NC Peace Prize
NCPCA has awarded its annual Peace Prize to Vets to Vets United, a Durham-based nonprofit that pairs therapy dogs with military veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injuries, and other challenges resulting from their service. Like the Peace Corps itself, our NC Peace Prize supports “helping people help themselves.” In choosing this year’s winner, we were particularly impressed with how Vets to Vets teaches military veterans how to train their dog. Read more about our winner here.
Caption: Veterans train their dogs at a group training in Hillsborough, N.C. organized by Vets to Vets.
We hope you will join us in celebrating with Vets to Vets at our annual ceremony on March 1 (Peace Corps Day!) at 3:00 pm at Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, Finlator Hall (1801 Hillsborough St, Raleigh). Our featured speaker will be Dan Potaro, an Army veteran who served in Vietnam. Refreshments will be provided. Please RSVP here.
Dan Portaro, an Army veteran who served in Vietnam, and his service dog Bailey, a Beagle boxer mix.
Membership Update
We currently have 107 dues-paying members, 56 of whom joined or renewed during our membership campaign. We’ve gained 19 “brand new” members since August. A big THANK YOU to Amy Blackwell, RPCV/South Africa, and Peggy Schaeffer, RPCV/Yemen for working so hard to integrate NCPCA into the new national database, for checking and double-checking member status, and for responding to countless emails.
Of course, you can join or renew your membership at anytime here: https://ncpeacecorps.org/join/
Membership questions? Email Amy Blackwell at [email protected]
Let’s Join Hands
NCPCA is on a roll! We’re planning events, raising funds, having fun, and sustaining our group. But it takes many hands to row our boat! If you have just two hours a month to pitch in, we need help with:
- Communications: Help with posting on our Facebook and Instagram sites.
- Welcoming Committee: Reach out to new members and greet people at events.
- Event Planning: Help plan a “signature” annual event (e.g., Fall Picnic, Holiday Party, Peace Corps night).
- Membership: Collaborate with others to review and manage the membership database (some experience with Excel or databases is helpful).
- Sub-group leads: Help launch NCPCA sub-groups at local organizations with RPCV employees (e.g., RTI, EPA)
- Advocacy Committee: Assist in promoting advocacy efforts for the sustainability of Peace Corps on behalf of NCPCA
Email us at [email protected] to join in our efforts. We’d love your participation!
The Future of Peace Corps
The NPCA launched a website to keep us abreast of recent executive orders and their impact on the Peace Corps community. The website Stay Updated & Take Action for Peace Corps answers volunteer and RPCV questions, suggests action steps, and synthesizes key points from the February Town Hall.
Take Action Now in Honor of Peace Corps Week!
Urge lawmakers to show support during Peace Corps Week up through Peace Corps Day on March 1st. The National Call-In Action page from NPCA gives you the tools to easily call or email members of Congress with a script and state-specific resources. If you are interested in getting more involved with advocacy efforts on behalf of NCPCA, please email Dani Choi at [email protected]
Steering Committee Spotlight
This month we’re kicking off a series on NCPCA members, beginning with Sara Boro, our NCPCA Treasurer. Sara meticulously tracks our income and expenditures and is also an indispensable database guru, website wiz, and creative force behind everything from tee-shirt designs to fun NCPCA events. Sara served in Guatemala as a Youth Development Volunteer from 2013 to 2015. Read more about Sara’s Peace Corps experience here.
RPCV-owned Businesses
Did you know several of your fellow RPCVs are business owners in the Triangle? Whether you’re looking for career counseling, vision care, or some delicious food, you’ve got some great options within our community. Check them out on our website!
Upcoming Events
Stay in the loop on NCPCA happenings via the website event calendar, the Instagram page, and the Facebook group. (A reminder that the Facebook group will become private after March 1. Just answer a question or two to join the group.)
Thursday, February 27, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., Raleigh Happy Hour
We’re meeting at our favorite spot, Tobacco Road Sports Cafe & Brewery (505 W. Jones St., Raleigh). Up to three hours of free parking in the deck behind the restaurant. (See their website for details.) Contact: Glenn Sappie, RPCV/Paraguay, [email protected], to RSVP.
Thursday, February 27, 6:00 p.m., Peace Corps Week Event at NCCU
Come celebrate Peace Corps Week at NCCU on the evening of February 27th. Our guest speaker is an NCCU alumni, Mr. Reginald Hodges who graduated in 1968 and shortly thereafter joined the Peace Corps as a volunteer in West Africa. RSVP Here.
Saturday, March 1, 3:00 p.m., NC Peace Prize Ceremony
Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, Finlator Hall (1801 Hillsborough St, Raleigh)
Saturday, March 8, 9:00 a.m., RPCV Hike
Amy Blackwell and Ruth Heuer will lead a hike at Lake Crabtree County Park (site of the fall family picnic). Meet in the first parking lot (facing the lake). Please email Ruth to RSVP if you plan to come ([email protected]) so she can communicate in case of a weather-related cancellation.
Sunday, March 16, 5:30 – 8:00 p.m., Book Club
The next great book club read will be Beyond the Door of No Return by David Diop. One of The Atlantic’s 10 Best Books of 2023, this historical novel explores Senegal’s history and the Atlantic Slave Trade through the lens of insurmountable social barriers. For all the meeting details, and to RSVP, join the Google Group or contact Peggy S ([email protected]) or Ruth Heuer ([email protected])
Thursday, March 20, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., Durham Happy Hour
The February Happy Hour was snowed out, so fingers crossed for March. We’ll meet at Lakewood Social (1920 Chapel Hill Rd Durham, NC 27707) an indoor/outdoor communal restaurant focused on small bites, sandwiches, and shareables featuring a good selection of draft beers, as well as wines, & crafted cocktails. There is free private parking for the venue as well as spill-over parking in the shopping center. Come join area RPCVs for a few hours of relaxation and sharing stories from your service! Contact Wil Halford, RPCV/Kenya, [email protected]om, to RSVP.
Saturday, March 22, 10 a.m., Future PCV Toddler Playdate
Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve, 2616 Kildare Farm Rd., Cary. Bring your little ones for a toddler-led hike followed by playtime in the nature playground! (Toddler-led = toddler-paced) Don’t forget to bundle up in those layers! RSVP via Facebook to Tegan Walker, RPCV/Panama.
Thursday, March 27, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., Raleigh Happy Hour
Tobacco Road Sports Cafe & Brewery (505 W. Jones St., Raleigh). Up to three hours of free parking in the deck behind the restaurant. (See their website for details.) Contact: Glenn Sappie, RPCV/Paraguay, [email protected], to RSVP.