LGB RPCV NewsLetter - February 2006

In This Issue

 Crisis Corps in Thailand

 Two RPCVs Volunteer after
Katrina
 LGBRPCV Funded Sensi-
tivity Project in Romania

NewsLetter  PC-Military Issue Resolved

 2005 Financial Statement
 Membership Renewal
February 2006

O ur first issue of 2006 begins with Maura Reap’s article about her Crisis Corps ex-
perience in Thailand. Maura also brings us up to date on a project she sponsored
in Romania.Suzanne Marks and Andy Sallach describe their disaster relief efforts in
Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina.We report on the revocation of troubling legisla-
tion that tied military recruitment to Peace Corps service.Dan Rael brings us up to
date on our financial and membership status.

Crisis Corps Adventure in Thailand

- Maura Reap, RPCV Romania, CCV Thailand
In December, 2004, I was winding
down my second year of Peace Corps
service in Romania. It had been a long
and (at times) difficult two years, and
I was looking forward to returning to
life in the United States. As my com-
pletion of service date drew closer, I
spent hours daydreaming about the
people I would see, the places I would
visit, and the foods that I would eat
upon my return.
On December 26th, however,
my focus shifted. I learned about a
terrible tragedy that had fallen upon
Southeastern Asia. A tsunami wave,
triggered by a 9.1 magnitude earth-
quake, had swallowed large portions
of the coastal regions of Indonesia, Sri
Lanka, Thailand, and India. When the
waters retreated, they took with them
hundreds of thousands of people and
their homes.
As I watched the news of this
catastrophe unfold, my self-absorbed,
self-indulgent fantasies quickly
disintegrated. They were replaced by
a compelling desire to do something,
anything, to help. But what could I
do? I pondered the options, but there
were few. The most obvious way to
help was to make a financial donation
to one of the international aid organi-
zations already en-route to the region.
Unfortunately, this was not feasible,
as I had been a volunteer for the last
two years, and had no money left.
Next, I considered my profes-
sional skills. I had been working in
the field of mental health for the past
15 years. I knew that the emotional
As is typical with many Cri-
sis Corps assignments, I was
assigned to work closely with
another Crisis Corps volunteer
by the name of Judy. She had
been a Peace Corps volunteer
back in the 1960’s.
devastation that would follow such
a disaster would equal and likely
surpass the physical devastation. I felt
that I could offer assistance to help
survivors cope with and mourn their
losses. However, I did not speak any
of the languages spoken in any of the
affected regions. Moreover, if I went
over independently, I had no idea
where or how to begin to help. After
much deliberation, I sadly concluded
1
that there was little that I could do,
despite my desire.
At my Completion of Service
conference two months later, my
hope was re-ignited when I learned
about a very interesting opportunity
called the Crisis Corps. Crisis Corps
is administered by the Peace Corps,
and places RPCV’s in areas that are
recently affected by a crisis. The
average placement is for 3-6 months,
and volunteers receive all of the same
perks and support services that regular
Peace Corps volunteers receive.
It just so happened that Crisis
Corps was developing programs in Sri
Lanka and Thailand to assist with the
tsunami recovery efforts. One of the
areas that they were targeting for in-
tervention was the psychosocial needs
of those affected by the tsunami. I still
lacked the local language skill, but
I decided to submit my application
anyway.
In April 2005, I returned home to
San Francisco. Two months later, I
received an e-mail from the Crisis
Corps coordinator. In it, he described
a position that was based in Thailand
that fit my qualifications like a glove.
continued on page 6
LGB RPCV NewsLetter -February 2006

Volunteering after Katrina

Two of our active members volunteered, through the government agencies employing them, to
provide different kinds of disaster relief in Louisiana after Katrina. Suzanne Marks works for the
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta. Andy Sallach works for the Environ-
mental Protection Agency (EPA) in San Francisco. Here are their stories:

