[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 30 (Thursday, March 4, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E312]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       NATIONAL PEACE CORPS WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN GARAMENDI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 4, 2010

  Mr. GARAMENDI. Madam Speaker, as a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who 
spent two years in Ethiopia with my wife Patti eradicating small pox 
and building schools, it is my pleasure to recognize National Peace 
Corps Week.
  Forty-nine years ago this week, President John F. Kennedy established 
the Peace Corps as a way to show the world that the United States is 
interested in helping our struggling neighbors across the globe. Since 
then, nearly 200,000 Americans have served in the Peace Corps in 139 
countries around the world.
  Peace Corps volunteers educate children, treat illnesses, assist 
local businesses, introduce new technologies, modernize agricultural 
techniques, and help protect local water supplies. To millions of 
people in the developing world, Peace Corps volunteers are the face of 
America, and we are a safer and more appreciated nation because of it.
  To the 7,671 volunteers around the world presently engaged in the 
Peace Corps' noble mission, thank you for your service. So long as I am 
in Congress, I will resolutely support you in your efforts. You stand 
on the shoulders of giants, and you are a vital contributor to a more 
peaceful and just world.

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