To many happy Peace Corps returns

Thank you so much for the July 2 feature article on the work of returned Peace Corps volunteers Michael Hassett and Coll e t t e Chiara and the group “Friends of Tonga” for their dedicated support of education programs in the Pacific Island nation (“The Pittsburgh-Tonga connection: It’s long but it’s strong” by Kimani Krienke).

Friends of Tonga is just one of 180 groups around the nation affiliated with the nonprofit National

Peace Corps Association. These groups also include the Pittsburgh Area Peace Corps Association, whose charitable efforts include a longstanding volunteer relationship with Global Links, the Pittsburgh-based medical relief and development organization dedicated to supporting health improvement initiatives in resource-poor communities and promoting environmental stewardship in the U.S. health care system.

The work of Friends of Tonga, PAPCA, and tens of thousands individual RPCVs like Michael and Collette serve as a reminder that when we invest in the Peace Corps, the dividends of volunteerism and service to our common humanity last a lifetime. As the next generation of Peace Corps Volunteers anxiously await word on the re-start of overseas operations, we must be ready to provide the resources to ensure Peace Corps volunteers are mobilized and supported like never before.

ANNE BAKER Returned Peace Corps volunteer, Fiji 1985-1987 Vice President, National Peace Corps Association Oakton, Va.