#peacecorpsvolunteer

[peacecorpspatrice]

You gotta eat! My days are ever changing and so dynamic while serving in Peace Corps Ukraine. Yesterday I sat in on a meeting with community members who formed a berry farming cooperative. After that 5 of us drove to Lviv for a fundraiser at a discotheque for a local resident fighting cancer. My friend here in the village donated several pieces of art that were auctioned off, bands played and a fun time was had by all and I think a good deal of money was raised. Today I worked on putting together a grant for a training program we are putting together, then went to our regional center to file the paperwork for the new farming cooperative and then we got the call. It was time! Time to plant the potatoes, onions and garlic. When the weather is right and the field gets plowed you don’t mess around. The whole family comes together and helps. There was hard work and laughter and I got a great compliment. They said they didn’t need a tractor cause they had me! Peace Corps isn’t always easy, learning the language, living with other people, getting used to a new job, navigating cultural differences, living through a long winter, missing loved ones back home can all be difficult. But I feel so fortunate that I have been placed with people who treat me with kindness, respect and friendship. I don’t mind helping plant the food I know will eat at family meals in the late summer and fall and all of next year. We all do our part to help each other in the village. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #villagelife #potatoes #farming #growyourownfood #peacecorps #peacecorpsukraine #peacecorpsukraine52 #howiseepc #gooutside #peacecorpslife #peacecorpsvolunteer #ukraine #україна (at Lviv Oblast)

[peacecorpshr]

Every Peace Corps Volunteer and Trainee in the world just lost their job with no warning, no safety net, and no plan on Peace Corps’ part. Every Invitee who put their life on hold has now been put on hold in turn, in the middle of a global economic crisis. This is indefensible and unacceptable. #PeaceCorps only exists as long as it has #PeaceCorpsVolunteers. The only reason for @PeaceCorps to exist, as an organization, is to help each #PeaceCorpsVolunteer do their job. Instead, it often adds to the hardships faced in service - see our HR Reports for details. This is the time to ask for more. Most of the issues described on @PeaceCorpsHR hinge on Peace Corps’ refusal to classify Volunteers as employees. Peace Corps Volunteers / Trainees have to hope their Country Director listens to Volunteer Advisory Committees. As employees, PCV/Ts could negotiate for contracts with job security and file for unemployment. While the Volunteer title is a source of pride, it’s also used to disenfranchise PCV/Ts. That must stop. Peace Corps Volunteers are government employees. Write to or call your congressperson and ask them to reform Peace Corps, starting by recognizing Volunteers as employees. Repost this or share what you’ve experienced in service and in the global evacuation. We’re all #RPCVs right now - let’s talk about how we can work together as a community for change. #peacecorpsreform #peacecorpshr https://www.instagram.com/p/B-DRIVEhZMM/?igshid=shu01uiyocsi

[veronica-in-the-universe]

December 5th is International Volunteer Day! Words fail to describe the magic of the last couple of years. The challenges, rewards, and the cultural exchanges are all experiences that must be experienced to be fully understood. So, in lieu of words, here are some of my favorite photos in no particular order. #internationalvolunteerday #volunteer #peacecorps #peacecorpsvolunteer #howiseepc #peacecorpseducation #vanuatu #peacecorpsvanuatu #peacecorpsextendee #veronicainvanuatu #southpacific https://www.instagram.com/p/B5tFWGglEmf/?igshid=16g08upq8f79l