The Peace Corps is an executive agency of the United States government established by John F. Kennedy in 1961 that screens, deploys and supports development volunteers in over 100 countries around the world. Peace Corps volunteers usually serve for 2 years where they provide technical assistance and promote cultural exchange. When they come home, the agency encourages them to proactively share their experiences in an effort to educate Americans about the world outside their borders.   

This is where the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) steps in. The NPCA is the worldwide coordinator for the 210,000 returned Peace Corps Volunteers who have passed through the program. In addition to providing alumni services, publishing Worldview Magazine and coordinating political advocacy, they organize regional groups around the country which bring together returned volunteers at the local level.

RPCV/W is one of the oldest of these groups. It arose from gatherings in the late 70's and achieved nonprofit status in 1991. Its primary focus is providing social, professional, and community service opportunities in the DC metropolitan region. It also specializes in events of a ceremonial nature, such as wreath layings and the commemoration of Peace Corps milestones. Anyone may join the group directly or through the NPCA. Members elect a Board of Directors each year who run day-to-day operations.

Our private Facebook Group is a popular spot for folks to make requests and offer rental opportunities. It's open to non-members, and people often use it to introduce themselves, post jobs, arrange get-togethers, and ask general questions to the group. Think of it as our own little Craigslist. Just use the following hashtags:

• #Housing - for requests or offers regarding long-term housing
• #Job - for posting or searching job offers and professional resources
• #Sale - for one off buying/selling or free stuff

Do not use it to spam or promote commercial ventures. Rules are strictly enforced.  

In the past, our members organized advocacy drives, testified at hearings, and even moved legislation to strengthen the Peace Corps. Now, we leave those activities to the NPCA. Visit www.peacecorpsconnect.org to make your voice heard.

There is no listserv... not anymore. Peace Corps closed its daily email of jobs and housing in February 2013. For jobs, they introduced Peace Corps Career Link, and the NPCA offers its Next Step Job Finder.

We send out a free newsletter every week. It lists our upcoming events, featured jobs, and items of interest to the community. Our Facebook Group serves a similar function, only it's 24/7. Our Google calendar is public and syncable too. Add our Twitter and Linkedin feeds, and you'll never miss an update.

When you join RPCV/W, you are automatically subscribed to the newsletter. Members can submit an item for publication using this form, provided it is not commercial or political in nature. If you want to promote a business or for-profit creative work, advertising agreements are available upon request. 

Anyone can create an account and log-in to rpcvw.org. Many events are open to the public too. Members, however, are the soul of the organization. They can vote, lead events, and use our Facebook group to promote fundraisers for their favorite causes. Members are charged less for RPCV/W events requiring payment. We also negotiate special discounts for our members with local restaurants, bars, theaters, and other businesses. Most professional development events are restricted to members, as is access to our Linkedin networking group. Several online resources we maintain, including job feeds and the Social Map, are also members-only.

Membership is not restricted to Peace Corps volunteers. Dues have remained $15 per year since 1985. We hope you'll join us so we can keep them that way.

Our free newsletter goes out every week to over 3,000 subscribers. It is filled with upcoming events, special notices, community news, and other items of interest. Members can submit an item for publication using this form, provided it is not a commercial advertisement.

RPCVW.org allows us to run an organization of 5,000 participants with a volunteer staff. When you get involved with our group, you are asked to create an account. There are 2 types of accounts: 

Non-member: Basic account you get when you log in with email, Twitter, or Facebook. Non-members can RSVP for most events, leave comments, and create basic profiles. 

Member: Logged-in members can RSVP for any event, receive special discounts to paid events, and access private webpages which contain useful tools and resources. 

Membership is $15 per year and the first year is free, so join RPCV/W today!

Our newsletter is a popular platform for promoting events, causes, creative projects and commercial services that may be of interest to our group. Visit rpcvw.org/advertise to learn more.