Viewing Peace Corps Documentary at Mano a Mano

Join us for our Monthly Speaker Series event in March! We will be screening the documentary “A Towering Task: The Story of the Peace Corps” with discussion to follow. The Peace Corps has been an important part of Mano a Mano; our co-founder Joan Velasquez was in the Peace Corps in Bolivia from 1967-1969, and she was awarded the Sargent Shriver Award for Distinguished Humanitarian Service for her work with Mano a Mano in 2008. Please RSVP with Carmen ([email protected] or 651-457-3141).

A Towering Task: The Story of the Peace Corps

From the A Towering Task website:

“Founded during the Cold War, the Peace Corps stands as an icon of American idealism. From the beginning its mission of world peace and friendship proved to be a towering task. Imbued with the unbounded energy and vision of its charismatic leader, Sargent Shriver, and thousands of vigorous volunteers, the story of the Peace Corps is a uniquely American tale. From the political machinations to establish not just a brand new government agency, but a new concept in international relations, to the growing pains of an agency striving to define its mission, A Towering Task takes viewers on a journey of what it means to be a global citizen.”

The Peace Corps and Mano a Mano

The Peace Corps has been an important part of Mano a Mano; our co-founder Joan Velasquez was in the Peace Corps in Bolivia from 1967-1969, and she was awarded the Sargent Shriver Award for Distinguished Humanitarian Service for her work with Mano a Mano in 2008.

Mano a Mano co-founders Joan and Segundo Velasquez with the Sargent Shriver award.

Also, we have had many board members, staff, volunteers, and donors that participated in the Peace Corps; below are a few posts that highlight our connections to each other:

From left to right: Mano a Mano co-founder Segundo Velasquez, Mano a Mano Internacional Board Member Maria Blanca Velasquez, Susan Eyre, and Richard Eyre (RPCV-Bolivia).