A Peace Core member speaks to attendees at Waterworks Bar and Grille. (Joshua Riggins/The Famuan)
The Peace Corps Community of North Florida invited Tallahassee residents to join them at Waterworks Bar and Grille on Thursday night to mingle with Peace Corps Staff and members.
National Peace Corps Association President, Glenn Blumhorst also attended.
With over 50 years-of-service, the mission of the Peace Corps is to provide technical support to the communities and other countries, help people outside the United States understand American Culture, and help Americans understand the various cultures of other countries.
Volunteers of the Peace Corps represent the Unites States abroad in other countries as they work in a variety of positions.
The positions fall under seven categories: Agriculture, Youth in Development, Environment, Community Economic Development, Health, Education and Peace Corps Response.
During the event, past and present Peace Corps members shared various stories about their experiences in the organization.
Blumhorst said being a member of the organization was a humbling experience and that his life would not be the same if it weren’t for the Peace Corps.
“Every member I’ve spoken with has said The Peace Corps experience was life-transforming and that is the case for me as well,” Blumhorst said. “It was an opportunity to use the skills that I had been given and pursue my sense of adventurism and desire to see the world while also helping others.”
Wykia Macon, a Florida State and Florida A&M University Peace Corps recruiter, volunteered as a Death Education teacher at a boarding school in Kenya. While being in Kenya she learned many life lessons and she shared those lessons on Thursday night.
“One thing I was forced to learn while being in Kenya, is that you can not do anything alone,” Macon said. “When I arrived in Kenya I didn’t know the language that they spoke and I got lost a lot so I was forced to ask for help. We as humans are not put on this earth to do things by our self but to help others.”
Most volunteers of the Peace Corps render their service at an early age, but Grant Matthews, Southeast Regional Recruiter and Outreach Specialist for The Peace Corps had a different story.
“My family had a history of service with the Peace Corps,” Matthews said. “My dad was a minister, my grandparents were missionaries in China and I had been an actor in California for most of my life. As I entered into my 50’s the economy was changing and I really just wanted to give back. So I took on the role as an education assistant in Romania and that was an event that I would not trade for anything in the world. It was truly a blessing to help others and give back.”