November Newsletter: Important Updates from Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation

November 21, 2023

November Newsletter: Important Updates from Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation

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Dear Supporters,


As the season of gratitude draws near, I’m mindful of the many people who have been stalwart protagonists in this mission to establish Peace Corps Park in Washington, D.C. And I’m grateful for the honor and privilege to be leading the campaign to bring this legacy initiative to fruition.


The vision for Peace Corps Commemorative Park took its first momentous advance when it gained Congressional authorization in 2014, thanks to thousands of citizen advocates whose grassroots efforts resulted in the passage of the Peace Corps Commemorative Work Act championed by Congressman Sam Farr. In late 2020, a critical mass of constituents once again rallied behind legislation sponsored by Congressman Joe Kennedy III to pass the Peace Corps Commemorative Work Extension Act. 


It was with much gratitude that we later welcomed Congressmen Farr and Kennedy to the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation’s board of directors. We owe our appreciation to this group of distinguished community leaders that has guided Peace Corps Commemorative Park through a rigorous 24-step commemorative implementation process that included securing an ideal site near the National Mall and developing a design concept that was ultimately approved by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts and the National Park Service. 


The Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation board of directors has also demonstrated exemplary financial leadership, having collectively raised or contributed $1.5 million by 2022, while I also gratefully acknowledge the community advocacy and support that has sustained this project from the outset. Thanks to the generous philanthropy of hundreds of individuals, groups, and foundations we have already achieved 25 percent – or $2.5 million – toward our campaign goal of $10 million. 


To put shovels in the ground in 2024, we seek the remaining $7.5 million needed for project completion. Just as the efforts of thousands of members of the Peace Corps community have kindled the flame of the Peace Corps over the decades, we hope you will make a tax-deductible gift to bring Peace Corps Park to fruition. There are many ways to support our mission, including gifts of stock, donor-advised funds, qualified charitable distributions from your IRA, charitable remainder trusts, charitable gift annuities, and bequests. Learn more about how to support the project here.


It will take all of us – returned volunteers, serving volunteers, future volunteers, family and friends, and the broader national service community – to make Peace Corps Park a reality. With a grateful heart, I wish you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving and a blessed holiday season.


Thank you for all you do for the Peace Corps community.


Yours in service,

An image of Glenn Blumhorst's handwritten signature

Glenn A. Blumhorst
Chief Advancement Officer
Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation


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


GBlumhorst@PeaceCorpsCommemorative.org

Giving Tuesday


Next week, as the Thanksgiving leftovers start to run out and the holiday shopping season begins, millions of Americans and people around the world will mobilize to support the causes closest to their hearts on Giving Tuesday, which falls on November 28 this year.


The tradition began as a response to the consumerism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, as a show of solidarity that highlights the role that individuals and organizations can play in improving their communities and the lives of the people around them. We encourage everyone to commit part of your holiday budget to supporting worthy causes and appreciate any contributions to our own efforts!


Learn more about other ways to give on our website.

Remembering Sargent Shriver

November 9 was the birthday of Sargent Shriver, the founding director of the Peace Corps and a driving force behind our nation’s many programs for volunteer and community service. While his legacy will remain intertwined with that of the Peace Corps, Shriver was also the architect and founding director of the Office of Economic Opportunity, which created domestic service programs like VISTA, Job Corps and Head Start, programs that continue to impact millions of Americans today. His experience working across cultures both domestically, in the school desegregation movement, and internationally, as a U.S. ambassador, underscored his commitment to the shared values of all people that remains as timely, relevant and inspirational today as it was when he was alive.

A photo illustration including an image of Sargent Shriver and a quote reading

Remembering John F. Kennedy

Tomorrow, November 22, marks the 60th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, less than three years into his presidency when he was just 46 years old. One of his signature achievements was creating the Peace Corps, though his legacy expanded much farther, inspiring many more than the 250,000 individuals who have served in the Peace Corps since 1961 to pursue opportunities for national service. 



We are the living legacy of Kennedy’s bold vision of political action and public service based on personal courage, sacrifice, and our belief in the common interests of all peoples to make the world a better and more inclusive place. We honor the continued impact of his words and wisdom, as relevant today as they were when he lived. 

PCCF Honors Major Donors at D.C. Event

On November 9, the birthday of the Peace Corps founding director, Sargent Shriver, the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation board of directors and advisory board thanked our major donors and key supporters at an honorific event with a dramatic backdrop near the future site of Peace Corps Park and in full view of the U.S. Capitol.


Honoring the generous contributions from supporters like Gordon Radley, Jeff Zell, Maureen Orth, and Matt Essieh – whose donation was motivated by his childhood experience with PCCF board director and Cote d’Ivoire volunteer Bonnie Gottlieb – our team shared updates on the progress of the project and reinforced our shared commitment to the importance of a physical space in our nation’s capital devoted to the values of peace and service.

An image of Glenn Blumhorst with the U.S. Capitol in the background
An image of Maureen Orth speaking at the Peace Corps Park reception on Nov. 9, 2023
Bonnie Gottlieb introduces the story of her friend and Peace Corps Park donor Matt Essieh
Former Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams delivers inspiring remarks to Peace Corps Park donors

We hope the whole Peace Corps Park community is as motivated as we are to keep spreading the word about our work and our progress, and to encourage people in our networks to include the project in their year-end giving plans.

PCCF Welcomes New Advisory Board Members


This month, we welcome Former Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle and Former USAID Administrator Peter McPherson, to the PCCF Advisory Board. See the full list of Advisory Board members.

