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Senior Citizen Volunteers
Texas Grandmother Loves Being Peace Corps Volunteer
at Age 65
 As an older Volunteer, she believes she is able to
have a greater impact on the lives of others in Macedonia
March 25, 2007 - When Katrina Meredith decided to
take early retirement in 2005, the Texas native was finally able to
pursue a dream she had held for over 40 years: to become a Volunteer
with the Peace Corps. Today, the 65 year old grandmother of three is
serving as a community development Volunteer, and calls the Southeastern
European nation of Macedonia home.
Meredith is among the 5% of the 7,749 Americans
currently volunteering in the Peace Corps who are over the age of 50.
Older Americans are much sought after by the Peace Corps, as they offer
a lifetime of experience, maturity, and a demonstrated ability that is
highly valued in the countries where the Peace Corps serves.
In Macedonia, Meredith has been working primarily
with a micro financing organization, helping develop new services for
their loan and grant programs. In her role, she has been able to draw on
the over thirty years of experience she gained working in such areas as
management, sales, and program development in the health care
administration and insurance industries.
Of all the roles Ive had in my life, I like being
a grandmother and Volunteer the best, Meredith said.
She also finds a great deal of fulfillment from
some of the secondary projects she is working on in Macedonia, chairing
a business development group and serving on a committee that raises
awareness about human trafficking issues.
Meredith has long been motivated by a desire to
help others through volunteer work. Her father was in the oil industry
and her family moved around Texas several times during her childhood.
But no matter which city the family called home, Merediths mother
insisted that Katrina and her three brothers learn the value and the
importance of community and volunteering.
She always encouraged us to participate in
volunteer efforts for people less fortunate than our family, wherever we
were living, Meredith said.
Joining the Peace Corps is something Meredith had
wanted to do since 1963. Though she was not able to join then, the idea
of being a Peace Corps Volunteer remained in her thoughts for the next
41 years.
In 2004, while her employer faced another corporate
restructuring, Meredith evaluated her options and settled on an early
retirement in 2005. In that moment, joining the Peace Corps moved from
an option to a passion, Meredith said.
While serving in the Peace Corps may be an
unconventional way to spend retirement, Katrina Meredith claims that she
could not imagine her Peace Corps service any other way.
 Though Ive regretted, more than once, not joining
the Peace Corps when I was younger, I now see that I am much more
valuable as a seasoned, experienced - but still hopeful adult - than I
probably would have been as an impassioned but inexperienced young adult
back in 1963, she says.
As an older Volunteer, she believes she is able to
have a greater impact on the lives of others in Macedonia as they strive
for a better life for themselves and their children.
Older Americans have made lasting contributions
through their service as Peace Corps Volunteers. In fact, the Peace
Corps most notable older Volunteer was Lillian Carter, mother of former
President Jimmy Carter, who served as a health Volunteer in India in the
1960s when she 68 years old.
Today, Volunteers over the age of 50 can serve
almost anywhere their qualifications help meet the needs of the host
country.
The programs hosting the most older Volunteers are,
in order: Ukraine, South Africa, Armenia, Thailand, Romania, and the
Eastern Caribbean. Volunteers work in the areas of business development,
education, youth and community development, agriculture and the
environment, and health and HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness.
Beyond the satisfaction of helping others, there
are many benefits for those over 50 who might be considering Peace Corps
service. All Volunteers receive complete coverage of medical and dental
care while in service via a medical unit in each country.
Peace Corps Volunteers are also provided with
transportation to and from the host country at the start and close of
their service, and in addition they receive two days of annual leave per
month. Transition funds at the beginning of service and readjustment
support are provided upon completion of service to assist Volunteers in
their transition to life back in the U.S.
Additionally, Peace Corps service does not
generally affect a retirees Social Security benefits or civil or
military service pension.
Above all, Katrina Meredith offers the following
advice to older Americans who might be interested in becoming a Peace
Corps Volunteer: If you have a spirit of adventure and a belief in
service to others, then apply. It will be a great experience and your
life skills and knowledge will make you a wonderful Volunteer!
Article contributed by Tracy Waldman, Press
Office, Peace Corps
For more information about the Peace Corps, please
call 1-800-424-8580 or visit the Peace Corpss website at
www.peacecorps.gov. The Who Volunteers? section of the website
contains information especially for older Americans.
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