Partnership with FEMA marks second time in Peace Corps’ 60-year history that agency has deployed volunteers in U.S.

Simmone Deane, 32, a 2010 graduate of Eastern Nazarene College and a former Peace Corps volunteer, has been accepted as a Peace Corps Response volunteer and will join the agency’s special domestic deployment to a FEMA-supported Community Vaccination Center (CVC) in the United States. Deane served with the Peace Corps previously in the Kingdom of Eswatini as a health extension volunteer and was among the nearly 7,000 volunteers serving when the agency globally evacuated in March 2020.

“After the global evacuation, I thought my journey with the Peace Corps had come to a very final end,” said Deane. “While I never imagined serving again, I still have a spirit of volunteerism and service. I see this special deployment as a call to action; it is within my ability to respond and do my part to positively affect the course of the pandemic and the lives of others.”

Peace Corps Response is a program that sends individuals with specialized experience to short-term service assignments. Deane is one among a group of Peace Corps Response volunteers who have been accepted for the deployment. This marks the second time in the agency’s history that Peace Corps Response volunteers will serve a domestic deployment at FEMA’s request—the first followed Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The three-month assignments reflect the agency’s commitment to President Biden’s call to service to combat the pandemic with a whole-of-government effort and mobilize all resources. The Peace Corps is placing an emphasis on assisting in communities with the greatest need, where populations are traditionally underserved.

“The Peace Corps works hand-in-hand with communities on their most pressing challenges, and right now the U.S. faces some of the biggest challenges in our country’s history,” said Peace Corps Acting Director Carol Spahn. “The volunteers who contribute to this effort will bring valuable cross-cultural experience, language skills and adaptability fostered during their time overseas as they contribute to an equitable vaccination campaign here at home.”

The Peace Corps began recruiting volunteers for this special domestic deployment after it was announced by the agency and FEMA on March 31. Peace Corps volunteers and Peace Corps Response volunteers who were given “completion of service” status in 2020 as part of the global evacuation due to COVID-19 are eligible to serve. Volunteers will be assigned to language support, administrative, logistical, and other work that supports the operation of FEMA-funded Community Vaccination Centers, but will not be administering the vaccine, nor will they engage in any other clinical work during their assignment.

The agency’s short-term contribution to the domestic response to COVID-19 will not alter its commitment to overseas service once conditions permit. Preparations for returning to overseas posts continue in parallel to this special assignment.

“Over the last fourteen months, we have all seen the depths of destruction and experienced loss in some form as a result of this pandemic,” said Deane. “This project holds extreme importance, because it serves as another puzzle piece toward betterment for everyone. There is no going back to life before COVID-19, but aiding in vaccination efforts is a place to start.”