Peace Corps Deputy Director Jody Olsen took advantage of her visit to North Carolina to present the North Carolina Peace Corps Association's (NCPCA) Peace Prize to present NCPCA Treasurer Margaret Riley with the President's Call to Service Award.
Margaret and Jody first met in 1985 while both served on an Advisory Committee for the 25th Anniversary of the Peace Corps. At that time, Margaret was the president of the National Council of Peace Corps Volunteers (NCPCA), the precursor organization of the current National Peace Corps Association (NPCA). Margaret was a founding member of the NCPCA in 1979, served as its secretary from 1980-1983, and then as the president from 1983 to 1986. She has been an active member of groups in each location where she has lived since 1978: the Nebraska Area Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (Omaha, NE); the Athens (Ohio) RPCVs; RPCVs of Wisconsin; Western Michigan RPCVs, and the North Carolina group. In each location she has hosted group meetings, events and activities, from the steering committee in North Carolina to quarterly meetings with mulitcultural social events following in Athens, Ohio that gained a certain local renown, to group fundraising garage sales in Michigan. Dr. Olsen commented on Margaret's dedication to the third goal of the Peace Goal through her enduring efforts as an RPCV.
The presentation of the award was a surprise addition to the Peace Prize event program, and none was more surprised than Margaret herself, who, upon receiving the award commented that the Peace Corps had changed her life, and acknowledged that if it hadn't been for the Peace Corps, she wouldn't be where she is today. Those attending the event rose with a standing ovation as the presentation concluded. Subsequently, Margaret stated that most of the people in the room should receive the award as well, because of the tremendous commitment and dedication they all show to the Third Goal of Peace Corps every day.
