Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
PEACE CORPS MARKS 54 YEARS OF SERVICE
Barclay Friends residents reflect on the work of the organization
On Tuesday, Sept. 22,the Peace Corps turned 54, continuing its legacy work with more than 200,000 individuals in over 100 countries. The first of these countries were Ghana and Tanzania in 1961, after President John F. Kennedy approached Congress with the idea that the strength of one promotes the strength of all. Residents and guests of Barclay Friends Continuing Care Community revisit this work.
Joseph Balch
“I read an article recently about the Peace Corps and it reminded me (of the work the organization does) – it was a good thing they were doing. At the time (it was established,) a lot of young people were attracted to it. A lot of people don’t think about the need that exists. I think helping at home and abroad are of equal importance. It depends on the person involved and what he or she feels capable of doing. If one is too elderly or too young, he or she may not have the whereabouts to get to get (to a particular country) or to sustain him or herself in that country – whatever support the Peace Corps offers might not completely be all he or she needs for that period of time. In the poorer sections of this country, there are organizations that spring up from time to time that build houses, say. I volunteered for about a year at my church, Ss. Peter and Paul Parish in East Goshen. It was a program to help parishioners – I transported them to appointments and things of that nature – it was mostly for people who were more elderly than me. I got a lot of enjoyment out of it because I met people I never would have met before.” But in any case, Joseph notes, you have to have “the desire to participate.”
Lucia Comerford
“You don’t hear as much about the Peace Corps as you used to.” Recently, the Peace Corps has been active in Liberia, working with teams of native Corps members to educate persons about disease prevention. Lucia was born in Italy, and although the Peace Corps has never been active there, she is very aware of the organization’s work. “Kennedy was very popular when I was growing up (in the States),” Lucia recalls, “and he started the Peace Corps. People go into these countries and do humanitarian things – they help people to live, people who have needs.” Is the United States pushing the limit with its presence in these countries? “I’m not fond of people telling me what to do,” she laughs, “so it’s good as long as they don’t – it’s beneficial for people who are really in need of help. Doctors Without Borders is a similar thing. When you’re young, it’s good to move away from your surroundings and expand your mind – then you can go back home.”
Gene Hillman
Gene served as a member of the Peace Corps in Korea in the late 1960s. “It sounded like something interesting to do after college,” says Gene. “I had just finished a bachelor’s degree in political science at Lincoln University and I didn’t know which direction to go in. My uncle was killed in the war – he was an aviator who got shot down, so my family was aware of Korea more than most families, and I jumped at the chance because the Asian culture interested me. It was health work – tuberculosis control work – in a small town. I taught myself statistics in Korean to help with my work evaluating case finding success among different workers in the county. I also taught English conversation at a local nursing high school.” Upon his return to the United States, Gene worked on a graduate degree and went on to work as a Naval Academy statistician for 10 years. During that time, he began seeking pastoral support of a spiritual nature, and began to attend Quaker meeting – he has since converted. “My car was the only one with a ‘peace’ bumper sticker in the officers’ parking lot,” he jokes. “Many members of Congress have served in the Corps,” Gene adds. “The goal is to provide important midlevel expertise to developing counties, to support contact, and to broaden our views of the world.”