Monitoring for Disease and Injuries - Suzanne Marks, RPCV, Togo

As an epidemiologist at the CDC, for the evacuees, providing beds for by churches and state parks. These
I conduct research, analysis, and re- sleeping, food, bathrooms, showers, smaller shelters offered what they
porting on the health systems aspects medical care, dental care, money, post could in terms of services, again run
of tuberculosis (TB) prevention and office services, child care and supplies by volunteers. It was more difficult to
control, especially on the interac- (diapers, formula, etc.), vaccinations, conduct surveillance for disease and
tion of TB and HIV. During Katrina clothing, storage, computer access, injuries in these shelters because of
hurricane disaster relief efforts, our religious services, links to jobs, the lack of staff to assess and report
administrators here at CDC offered housing, unemployment insurance, on residents’ conditions.
all employees a disaster insurance The number of evacuees declined
chance to help with Everyone pulled togeth- claims, and FEMA dramatically as many people returned
the relief. About security and IDs. to the remains of their homes. I was
ten volunteers in er to successfully find It was pretty unsure about the ability of many of
our TB division all 169 of the “lost” TB impressive. Most these folks to deal with the conditions
went to Louisiana, of the staffing was “at home.” So many places were just
Texas and Missis-
patients who had started provided by the decimated. Slidel, just northeast of
sippi to help in the on TB treatment before Red Cross and New Orleans, looked like a bunch of
field, while another the storm to return them other volunteers. matchsticks. Some of the State Health
group dedicated Another group Care workers also lost their homes,
themselves to to care... called Minnesota which made it difficult to tell them,
helping out from Life Line provided when they became ill themselves, to
Atlanta. Everyone pulled together to nearly all the medical staffing at one stop working and go home.
successfully find all 169 of the “lost” large shelter and also for the Cajun I was able to visit with a friend
TB patients who had started on TB Dome (so much so that I wondered who was allowed to return to her
treatment before the storm to return what was left in MN). The center was house in New Orleans for the first
them to care and avert a real disaster so well run that most residents were time. Miraculously, the flood had
if they became infectious again and reasonably satisfied with the services, stopped one block from her home. I
transmitted their disease to others in rather than being discontented in the stopped by the next day to help her
the shelters where they were staying. not-so-well-run centers. clear her yard of debris. The house
For my volunteer assignment, Despite the horrendous circum- itself was pretty much untouched.
I was one of an 8 person team of stances, it was truly However, on a
epidemiologists who worked to an opportunity The whole experience trip with my team
assess and improve epidemiologic to provide much
surveillance for diseases/injuries in needed services
very much reminded me members, I was
able to see the ter-
the many shelters across Louisiana. to many people of Peace Corps. I only rible destruction of
I worked in the Lafayette region, who didn’t have knew one of my seven the 9th Ward and
which is part of the French Cajun access to things other parts of the
area of the state. The southern part like dental care colleagues prior to going. city.
of my region and of the state overall and immunizations The whole
was still flooded one month after the before the tragedy. experience very
hurricane, with many people possi- Our surveillance system documented much reminded me of Peace Corps.
bly permanently displaced. I mostly high levels of chronic disease (dia- I only knew one of my seven col-
worked with the medical unit at the betes, high blood pressure, asthma). leagues prior to going. We all had
Cajun Dome Sports Complex of the We closely watched for increases in about four days together in Baton
University of Louisiana, which when fever, vomiting, or diarrhea to identify Rouge as we desperately searched for
I arrived housed 3400 evacuees and and prevent any potential outbreaks. housing. This was the most difficult
had decreased to 954 when I left. The In addition to the large shelters, I part of the adventure. Evacuees were
center was truly a one-stop center also visited many small shelters run
continued on page 3
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 LGB RPCV NewsLetter - February 2006

