Welcome to CORVA

--a non-profit organization of returned Peace Corps volunteers in the Columbus, Ohio metropolitan area that serves as the local representative of the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA).

We are a 501(C)3 organization dedicated to connecting people from other countries to each other through service and conversation.                        

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 ***Contact us at 

corvapc@yahoo.com

Like us on Facebook

*2026 Meetings and Events*

Events will be added and updated

January 22, 2026 (Thurs) - Come from Away - 7 pm at the Garden Theater, Short North Stage SOLD OUT- Even though this particular night is sold out, go see this show if you can. It goes through Feb.15 "The true story of 7,000 stranded airline passengers and the small town in Newfoundland...When 38 planes are diverted to the tiny town of Gander on 9/11." You can purchase tickets ahead at Capa.org.

February 22, 2026 (Sun)- Potluck @ Anne Nelson's house @ 1 - 4 pm Address is sent in the Evite. Bring a dish to share and ideas for future activities

March 2, 2026 (Mon) Ohio State 65th Peace Corps/America 250 Celebration 3-5 pm.  Ohio Statehouse Atrium. Commemorate the 65th anniversary of Peace Corps at this statewide event. Keynote speaker: Bob Taft. Appetizers will be served. After the event, meet at 5:30 at Spaghetti Warehouse, 150 S. High St. roughly a 1/2 a block from the Statehouse. The happy hour prices for appetizers and drinks go until 6:00 at the restaurant's bar.  

April 12 (Sun.) -Central Ohio Peace Corps and IVO Cultural Event "Peace Begins with Me" 1:30 -4 pm.- Martin Luther King Library, 1467 E. Long St. Columbus. 1:30 -4 pm. A Greater Columbus Cherry Blossom Festival Event. Create a Peace Puppet, Cherry Blossom Peace Fan, a Peace Pole, and enjoy exhibits, dancing, calligraphy, music and more.

April 14, 2026. (Tues) Send Off Party for Volunteers Accepted into Peace Corps Service. Yay!!! 65 years of Peace Corps! Held at the 4- H Center on the OSU campus at 2201 Fred Taylor Dr., Columbus. Details to follow. 

May 20, 2026. (Wed.) Dinner Out - Yemini Restaurant. 6 pm Enjoy conversations with fellow RPCVs and authentic cuisine from Yemen. Check out the menu. 

June 26-28,2026 (Fri.-Sun) ComFest Watermelon Booth Sign up for one or two shifts. This is CORVA's number one fundraiser.

July 4,2026 (Sat) DooDah Parade Participate in the parade that starts and ends at Goodale Park. The parade goes though streets in Victorian Village and down High Street in the Short North. Help decorate a car, bring a sign, wear Peace Corps related attire and help pass out candy to celebrate 65 years of Peace Corps.

August 30, 2026 (Sun) Annual Meeting and Potluck. 4-7 pm Bring a dish to share. At Peter and Matina Ross's house. Address is sent in the Evite.

CORVA Watermelon Booth at COMFEST update! Comfest continues to be a huge success!

To date we've had a great time FUNdraising almost $60,000 since 2001, just sellin' melon!

Thanks to the efforts of those who helped out with the watermelon booth this past June! 

A big thanks to Janice Hoegrefe who takes on the feat of organizing the booth each year.

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!SPEAKER NEEDS!

Want to pursue that ‘third goal’ of Peace Corps by sharing your experience with OSU students, staff, and faculty? Some events may be general in scope while others may focus on your program area of service. 

Contact the Peace Corps Recruiter Valerie Fronczak, RPCV Malawi at Ohio State if you can help with speaking engagements and recruiting events. 

phone: 614-292 3008; email: peacecorps@osu.edu 

OSU RANKED AMONG TOP PEACE CORPS PRODUCING UNIVERSITIES IN 2019!!

Read more here.

 

What We Do

Carry out the third goal of Peace Corps:

--Bringing the World Back Home by...

• Guest speak in schools, civic organizations and Peace Corps recruiting functions.
• Raise money for various local and overseas projects that help fulfill the goals of Peace Corps, i.e., to help people become self-sufficient and able to excel wherever they may live.
• Meet to offer support to newly returned volunteers and friendship to former volunteers who live in central Ohio. Meetings are either a potluck at a CORVA member's house or a dinner out at an ethnic restaurant.
• Help spread the word about National Peace Corps Association and Peace Corps advocacy.

Peace Corps and CORVA in the News!

Valerie Fronzcak, (RPCV Malawi and Peace Corps Recruiter), Jamie Rhein (RPCV The Gambia), and Brittany Baker (RPCV Cambodia) were interviewed and featured in this May 13, 2024, article. 

Columbus Dispatch article on Peace Corps and Ohio State University Recruiting.

**Peace Corps Connect**

CORVA is also affiliated with the

National Peace Corps Association  (NPCA)

 The National Peace Corps Association " upholds Peace Corps ideals and supports Peace Corps-inspired initiatives."

**Make Membership Official***

Put a small amount of money to major good use and take action 

To join NPCA (with a link that allows you to join CORVA, click here.

NPCA dues are free but up your level for a copy of World View magazine.

CORVA dues are a suggested $15, also for a year. CORVA dues cover cost of the CORVA website.

The Peace Corps Week

March 1-5, 2026

Peace Corps Week commemorates President John F. Kennedy’s establishment of the agency on March 1, 1961, and celebrates the way that Peace Corps makes a difference at home and abroad. As we begin a new decade, we look to the future. This Peace Corps Week, we invite the world to celebrate the ways our host communities and Volunteers are innovating for the world of tomorrow.

Ways to join and celebrate during Peace Corps Week.

Support Peace Corps at the national level by taking action to protect Peace Corps funding.

Click link to see how.

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Support CORVA's Projects. Buy a calendar and sell calendars.

The calendars are a project of the Returned Peace Corps group in Madison, WI. If you are in Columbus, you may be able to buy one at World Peaces Fair Market which is owned by a former RPCV. 100% of the proceeds from the sale here will go to fund an orphanage in Bolivia.

Money we raise from calendar sales is also used for Peace Corps partnership projects. The address of World Peaces is 15 W Dunedin Rd, Columbus, OH 

Drop us a Line

We're eager to hear from you, particularly if you have just returned to central Ohio from your Peace Corps service.

Also, if you would like us to provide your organization with one or more guest speakers-- or if we can help you with your own make the world a better place endeavors, let us know.

Unique corners of the world are our specialty.

Click here to send us a message.