Peace Corps Commemorative
The Peace Corps program was established by Executive Order 10924, which was issued by President John F. Kennedy on March 1, 1961. The program was legislatively authorized by Congress on September 21, 1961, with passage of the Peace Corps Act (Pub.L. 87–293). Between 1961 and 2013, over 215,000 Americans joined the Peace Corps. The National Peace Corps Association, a nonprofit organization for Peace Corps alumni, established the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation to advocate for a commemorative to honor the mission of the Peace Corps and the values on which it was founded.
Patricia Alsup
On December 14, 2015, Alsup held a swearing-in ceremony for more than thirty new Peace Corps volunteers at her residence in Gambia. Half were assigned to work on community-based health projects, while the other half were scheduled to work with farmers to improve local agricultural practices and promote sustainability.
Peace Corps volunteers have served in Gambia since the program was first opened in 1967, and over 1,745 Peace Corps workers in Gambia since that time.