Evaluating Damage to Drinking Water System

-Andy Sallach, RPCV, Philippines
In September 2005, the Friday water systems for the few people that dogs living in a tent on their empty
before Labor Day, I was asked by my returned during the day. piece of land. But one morning after
employer, the Environmental Protec- The manager of a dozen drinking the temperature dropped, they were
tion Agency (EPA) to go to Louisiana water systems struggled to provide gone. Someone from the neighbor-
to provide assistance to drinking service without electricity, telephone hood said, “This was a beautiful place
water systems affected by Hurricane or internet. to live.” They are lucky in a sad way,
Katrina. After tracking down cowork- The homeowner there is nothing to
ers with whom I would work as a in the middle class Someone from the demolish or clean
team, I arranged travel and took care Lakeview District
of personal loose ends to be out of of New Orleans,
neighborhood said,“This up.Faced with all
town for two weeks. The EPA, along who had flood wa- was a beautiful place to this uncertainty
with rural water associations, were ter a foot into the live.” They are lucky in a and devastation,
asked to help the State of Louisiana second story, was the beauty that
evaluate damage to hundreds of watching masked sad way, there is nothing remains is in the
small and medium sized drinking contractors throw- to demolish or clean up. resilience and
water systems around New Orleans. ing personal and determination
None of us knew what to expect or household items of those people
where we were going to be sleeping. onto the curb along with drywall, willing to make the best of what they
Enthusiasm for the challenge mixed which was to be picked up and taken have left. It has been a privilege to
with apprehension. What we had seen to a landfill. I met two of her neigh- bear witness and offer help.
in the papers and on TV was mayhem bors who could not enter their homes
and despair. Crisis brought out the because of structural damage. While Andy Sallach is on LGB RPCV’s
best in people. A Baptist Church let us these people have some insurance and Steering Committee providing
stay in their gymnasium, and another other financial means, they were still Financial and Membership support.
cooked us dinner each night. living with friends and did not know He can be contacted at lgbrpcv-
I returned to Louisiana between what they were going to do. This was news@lgbrpcv.org.
the Thanksgiving and Christmas four months after the storm.
Holidays. As you would expect, ac- There was the small business
commodations and the mission were owner cleaning her kennel and dog
better planned and defined than the grooming businesses on her own.
first deployment She asked if she Monitoring Disease...
immediately after None of us knew what could get help housed in all the hotels and motels
Katrina. Semi- to expect or where we removing asbestos within a 400 mile radius of New
permanent office floor tile she did Orleans. We ended up staying at the
space and housing were going to be sleep- not know existed Jimmy Swaggert Bible College for
had been estab- ing. Enthusiasm for the when she bought those days in Baton Rouge. It was the
lished for a joint the building. When only place we could find. While there,
Incident Command challenge mixed with I returned a few I tried not to think about the cartoon
Center with the apprehension. days later with an on my refrigerator door at home that
EPA, Coast Guard answer, “you need shows Jimmy threatening to kill all
and Louisiana Department of Envi- to get the tile to the curb yourself,” homosexuals. There were, however,
ronmental Quality. she thanked me for getting her the a few relaxing times. I ate some re-
The people I met who suffered answer, and offered me a soda. ally good food and listened to some
from Katrina have been the most re- At the end of my second deploy- “Laissez les bons temps roulez” good
warding part of my two deployments ment, just before the Christmas Cajun music when I could. Ever hear
to the Gulf Coast. Here are a few. holidays, I spent time in the beautiful of the Blue Dog Café?
A water operator, third genera- area north of Chef Menteur Pass, sur-
tion from Saint Bernard Parish, just rounded by Lake Pontchartrain on one Suzanne Marks is LGB RPCVs
outside of New Orleans, still flooded, side, Lake Catherine on the other. The Southeast Representative. She lives
knew that there would be nothing left storm surge sent every single home on in Atlanta and can be reached at
of his home. Yet he continued to drive the strip of land out to sea. There was lgbrpcv-news@lgbrpcv.org.
a generator between three drinking a family with two children and two