An image of Governor Jim Doyle of Wisconsin

Governor Jim Doyle is of counsel with Foley & Lardner LLP, where he provides strategic advice and counsel to clients regarding policy and regulatory issues in the areas of health care, energy, and other highly regulated industries. Gov. Doyle served as the 44th governor of the state of Wisconsin from 2003 to 2011, a role in which he worked closely with the White House, high-ranking administration officials, and other governors.


Gov. Doyle has been recognized as a national leader in health care, energy, natural resources, biotechnology and many other areas in his illustrious career. 


Prior to his election as governor, he served 12 years as Wisconsin’s attorney general, where he led the attorney general’s office representing the state in all matters. Gov. Doyle has led and coordinated major multi-state efforts and argued three cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. Prior to that, he was the Dane County District Attorney and a lawyer in private practice. Gov. Doyle is a graduate, cum laude, of Harvard Law School (J.D., 1972) and earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison after attending Stanford University for three years. 


Gov. Doyle has also demonstrated a lifelong commitment to education and public service. Inspired by John F. Kennedy’s call to public service, he spent several years after college providing education and legal service in the Peace Corps in Tunisia (1967-69) and on the Navajo Indian Reservation in Arizona. He teaches regularly at the University of Wisconsin La Follette School of Public Policy, and has taught at the Harvard Kennedy School, the Harvard Chan School of Public Health and Edgewood College. He is also chair of the Kaiser Family Foundation.
An image of M. Peter McPherson

Administrator M. Peter McPherson was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Peru in the 1960s, working on credit unions and school feeding. More recently, he was President of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities and President of Michigan State University, after serving as an Executive Vice President at Bank of America. During the Reagan Administration, McPherson was the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development. During his time at USAID, he was the Chairman of the Board of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation. He also served as Deputy Secretary of the United States Treasury during Ronald Reagan’s tenure as President. Previously, he served as special assistant to President Gerald Ford in the White House.


McPherson was a partner and head of the Washington office of the Ohio law firm Vorys, Sater, Seymour, and Pease, and was a founding Co-Chair of the Partnership to Cut Hunger and Poverty in Africa, Chair of the Board of the International Fertilizer Development Corporation, and Chair of the Board of Harvest Plus, an organization working on breeding crops for better nutrition. He is the former Chair of the Board of Dow Jones and Company.

In Memoriam: Jay Hellman

The Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation mourns the passing of our friend and major benefactor, Jay Hellman.

An image of Jay Hellman

In recent years, Jay was especially supportive of the Peace Corps, not only as an American volunteer service agency, but also as an idea worthy of permanent recognition, historic commemoration, and financial support. We will always be grateful for his steadfast commitment and generosity, an indelible part of his legacy.


Jay understood, better than most, that the Peace Corps embodies fundamental ideals and values indispensable in seeking world peace. He recognized the importance of breaking down barriers between individuals and disparate cultures through human interaction. He knew that Americans living and working with others abroad leads to mutual understanding and respect, transcending geopolitical boundaries.


Jay passed away while on an extended trip to Europe. We extend our condolences to his children, Joel and Kim, and all who knew and loved him.

Fundraising Update


We continue to make good progress toward our campaign goal of $10 million, reaching a milestone with 25 percent of our goal committed so far. The Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation gratefully acknowledges the following individuals who have made generous contributions and/or pledges since October 26:


See the full list of cumulative gifts to the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation on our website.


$10,000 - $24,999
Nancy Kelly*


$5,000 - $9,999
William Romenius
Cecelia M. Stratford*
Sue Ward*


$1,000 - $4,999
Philip and Vicki Bolton Fund*
Benny and Carol Cespedes
Antonio F. Clementino
Patrick Fine
Lynn Foden
Marilynn Foree
James G. McGeorge 
David Millard*
Thomas Miller*
Curtis Rahman and Cindra Jurgensen
John and Jody Sperry
Dwight and Margaret Steen*
Michael Ward*


Other gifts to $999
Thomas Appel
David Baur
Richard Botzler
Archie and Wanita Blumhorst
Jack Conrad
Dennis Desantis
Elizabeth Downes
Helene Dudley
Patricia Edmisten
Howard Graham
Deborah Manget
Susan and John Proctor
William Stacy and Patricia Rhodes*
Lisa Rotondo
Doris Rubenstein
Robert Schultz
Mike Smith
Robert Smythe
Steve Somerson
Robert Sos
Mal Warwick*
Steven Wolf
Arthur and Ann 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! 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 


Let's Connect

As usual, I’ll be hosting small gatherings and meeting with key stakeholders around the country to build awareness of Peace Corps Park in the coming weeks, and I’d love to connect if you or your group are interested in learning more about the project. Let me know if you’d like to arrange a meeting on any of my upcoming stops:


Dec 1-2     San Diego
Dec 3-5    Santa Fe
Dec 26-31  Minnesota
Jan 20-21   Sacramento

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

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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.

Kul Chandra Gautam for Peace Corps Park: Support the mission of peace and solidarity in Washington D.C. and the world

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.

Hon. Carrie Hessler-Radelet for Peace Corps Park: America needs Peace Corps Park, now more than ever

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,

Hon. Sam Farr for Peace Corps Park: Let’s give peace a permanent space in Washington, D.C.

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)

Invest in the future with Peace Corps Park on Giving Tuesday

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.

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