Ask Congress to reauthorize the Peace Corps now
Since 1961, more than 240,000 American Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) have provided assistance in 142 country partners fulfilling requests for assistance. PCVs and their work have changed innumerable lives for the better through projects that range from developing fish hatcheries to connecting patients to life-saving medical treatments.
I know firsthand the impact the Peace Corps has because I served in Azrou, Morocco, working in small business development with artisans working on traditional crafts such as rug-wearing, rock-carving, metal-working, and woodworking. It was important to keep traditions alive while introducing the artisans to 21st-century markets and opportunities.
The original Peace Corps Act was signed into law in September 1961 by President Kennedy. The Peace Corps Act has not been updated and reauthorized for more than 20 years. Recently, Democrats and Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee came together and passed H.R. 1456 by a vote of 44 to 4. And the Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed its version of the legislation (S.4466) by a voice vote with no opposition. Congress must update and reauthorize the Peace Corps Act now.
Now is the time to capitalize on this bipartisan momentum and pass this needed legislation. As of this September, 470 PCVs have returned to service in 23 countries and more volunteers are preparing to leave for service.
Please join me and the 1500 Returned Peace Corps Volunteers across Hawaii and write to our four Congressional representatives, urging them to pass the Peace Corps Reauthorization Act this year. Coming together to support and improve the Peace Corps is an important step toward deepening our nation’s commitment to service and our nation’s highest ideals.
Sharon Keld
Advocacy CoordinatorReturned Peace Corps Volunteers of Hawaii, Honolulu
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Don’t get scammed
Recently, my husband got a call from Honolulu Police trying to serve him a warrant for his arrest for failure to appear for a Federal Grand Jury in Honolulu. He was more than upset at the prospect of being arrested. He was told to make a substantial withdrawal of cash from the bank to post bail. Then to take it to a kiosk with the QR code he was sent to get a printout of the form that had also been text to him. Then take the form and cash to the police station and give it to the police.
He asked if he could just go to the police station and take care of it. The response was not without the bail money or he would be arrested. The man insisted that my husband stay on the phone through the entire process. My husband told the officer that we live out in the country with iffy cell service so if he got disconnected while driving he would call the man back at the number on his phone. No, he was told that the officer would call him back.
My husband then proceeded to follow instructions staying on the phone for about an hour while driving to the bank, making the withdrawal, and driving to the kiosk, a Coincloud machine. The kiosk was out of order so he went to a second one that only worked after many tries. The coup de gras was when he was then instructed to just put the bail money in the Coin Cloud machine instead of going to the Hawaii Police Department. Fortunately for us, my husband had already decided that if he surrendered any cash, it would be to two uniformed officers, or a senior commander that he knew personally, so he refused to put the cash in the machine at which point he was told the police would come to his residence to make the arrest. My husband hung up and saw the text I had just sent him. I was so worried about him that I had gone to the Captain Cook police station and told an officer about my concerns and what was going on. He looked up confirming there was no local arrest warrant and specifically told me that no money should be placed in a kiosk machine.
Some scam warning signs are: the person on the line really tries to scare the person … fear of being arrested; immediacy … no letter first or any contact until the situation is dire; they keep you on the phone, i.e. not let one hang up; if disconnected you could not make a call back, but would be called again; and there’s no alternatives but to follow instruction or face arrest.
Cindy Whitehawk
South Kona
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