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More Older Americans Signing On To Volunteer Abroad

Written by Stephanie Chen for CNN on April 23, this article talks about how a growing number of older Americans are spending time volunteering abroad. Peace Corps is attracting many of them, according to the article, and applications to join the Peace Corps have increased by 44 percent.

Lillian Carter, President Jimmy Carter's mother, is cited as one of the most famous examples of someone who has served as an older Volunteer--she went into the Peace Corps when she was 68.

Autumn Preble, 58 and a Peace Corps Volunteer in Botswana, is quoted in the article as saying, "I'm getting to experience what it's like to live in another culture, and that has a lot of value to me," According to Chen, Preble is known to those in her community in Botswana as Masego (Ma say ho), which means "many gifts." Says Preble, "This is the kind of travel that I'm interested in."