3
LGB RPCV NewsLetter -February 2006
Romania LGBT Sensitivity Workshop a Success
- Maura Reap, RPCV Romania and Crisis Corps Volunteer, Thailand
Editor’s note: A year ago, we
promoted a Peace Corps Partnership
Project in Romania sponsored by
then PCV Maura Reap with a short
article in our February 2005 news-
letter. The project was to sponsor a
two-day sensitivity training seminar
for Romanian social workers, psy-
chologists, and school counselors on
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans-
gender (LGBT) issues. This is a topic
considered taboo in Romania, and
is rarely addressed in professional
training programs. Consequently,
social service providers working
with LGBT individuals are poorly
prepared to effectively work with
them. Maura has a master’s degree in
clinical psychology and truly believed
that these mental health professionals
wanted to help their LGBT clients,
but lacked the knowledge to do so.
Thus, the purpose of this seminar was
to provide social service profession-
als from all over Romania with the
tools they need to effectively work
with and help their LGBT clients. The
principles to be taught at the seminar
were to be based upon the guidelines
currently endorsed by the American
Psychological Association. The proj-
ect did go ahead and was successful.
Maura tells us how it turned out.
I am writing to share news with
you about the project you helped to
promote last winter in your newslet-
ter. Specifically, this was the LGBT
sensitivity training workshop for
social service providers in Romania.
I am very happy to report that it was
very successful!
As you may remember, this project
was tentatively scheduled to take
place last February. However, initial
funding difficulties led to the post-
ponement of the project until October
2005. My Peace Corps service ended
in April 2005 so, sadly, I was not
able to participate. With my depar-
ture, responsibility for implementing
the project was assumed by my two
co-facilitators: Peace Corps Volunteer Feedback from participants and ob-
Jacquelyn and Romanian colleague servers indicated that the training was
Tudor. very useful and informative. Over the
Both of these two individuals two days, the participants participated
worked very hard to execute this in many discussions and received a
project, and from all reports they did a lot of information about LGBT is-
commendable job. Arranging logistics sues. In the process, they were also
turned out to be very difficult because invited to examine their own biases
and attitudes towards LGBT clients.
At the conclusion of At the conclusion of the workshop,
the participants reported that they had
the workshop, the par- an enhanced understanding of LGBT
ticipants reported that social issues and gender identity,
and felt better prepared to work with
they had an enhanced LGBT clients.
understanding of LGBT In all, there were 24 participants
social issues and gender in attendance at the two-day training.
Most of the participants were psychol-
identity, and felt better ogists and social workers, and worked
prepared to work with directly with clients from schools,
residential programs, community
LGBT clients. clinics, and shelters. This was the first
training ever of its kind in Romania!
the dollar exchange rate was very Though I could not be part of the
poor at the time the grant money was actual implementation, it was very
actually awarded. This was further exciting to have a role in helping this
compounded by the reality that many training to take place. And I greatly
communities did not want to support appreciate the role that you also
such a controversial project. Despite played by promoting the project. I
these obstacles, Jacquelyn and Tudor feel optimistic that everyone involved
were able to arrange round trip trans- helped to make a positive impact for
portation, meals, two days accommo- LGBT individuals in Romania.
dation for four speakers, and meeting
space that amply met the needs of the Maura Reap can be contacted at
participants. maura_reap@hotmail.com.
Friends of Thailand Raise Money for Tsunami Relief
Peace Corps related help and relief in Thailand goes far beyond what Cri-
sis Corps has provided. The RPCV Group, Friends of Thailand, and its very
energetic Group Leader, Carolyn Nickels, have raised lots of money for vari-
ous projects related to tsunami relief there (read Carolyn’s initial article that
appeared in our February 2005 newsletter). Their year end results are quite
amazing. Because of current volunteers and RPCVs resident in Thailand,
Carolyn and others were able to identify specific small scale projects that
could be supported just as soon as funding became available.
FOT raised $130,000 during 2005 and have dispersed all but about $6000
of that. You can read more about this very successful project on Friends
of Thailand’s web site http://www.friendsofthailand.org and click on the
Project Restore link.
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 LGB RPCV NewsLetter - February 2006

Legislation Removes PC-Military Recruiting Link

- Mike Learned, Editor
Good news arrived on January 6,
2006. President Bush signed into
law the National Defense Authoriza-
tion Act for Fiscal Year 2006. In that
legislation he approved the removal
of Peace Corps service as an option
under the National Call to Service
military recruitment program. The
background and evolution of this issue
is a classic case of a very bad idea
sneaking into legislation through the
back door.
It 2002, in the Senate Defense Au-
thorization bill for Fiscal Year 2003,
Peace Corps was added to a provision
of the bill to encourage increased mili-
tary recruitment. As part of this new
military recruitment strategy, follow-
ing 15 months of active duty and 24
months of participation with the Army
Reserve or National Guard, soldiers
would have the option of serving the
remainder of their eight year military
obligation by staying in the Army
Reserve or National Guard, becoming
a member of the inactive Individual
Ready Reserve, or becoming a mem-
ber of a National Service Program,
such as Americorp or Peace Corps.
Peace Corps service was entered
into this legislation as an option ap-
parently without the knowledge of
Peace Corps Director Vasquez or his
staff. It went in the back door. These
ing strategy. There were immediate
reactions from the various segments
of the Peace Corps community decry-
ing the tie between military recruit-
ment and obligations and Peace
Corps service to meet some of those
obligations.
This project is an
example of how the
Peace Corps family can
influence legislation in
a bipartisan way.
The National Peace Corps Associa-
tion and its President, Kevin Quigley,
led the way in lobbying Congress
to amend this legislation to remove
Peace Corps service as an alternative
to fulfilling military service obliga-
tions. Within a nine month period
of intense lobbying and informa-
tion sharing, NPCA’s and its allies’
efforts have paid off. Advocacy and
open legislative lobbying like that
practiced the last few months has
not been part of NPCA’s traditional
political behavior. This project is an
example of how the NPCA and the
Peace Corps family can influence
such legislation in a focused and
family (of which LGB RPCVs is an
important part), are completely sup-
portive of military veterans entering
Peace Corps service. We also support
RPCVs who choose military service
after their PC experience. Serving in
the capacity of a Peace Corps volun-
teer and later or earlier as a member
of the armed services can be com-
plimentary national service options.
However, Peace Corps and military
service are two completely different
experiences with completely differ-
ent goals and objectives. Peace Corps
must retain its independence and
full authority related to recruitment,
placement, and the safety and security
of volunteers in their host country
assignments.
We congratulate the NPCA and
Kevin Quigley for this accomplish-
ment within such a short time frame.
Much of this information was taken
from the NPCA web site www.rpcv.
org. Go there for more information
about this issue and its resolution.
PO Box 14332
San Francisco CA 94114-4332
lgbrpcv@lgbrpcv.org
http://www.lgbrpcv.org

