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
WASHINGTON DC (American Peace Corps), 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 I’ve 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, Meredith’s 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 I’ve 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 1960’s 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 retiree’s 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!”
By Tracy Waldman
Press Office, Peace Corps
