FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, May 14, 2021
Peace Corps and FEMA to Hold Media Availability in Dallas on Historic US Partnership in Fight Against COVID-19
DALLAS, TX – On Wednesday, May 19, Carol Spahn, Acting Director of the Peace Corps, and John Rabin, Assistant Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), will hold a media availability to discuss the agencies’ historic partnership to combat COVID-19. Peace Corps Response volunteers will also be available to talk about their upcoming deployments to FEMA-supported Community Vaccination Centers (CVCs) across the U.S.
“The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact every country around the world, and it is urgent that we come together, as a global community to respond,” said Spahn. “While Peace Corps prepares to return to service overseas, we are very proud that returned Volunteers have stepped up to support this unprecedented effort here in the U.S.”
Peace Corps Response volunteers will serve, at FEMA’s request, in a domestic deployment for the second time in the agency’s history. The first deployment occurred in 2005 following Hurricane Katrina. Volunteers will be in Dallas to attend training and be sworn into service from May 18 to 19. They will deploy to CVCs in Illinois, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey and Oregon on May 20. Volunteers will be assigned to language support, and administrative, logistical, and other work that bolsters the CVCs’ operations.
The Peace Corps is implementing the COVID-19 domestic deployment through Peace Corps Response, a Peace Corps program that sends individuals with specialized experienced to short-term service assignments of up to 12 months.
MEDIA ADVISORY
WHO: Carol Spahn, Acting Director of the Peace Corps; John Rabin, Assistant Administrator of FEMA and Peace Corps Response volunteers
WHAT: Media availability
WHEN: Wednesday, May 19, 2021 from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. CST
WHERE: Please email [email protected] for location details.
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About FEMA: FEMA was established in 1979 when President Jimmy Carter signed Executive Order 12127, effective April 1, 1979, before giving the agency the dual mission of emergency management and civil defense shortly thereafter. FEMA’s employees are committed to the mission of serving our country before, during and after disasters. Every day, our team of over 20,000 emergency managers work to make our nation safer, stronger and more prepared.
About Peace Corps Response: Peace Corps Response sends experienced professionals on short-term, targeted service assignments around the world for 12 months or less. The positions are highly specialized and technical and volunteers provide targeted assistance in areas such as agriculture, community economic development, disaster risk reduction and mitigation, education, environment, health, and youth in development. Since Peace Corps Response began in 1996, more than 3,000 Americans have served in over 80 countries around the world. For more information, go to www.peacecorps.gov/response and follow us on Facebook.
About the Peace Corps: The Peace Corps sends Americans with a passion for service abroad on behalf of the United States to work with communities and create lasting change. Volunteers develop sustainable solutions to address challenges in education, health, community economic development, agriculture, the environment and youth development. Through their Peace Corps experience, volunteers gain a unique cultural understanding and a life-long commitment to service that positions them to succeed in today's global economy. Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, more than 240,000 Americans of all ages have served in over 140 countries worldwide. For more information, visit peacecorps.gov and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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