provisions did not become widely bipartisan way. This has been a major Editor Mike Learned
known until April and May of last year accomplishment. Layout Kevin H. Souza
when the Army apparently decided to It is very important to note that
advertise and implement this recruit- Peace Corps and the Peace Corps The LGB RPCV Newsletter is
published quarterly by the Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual RPCV Organization,
Write an Article for Our Newsletter an affiliate of the National Peace
We have an 11 year tradition of featuring articles and stories written Corps Association. We promote
by volunteers and RPCVs who have been active in their communities and Peace Corps ideals and the legal,
professional lives since their time in Peace Corps. We provide information political and social rights of LGBT
about the LGBT experience in Peace Corps for members of our community people throughout the world. We
who are considering this experience and service. There is no better source of encourage the submission of articles
information than that provided by those who have contributed to our news- or photographs for the newsletter.
letter and web site over the years. The right to use or edit materials
remains with the editor. Copyright
If you’ve got a story to tell that promotes Peace Corps ideals and the
remains with the author. Send
legal, political and social rights of LGBT people around the world,” we’re
submissions or inquiries to the above
interested in hearing from you. postal or e-mail address.
Contact editor, Mike Learned (lgbrpcv-news@lgbrpcv.org) with your
articles, ideas or questions.
5
LGB RPCV NewsLetter -February 2006
Crisis Corps...
continued from page 1
It was precisely the opportunity that I had been hoping for!
I immediately submitted my application and awaited the
outcome.
To make a long story short, I participated in the usual
screening interview, submitted the preliminary documenta-
tion, and was nominated for the position. Three months
later, after I had completed the usual dental, medical, and
legal clearances procedures and navigated my way past
the other bureaucratic obstacles, I was on a jet headed for
Krabi, Thailand. My job description indicated that I would
be performing social work with children that had been af-
fected by the tsunami. Beyond that, I had little notion as to
what I would precisely I would be doing.
After a three day orientation session at Peace Corps
headquarters in Bangkok, I traveled to my site to begin the
next chapter of my life. In Bangkok, I had received exactly
4 hours language lessons, and was less than fluent. I knew
I was in for an adventure and lots of charades.
As is typical with many Crisis Corps assignments, I was
assigned to work closely with another Crisis Corps vol-
unteer by the name of Judy. She had been a Peace Corps
volunteer back in the 1960’s. After her end of service, she
had worked as a therapist with children for many years and
was now in her 60’s. When she heard about the tsunami,
she had decided to come out of her retirement to help out
however she could.
Shortly after Judy and I arrived at our site, we were in-
troduced to our counterparts. They were two young, bright,
motivated Thai women. They had graduated from univer-
sity with degrees in Tourism, and in the beginning their
English was essentially tourism English. Together, the four
of us struggled our way through lessons in social work and
mental health. Much of the first 3.5 months was consumed
just by translating these difficult, abstract concepts into
Thai. At times, Judy and I wondered exactly what sort of
two–headed beast would emerge from all of this. In spite
of our reservations, we all persevered.
Finally, in our 4th month of service, our efforts paid off.
We moved into the implementation stage. We had de-
cided to implement our pilot projects at a large “boarding
school” which was actually an orphanage. Of the 1,400
students there, approximately 300 had been orphaned by
the tsunami. From the first time we had seen the sad, beau-
tiful faces of the children, we knew that this is where we
would initiate or pilot projects.
The first project that we implemented was a peer men-
tor program, in which we trained 12 older students how
to be positive role models, and then paired them with 12
younger children that were experiencing problems. This
was a very important project, as the school only main-
tained a staff of 80 employees, leaving a very low teacher:
student ratio. Many of the children there were hungry for
6
the attention of someone, anyone. Now, a handful of them
could receive it in a positive way.
A second project that we implemented was a sand play
project, in which young children were given the opportu-
nity to choose and play with a variety of small figures. At
the end of the session, they were asked to tell their story.
This technique is an effective way to help children that
cannot directly talk about trauma that they experienced to
express and cope with it through “play.” And the children
loved the figures.
The third project that we implemented was targeted
towards teenaged students who were having problems. It
is called “Expressive Photography,” and utilizes photog-
raphy as a medium and venue where the teens can express
themselves in a meaningful (and fun) way. To implement
this project, we had written and been awarded a grant that
had paid for 5 digital cameras. The teens loved being able
to use the cameras, and over time their initial suspicious
demeanor began to soften.
The final project that we implemented was a Teacher
Training and Networking Project. This project offered a
series of 3 trainings to teachers from the tsunami-affected
island of Phuket. The trainings focused on ways that teach-
ers could provide additional emotional support to the chil-
dren that were experiencing difficulties. It was conceived
as a way to provide teachers with an opportunity where
they could network, relax, and feel appreciated.
I have now been in Thailand for over 5 months, and
have less than a month to go. I won’t sugar coat the ex-
perience and pretend that the adjustment was easy, or that
the projects I helped to develop always flowed smoothly. I
have been challenged time and time again on many fronts,
some of them humorous, some of them frustrating. How-
ever, it has been well worth every minute of it.
Based upon my personal experience, I am a strong
advocate for Crisis Corps. Crisis Corps differs from Peace
Corps in a number of ways. Perhaps most significant, the
sites are developed in direct response to the needs gener-
ated by the crisis that has occurred. Consequently, the op-
portunities to intervene are more obvious and more abun-
dant. In my Peace Corps experience, however, it was often
very challenging to find a meaningful way to intervene.
Of course, I had the good fortune to have been matched
with an organization that not only had many of their own
ideas; they were also receptive and supportive of our ideas.
Our counterparts were very sweet and fun to work with.
This made a huge difference in terms of what we were able
to accomplish.
The date of my departure quickly approaches. Yet, I do
not find myself thinking about what foods I will eat, where
I will go, or who I will see when I return to San Francisco.
continued on page 7
 LGB RPCV NewsLetter - February 2006

