The Peace Corps, billed as “the toughest job you’ll ever love,” has promoted world peace and friendship for 64 years. The first week of March honors the founding of the Peace Corps and Peace Corps volunteers’ contributions to meaningful changes around the world.
In 2025, there are more than 3,500 volunteers currently serving our nation with distinction in more than 60 countries. Hawaii currently has 15 volunteers proudly serving overseas.
Since 1961, the mission of the Peace Corps has not changed; Peace Corps volunteers promote world peace and friendship. At a 1983 Rose Garden ceremony, then-President Ronald Reagan proclaimed that “By the example of … Peace Corps volunteers, people throughout the world can understand that America’s heart is strong, and her heart is good.”
I am one of more than 240,000 Returned Peace Corps volunteers around the world and ALL of us would agree — even in these trying times — that Peace Corps volunteers represent the heart, kindness and strength of Americans.
As a volunteer who served in Ukraine from 2010 to 2012, just before the war, I have shared my experiences about the country with local organizations and schools here in Hawaii. I believe I have helped to educate our community and to promote a better understanding of Ukraine and Ukrainians.
Most people know of the Peace Corps as a program through which citizens sacrifice two years of the comforts of home to work with counterparts in other countries in the spirit of friendship, progress and mutual understanding. Today, the Peace Corps has opportunities with options to serve for one year or less, to serve as a virtual volunteer, as well as serving as the traditional two-year volunteer tour.
It is extremely disturbing that the current administration is retreating from this sentiment, as evidenced from recent attempts to freeze all foreign assistance programs (without any thought of impacts) and dismantling the exemplary work of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Several of our currently serving Peace Corps volunteers from Hawaii, specifically in Liberia and Panama, have been directly affected by the freeze on foreign assistance.
The Peace Corps program is one of the least expensive programs in the U.S. government, less than 1% of the International Affairs budget. Peace Corps is the best “bang for the buck,” the best use of our taxpayer dollars to provide assistance, promote peace, goodwill and friendship around the world.
Hawaii is fortunate that our four congressional representatives — U.S. Sens. Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono, and U.S. Reps. Ed Case and Jill Tokuda — fully support the ideals and mission of the Peace Corps, the ideals that Presidents Kennedy and Reagan and every other president over the past six decades have supported.
Our congressional representatives have consistently reached across the aisle, working with all their colleagues, to support our nation’s humanitarian and development assistance around the world.
I am writing to ask that everyone in Hawaii please call or write to our congressional representatives now to continue their support of the Peace Corps, a truly bipartisan program.
Not contacting our representatives and ignoring the current situation places our nation in peril.
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For more: Contact the Hawaii Peace Corps via email at slykudra@peacecorps.gov or visit the Peace Corps website, peacecorps.gov.
Caroline L. Mackenzie is with the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Hawaii.
