PEORIA, IL— Peoria Riverfront Museum in collaboration with the Peace Corps are hosting a Peace Corps Expo this Saturday, August 17 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Local Peace Corps volunteers will be gathering in a celebration of their service to educate museum visitors about the organization.

Event participants can visit with local Peace Corps veterans and recruiters, hear their stories, talk with them about where they served and how service impacted their lives. Volunteers will bring artifacts from their service along with videos about Peace Corps service around the world. Countries that will be represented at the event include India, Bolivia, Nevis, Ghana, Paraguay, Fiji, Cameroon, Nigeria, Mali, Morocco, Jamaica, Burkina, Faso and Bulgaria.

Rok Teasley, a recruiter for Peace Corps’ Midwest Region who is coordinating the event, served as a volunteer in Moldova from 2005 to 2008.

“These returned volunteers can testify to how Peace Corps makes a difference in the communities served, in the lives of the volunteers who experience a life-changing adventure, and in the U.S.,” Teasley said. “They’re putting the skills they gained overseas to use in jobs and volunteer assignments in Peoria, while inspiring the next generation of volunteers.”

About the Peace Corps: Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps by executive order on March 1, 1961, more than 210,000 Americans have served in 139 host countries. Today, 8,073 volunteers are working with local communities in 76 host countries in agriculture, community economic development, education, environment, health and youth in development. Peace Corps volunteers must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years of age. Peace Corps service is a 27-month commitment and the agency’s mission is to promote world peace and friendship and a better understanding between Americans and people of other countries. Visit www.peacecorps.gov for more information.