FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, September 11, 2009

Peace Corps Supports National Day of Service and Remembrance

Washington. D.C., September 11, 2009 Peace Corps Director Aaron S. Williams volunteered at Washington DCs Whitman Walker Clinic as part of the first National Day of Service and Remembrance. Staff at Peace Corps Headquarters in Washington, DC and all nine regional Peace Corps recruitment offices across the country also contributed time to local service projects.

"All Peace Corps volunteers and staff share a commitment to public service. Todays National Day of Service and Remembrance honors those who died on September 11 by asking Americans to serve together to strengthen our nation. I am pleased we could help the Whitman Walker clinic in our joint fight against HIV/AIDS," said Peace Corps Director Williams.

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.

Peace Corps staff in all nine regional recruiting offices participated in the following organized service projects:

Atlanta Regional Recruitment Office: Worked with local organizations to provide food to Atlantas homeless population, and assisted job seekers by helping with interview preparation.

Boston Regional Recruitment Office: Rehabilitated the garden and pond at the Stratford County Home for the Aging, worked with Cradles to Crayons to prepare backpacks for at-risk children, and greeted military personnel returning home.

Chicago Regional Recruitment Office: Participated in Lincoln Park Cleanup with the Chicago Park District.

Dallas Regional Recruitment Office: Worked with the River Legacy Living Science Center to promote water ecology awareness in the community.

Los Angeles Regional Recruitment Office: Worked with the L.A. Conservation Corps at the South Los Angeles Community Garden.

New York Regional Recruitment Office: Served lunch to New York City Firefighters.

San Francisco Regional Recruitment Office: Planted trees in conjunction with ReLeafs TreeBank in West Oakland, and conducted joint online information session with Americorps.

Seattle Regional Recruitment Office: Worked with local non-profits to gather back-to-school clothing for foster children.

Washington, DC Regional Recruitment Office: Cooked and served breakfast at a local homeless shelter.


ABOUT PEACE CORPS\' WORK TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF HIV/AIDS:

Peace Corps and the Whitman Walker clinic are united in their fight against HIV/AIDS. Locally, the Whitman Walker clinic provides health care resources to the greater Washington, DC community. For over 20 years, thousands of Peace Corps volunteers have contributed to the global response to HIV/AIDS through prevention education and community assistance. In 2008, Peace Corps volunteers HIV/AIDS activities provided assistance to over 700,000 individuals, over 48,000 HIV/AIDS service providers and nearly 2,400 organizations.

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