April Newsletter: Leveling up, on multiple fronts
Dear Supporters,
Having just returned from a wonderful visit to my Peace Corps sites in Guatemala (more on that in our next newsletter), I am basking in the knowledge of the lifelong impact that service has both on those of us who engage in this kind of work and the partners that support us along the way. It’s why we do this, and the potential of Peace Corps Park to inspire future generations is a multiplier effect that we can’t ignore.
This month, we are excited to share a few updates that capture our tireless work to level up everything we are doing and make this project a reality.
First, we have released our most comprehensive annual report to date, noting the Peace Corps Foundation’s main accomplishments in 2023 and our progress toward the major milestone of approval on the final designs that will clear the way to break ground. We’ve also published the final inscriptions that will be included in the design proposal to be inscribed on the Park’s benches. And, we are seeking your input as we get the ball rolling on the digital companion that will enhance both the in-person and virtual experience of visiting Peace Corps Park.
As for the fundraising campaign, we are nearing the halfway point of our goal thanks to the recent challenge grant from philanthropist Jacqueline Mars and the matching gifts from so many of you who responded in kind.
You can keep the momentum going, so please consider making a donation today!
We’ve also refreshed our website and will be posting updates regularly between newsletters, so check out the Latest News section for the most recent developments on the Park's progress, and remember to share with your networks as well.
Yours in service,
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
Introducing Our 2023 Annual Report
Last year was a year of significant acceleration for Peace Corps Park, thanks to our generous community of supporters. Your contributions to raising funds and raising awareness of the project have helped us nail down a timeline for breaking ground on this important legacy project.
The $1 million we raised in 2023 helped bring the Park’s design to a detailed final plan with the selection of stone and pavers to be used, to engage key team members and explore partnerships with a number of stakeholders. Explore the annual report on our website to learn about our major achievements and financial summary, and please share it with your networks to ensure that anyone who believes in the values of service is up to date on our progress.
We Need Your Input! Help Define the Park’s Digital Visitor Experience
A key component of Peace Corps Park is the digital visitor experience that will both enhance in-person visits to the site and allow people from anywhere in the world to take a virtual tour of the Park. We have begun planning the project with our goal to release an initial version ahead of the physical groundbreaking, and we’d like to hear your thoughts on what features you’d most like to see in a companion app and website.
We are very excited to develop this digital platform, as it will allow us to tell the Peace Corps story more deeply, with features on the history of the program, lists of volunteers who have served, and first-hand audio and video accounts of the impacts of service, both from volunteers themselves and the local partners they work with.
Please fill out this three-question survey to help us shape this critical component of Peace Corps Park!
Inspiring Inscriptions Will Capture the Timeless Values of Service
Thanks to your input and the counsel of our advisory board, we have finalized the selection of inscriptions to include in the proposal for Peace Corps Park’s final design. Critical in this effort was capturing both the values of international service and partnership, and representing voices that embody the principles on which the Peace Corps was founded.
With two quotes from the original architects of the program and two from inspiring leaders of countries that have hosted Peace Corps Volunteers, we are confident that the Park’s visitors will find inspiration no matter where they are coming from and hope that our partners at the National Park Service and U.S. Commission of Fine Arts agree.
“Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country”
The quote that started it all, from John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address in 1961, served as a rallying cry for thousands of Americans who made up the initial cohorts of Peace Corps Volunteers. It’s a call to action that still resonates today, and helps remind people that everyone has the power and potential to make a difference in the world. This quote will greet visitors at the Park’s main entrance on Louisiana Avenue, NW.
Find out more about this and the other quotes on our website.
Fundraising Update
The Foundation is excited to share that, thanks to the leadership of our Board and the generosity of this community, we are well on our way to matching philanthropist Jacqueline Mars’s $500,000 challenge gift to help make Peace Corps Park a reality. This boost has accelerated our progress toward the campaign goal of $10 million, with more than $3.5 million raised so far; we invite you to meet Mrs. Mars's challenge and help us get to the finish line!
We gratefully acknowledge the following individuals who have made generous new contributions and/or pledges since March 27, 2024:
See the full list of cumulative gifts to the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation on our website.
$2,500 - $4,999
Ron and Jane Brousseau
Eleanor and William Revelle
William Romenius*
$1,000 - $2,499
Patrick Cotter
Nicholas Craw and Lisa Blocklinger*
Martia Glass*
David and Champa Jarmul
Nancy Kelly and Michael Hagan*
Earl Kessler*
Beany Kogen-Wezelman
Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Niskanen
Douglas Shifflet
Ross Snow
Laverne and Allen Webb
Other gifts to $999
Archie W. and Wanita L. Blumhorst*
Lynn Bottazzi
Ellen Davis-Zapata
Robert Denniston
H. Jesse and Gloria Dubin
John Feighery*
Stan Garnett
Urbae Hall
Donald Hodgen
Judith Livingston
David Lough
Joel Mayer
Susan McDonald-Brodey
Christine McReynolds
Frank Mitchell
Marty Mueller
Wayne R. Nilsestuen
Margaret and Steve Norton
Amy Richwine
Jessica Rogers
Mary Rossi
Dane and Judy Smith*
Barbara Stender
Elizabeth Thomas
Alyce Tidball
Ambassador Gaddi Vazquez*
Barbara Waldschmidt
James Weathersbee
Kathleen Williams-Ging
Jean Wintemute*
Darrel Young*
* New gift in addition to prior gift
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! This month we'd like to call out John Coyne to thank him and the team at Peace Corps Worldwide for sharing our newsletter with their audience and helping raise awareness of Peace Corps Park.
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
@PeaceCorpsPark on Twitter / X
Connect with us in person
As usual, I continue to host small gatherings and meetings with key stakeholders around the country to build awareness of Peace Corps Park. I’d love to connect with you or your group in the coming weeks to let you know about the project and our vision for how it will bring our community together once it’s built. Please reply to this email and let me know if you’d like to arrange a meetup!
June 1 Philadelphia: India V reunion
June 2-6 Kansas City and Columbia, Missouri
June 9-12 San Francisco Bay Area
July 26-27 Washington, DC: Friends of Sierra Leone meeting
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
