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