United We Serve

National Day of Service and Remembrance

In April, President Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act which, for the first time, officially recognizes September 11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance and encourages all Americans to recommit to service in their communities throughout the year. This initiative aims to expand the impact of existing organizations by engaging new volunteers in their work and encourage people to develop their own service projects.

In honor of the National Day of Service and Remembrance, Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams and Peace Corps employees in all nine Peace Corps regional recruitment offices across the country took time to volunteer in local service projects.

Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

At nearly 200,000 strong, returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) have a tradition of making a difference in their communities by selflessly contributing their skills and experience through their dedication to service. Across America, individual RPCVs and RPCV groups are engaged in grassroots projects like restoring hiking trails in Denver, providing assistance and education opportunities to refugees in San Francisco, or offering volunteer translation services for families with medical emergencies in St. Louis.

As an RPCV, your skills and experience can provide leadership, help identify needs in your communities and inspire others to get involved. Whether you plan to volunteer as an individual or as part of an RPCV group, visit www.serve.gov to learn more about how you can be a part of United We Serve. Create a new service project posting in a searchable database of volunteer opportunities that will attract more hands and minds to the cause or join one that has already been formed.

Not Just for RPCVs

The entire Peace Corps community is encouraged to contribute to United We Serve. Family and friends of serving PCVs can show their support for their Volunteer by volunteering to serve their community.  Peace Corps staff at Headquarters in Washington in addition to all nine regional offices will also take part in organizing and implementing service projects that are important to their local communities.

Whether you are considering applying to Peace Corps, have begun the application process or have been invited to serve (PDF) and now await your staging date, we urge you to make your personal commitment to service now.

Peace Corps, together with our RPCVs, applicants, invitees, and our friends and families, is proud to be part of the extraordinary United We Serve movement to help build better communities, a better nation, and a better world for us all.

Visit www.serve.gov, to find a United We Serve opportunity near you and to log your own project.

Volunteer Stories

Learn about how Returned Volunteers are serving their communities using the skills they developed during their Peace Corps Service

Volunteer Projects

A sampling of grassroots projects individual RPCVs and RPCV groups are engaged in across America

Last updated Sep 18 2009