Barnett
Matthew Baysden
Rick and Karline Bird
Anthony Carroll
Ellen Davis-Zapata
Elizabeth Downes

Greg Emerson

John Feighery
G. David Hicks
Peter Hofman
Ann Hopkins
Laura Kettel Khan
Roni Lerner Love
Phil Lopes
Deborah Manget
Cynda H. McMahon
Marty Mueller
Bill Piatt
Jessica Rogers
Robert Smythe
John Sommerhauser
Penny Taylor
Kathleen Williams-Ging
Darrel Young



Connect with us on social media


Whether or not you’ve been able to support the project with a donation, an easy way to amplify your impact is to give us a boost on your social media platform of choice!


Follow us on any of the following networks, and re-share our posts to help raise awareness among your own community.


@PeaceCorpsPark on Instagram
@PeaceCorpsPark on Facebook 
@PeaceCorpsPark on LinkedIn


Connect with us in person


If you are in the Dayton, Ohio area, I’d love to see you at the opening of the new exhibit from our friends at the Museum of the Peace Corps Experience, Ubuntu in Action, on January 31 at the International Peace Museum.


Of course, I am always happy to share our vision for Peace Corps Park in person with your group, so please reply to this email and let me know if you’d like to arrange a meetup and I’ll do my best to work it into my schedule!


Coming up next:

Jan 30-31: Ohio
Feb 27-28: South Florida
Mar 8-11: Northern California
Mar 11-15: Southern California


DONATE

PeaceCorpsCommemorative.org


PEACE CORPS COMMEMORATIVE FOUNDATION
Compassion   Generosity   Perseverance


Please note our new preferred mailing address:
5636 Connecticut Avenue, NW Ste 42143
Washington, DC 20015


The Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation is the trade name of the Peace Corps Foundation,
a District of Columbia 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
EIN: 01-0554700

