FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, September 14, 2001

Peace Corps Volunteers Remain at Sites; Some U.S. Offices Have Temporarily Revised Schedules

Washington, D.C. (Sept. 14, 2001)—The Peace Corps headquarters office continues to be open for business, and is responding to inquiries from Volunteers and their families. Country Directors have been asked to contact all Volunteers and inform them of the recent events, and to provide them with support and information. Volunteers are being advised to be particularly prudent in their daily activities. There are no immediate plans to move Volunteers or to disrupt project activities currently underway.

Some regional recruitment offices are temporarily suspending events, appointments, and office hours this week, many due to the closure of public buildings. More details about regional office schedules and the processing of volunteer applications are available on the Peace Corps Web site. All staff members in the New York regional recruitment office have been contacted, and all are safe.

The Peace Corps has delayed some of the upcoming staging (pre-departure orientation) events. All invitees with immediate departure dates will be contacted directly by a staging staff member in the next few days to confirm new staging dates. More details about staging schedules are available on the Peace Corps Web site.

News on our Web site will be updated as new information is available. Questions may be submitted online to the Peace Corps Office of Special Services. Our toll-free telephone number, (800) 424-8580, is staffed to handle inquiries. After 5:00 p.m. EST, the Peace Corps duty officer may be reached at (202) 638-2574.

The Office of Special Services is responding to a high volume of family calls and electronic messages. They are informing callers that volunteers are being contacted and are being informed of the security situation in the United States. The Peace Corps has no plans to evacuate any country programs. If volunteers need help finding out about family members whom they cannot reach in New York or Washington, we will provide assistance. Callers should be advised that some delays in phone service have been reported.

Thank you for your patience during this critical time.

# # #

---