2005 Financial and Membership Report

- Dan Rael, Financial Coordinator
Financially, 2005 was a stable year. We spent $800
less than we brought in. Income, however, was skewed
somewhat because of a large NPCA membership contribu-
tion early in the year that reflected late 2004 membership
rebates and other adjustments. When looking at our current
paid membership numbers, some realities raise their ugly
little heads. We current have 159 paid members. We need
about 200 paid members (at $15 each) to generate the
$3000 or so each year that we need for ongoing expenses.
Our long time policy has been to maintain enough money
in our bank account at the end of each year to sustain us
for one more. If we ever have to go under, the thought
was that we would have a year to do so gracefully while
considering survival alternatives. We’re certainly not at
that point, but we need to increase our paid membership
numbers by at least 20%. We did have more than $500 in-
come in gifts this year. A special thanks to those who made
substantial donations: John, Stephen, Richard, Rob, Steve,
and Burt. And also thank you to several of you who added
five or ten dollars to your membership dues.
Our newsletter continues to consume two thirds of our
expenses. We’ve been able to keep this cost stable over
many years because an increasing number of members
choose to have an electronic version of our newsletter
rather than the printed. Postage and printing costs continue
LGB RPCV Expense Report 2005
Start of Year Balance $3256.97
to increase, but we now print fewer copies. So, overall
newsletter costs haven’t increased.
We spend a lot of money on newsletters because we
provide free copies to each of eleven regional Peace Corps
recruiting offices and for HQ staff in Washington. We also
send free copies to any current PCV who requests. We
want to continue to do this. Although we have an extensive
web site, that includes current and past newsletters in PDF
and other electronic format, we feel the availability of a
printed newsletter that people can walk off with and share
with others is to our best interests.
Once again, we plan an aggressive renewal of dues pro-
cess this year. If you are an NPCA member we urge you
to renew when they notify you and continue to designate
LGB RPCVs as your affiliate RPCV group. If you belong
to LGB RPCVs only, you will receive a membership
renewal solicitation with this printed newsletter. If you
get an electronic version of the newsletter, you’ll receive
either a snail mail or email request for renewal (if we don’t
have your current snail mail address). NPCA renewal will
continue at $50. Membership in LGB RPCVs is still only
$15 per year.
If you have questions about your membership status,
email John Finn, RPCV Korea, our Membership Coordi-
nator at lgbrpcv- membership@lgbrpcv.org.
You can reach our Financial Coordinator, Dan Rael,
RPCV, Paraguay at lgbrpcv-news@lgbrpcv.org.