March 27, 2025
March Newsletter: Updated timeline: The path to Peace Corps Park takes shape
February 28, 2025
February Newsletter: Now is the time to show our strength in unity
December 30, 2024
Dear Supporters, When I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic, trying to keep as low a profile as a six-foot tall red-headed American guy can, I remember a moment on a crowded bus when I felt a tap on my shoulder. A local man asked me, “are you from the Peace Corps?”, and told me that as a boy, his village didn’t have water until a Peace Corps Volunteer helped install a clean water system. He had never gotten the chance to thank that young man.
December 23, 2024
Dear Supporters, I write to you today as one of the thousands of Nepalis–and perhaps millions of people around the world–whose lives have been touched and transformed by their association with the Peace Corps.
December 17, 2024
Dear Supporters, From my experience as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Samoa to my term as director of the Peace Corps, I have seen how lives are changed by people working together, through service, to further the cause of peace. That service is an important part of our nation's legacy. Americans have always stood for democracy, justice, equality, and service. The belief that what unites us is so much greater than that which divides us. The knowledge that, through service, we can create a better world together. These are the values that continue to draw people to our shores and reflect the best of America. Peace Corps Park is a space where stories of service will come alive—a place where we will celebrate the uniquely American spirit of Peace Corps dedicated to fostering understanding and building bridges of peace. It is a place where anyone, regardless of culture, race, faith, ethnicity, or background, can reflect upon the idea that we are all part of one human family. Peace Corps Park is more than a place on the map. It is a living, breathing testament to America’s compassion and perseverance in service of humanity. Please join me in ensuring that this symbol of the American idea becomes a reality, with a donation that will ensure future generations are inspired by the ideas that inspire us. Your generosity is not just an investment in a park; it is an investment in hope and the idea that, even in times of division, we can find common ground. That even when challenges feel insurmountable, we can persevere. That together, through compassion and action, we can create a world that reflects the very best of who we are. Many thanks for your support, and for your faith in the power of peace through service. Let’s work together to make our vision a reality. With warm regards,
December 10, 2024
Dear Supporters, When I was in Congress, they called me “Mr. Peace Corps” for my consistent advocacy on behalf of the agency that inspired me to 44 years of service in elected office. My two years in a poor barrio in Medellin, Colombia taught me how to listen to the needs of the people living around me to find real solutions to the problems felt by people in poverty everywhere. I learned that if someone has a safe place to sleep, access to education, and quality health care, then they have a chance in this world, and that philosophy has animated my lifelong commitment to service here in the U.S. The Peace Corps is a powerful idea that remains as bold as it was almost 65 years ago, and that boldness deserves a place among the monuments and memorials that decorate the landscape in Washington, D.C. Like me, tens of thousands of Peace Corps Volunteers learned how to hear, from listening in a foreign language and observing, from a place of total immersion, how to fix things abroad that also needed fixing back home. Our nation is stronger for it. Peace Corps Park is a ray of sunshine in a divided world, representing our belief that idealism gets results. Please join us in ensuring the Park becomes a reality at a time when we need to advocate loudly for our values . “Yes we can!” John F. Kennedy believed that telling the Peace Corps story back home was a lifetime commitment. I’m sure if he were alive now he’d still be saying, “Ask not what Peace Corps Park can do for you, but what you can do for the Park”. We are asking our community of supporters to help us raise the remaining amount needed to put shovels in the ground and to be part of the team that made this permanent symbol of peace and partnership in our nation’s capital a reality.  Thank you. Give peace a chance. Sam Farr Peace Corps Colombia (1964-66) U.S. Congress, D-Carmel, Calif. (1993-2017)
December 3, 2024
Invest in the future with Peace Corps Park on Giving Tuesday Dear Supporters, Every year, the season of thanks encourages us to reflect on the things we are grateful for, but also to think about the future and the world we want to see. For Peace Corps Park, we are so grateful for the achievements of the past year–both in inspiring major donors like Jacqueline Mars and Ces Butner and in securing design approval from the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts–and profoundly excited about the future. With more than $5 million already raised, the only real hurdle in this journey toward groundbreaking is raising the remaining funds for this meaningful project. On this Giving Tuesday, we invite everyone to make Peace Corps Park a central part of your giving plans with a tax deductible donation . There are many ways to give , and all of them will help bring Peace Corps Park to life in our nation’s capital. Most of all, your generosity will help us match Ces Butner's $500,000 gift before the end of the year and show how this community can rise to meet his challenge. At its most impactful, your charitable giving is an investment in the future: A way of saying “the world would be a better place if more people lived these values.” And while Peace Corps Park will commemorate the bold vision that JFK laid out when creating the Peace Corps almost 65 years ago, our mission is decidedly forward-looking. We believe the world is a better place when people from different walks of life partner with each other in service of a shared future, and that creating a permanent beacon to these ideals in our nation’s capital is a critical part of telling America’s story to the more than 25 million people who visit the National Mall every year.
November 26, 2024
November Newsletter: Announcing a major gift in this season of thanks
October 24, 2024
September Newsletter: Peace Corps Community Leading the Way
October 21, 2024
It is with great pleasure that we announce a major step forward in the timeline of Peace Corps Park, with final design approval by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts at its last meeting on October 17. The Foundation has been working tirelessly with the CFA since the site selection process in 2014 to refine our design approach, using creative problem solving to address feedback around the symbolic representation of the world map in the Park’s central plaza, the granite benches encircling it, the inscriptions carved into the stone, and many other aspects of the Park’s concept. Our expert design and landscaping team, led by Larry Kirkland and Michael Vergason, made countless refinements to the plan to ensure the best possible artistic and practical expression, some of which we have shared in our recent newsletters . We are thrilled to see the fruits of this collaboration, and are looking forward to finalizing the engineering plan to make the design a reality. Another critical stakeholder in this process is the National Park Service, which will maintain the Park in perpetuity once built. On Friday, October 18, the NPS issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for Peace Corps Park, a precursor to obtaining final approval from the National Capital Planning Commission, which is expected to review the plan in its December meeting. With the Park’s design process in its final stages, we turn our attention to raising the $5 million needed to put shovels in the ground, and look to our generous and dedicated community to get us to groundbreaking and make Peace Corps Park a reality!
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