Income Crisis Corps...

NPCA Memberships 1269.42 continued from page 6
NPCA + LGB RPCV Memberships 690.00
LBG RPCV (only) Memberships 1455.00 Instead, I find myself thinking about what I am leaving
Gifts & Adjustments 530.55 behind. I think about the sweet innocence of the children’s
Total Income 3944.97 faces; faces that know loss in ways that I never will, but
still manage to smile. I think of the contagious generosity
of the adults, who time and time again went far out of their
Expenses way to make sure that I was comfortable at the expense
Newsletter and Printing 2129.43 of their own comfort. And I think of numerous, precious,
NPCA Rebates 525.00 other qualities I have had the good fortune to witness these
NPCA Affiliation Fee 164.00 past six months. The day that I leave this country will be
Web Site Expenses 134.91 very sad, very sad.
Mail Box and Misc. 191.07 As I reflect on the past and look towards the future, I do
Total Expenses 3144.91 not know how much help I have brought to this country.
Nor can I be sure how long our projects will continue after
Difference Between we depart. But of this I am certain: my Crisis Corps expe-
rience in Thailand has given wings to my heart and to my
Income & Expenses +800.06
spirit, and I will never be the same.

End of Year Balance $4057.03 Maura Reap returns home this month. She can be con-
tacted at maura_reap@hotmail.com.
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LGB RPCV NewsLetter -February 2006

Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual

Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
Who are we?
We’re an organization of gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender people and others who are
former volunteers, current volunteers, former and current staff members and friends. Founded in
Washington D.C. in 1991 we have several hundred members throughout the country and around the
world who have served in the Peace Corps since its beginning in 1961. We are made up of a national
steering committee and two regional chapters: the San Francisco Bay Area and Washington D.C. We
are an active affiliate member of the National Peace Corps Association.

What’s our purpose?

We promote Peace Corps ideals and the legal, political and social rights of LGBT people through-
out the world.
What do we do?
 Provide support to our national members and current volunteers.
 Actively involve ourselves as an affiliate of the National Peace Corps Association.
 Offer through our Mentor Program informational resources and mentors for LGBT applicants,
potential applicants and those offered a Peace Corps assignment.
 Take an active part in Gay Pride events around the country encouraging LGBT people to
consider the Peace Corps experience.
 Promote policies and projects that support the acceptance and active involvement of LGBT
people within Peace Corps.
 Host social events for our members.
 Communicate regularly with our members and others through our web site, quarterly newsletter
and listserv.

New Membership | Address Update Form

Name: New Member
Change of Address/Renewal
I would talk with PC appli-
Street:
cants about my experience.

City: State: Zip:

Phone: E-mail:

Country of Service: Years:

PC Project: Current Work: 02/06

Membership: $15 for LGB RPCV Affiliate Only or FREE to Current Volunteers
$50 for LGB RPCV Plus the National Peace Corps Association (http://www.rpcv.org)
LGB RPCVs; PO Box 14332; San Francisco, CA 94114-4332
e-mail: lgbrpcv@lgbrpcv.org | http://www.lgbrpcv.org
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