Earlier this week I was greatly sadden to hear that Sargent Shriver, at age 95, had died. Shriver was a public servant of the highest order. He dedicated his entire life to the betterment of people all over the world. He embodied the best of American values: service, idealism, equality and justice.
Shriver, an in-law of the Kennedy family, is best known as the founding director of then President Kennedy’s new global volunteer program the Peace Corps. The Peace Corps, quite possibly JFK’s greatest achievement, survived and thrived because of Shriver’s leadership and dedication to service and social justice. And 50 years later, the Peace Corps has helped millions of people around the world and instilled in generations of Americans a sense of idealism and service to others. In addition to the Peace Corps, Shriver also worked closely on President Johnson’s “War on Poverty”, which made the poor a national priority. Shriver helped to develop such instrumental programs and initiatives as Head Start, VISTA, Job Corps, Community Action, Upward Bound and the Special Olympics. These programs proved to be extremely successful, uplifting countless Americans by providing support and opportunities.
As a Peace Corps volunteer and a social worker, I am both thankful and inspired by Shriver’s lifelong quest to serve people and communities. He was a tireless advocate for the poor and disadvantaged and understood our collective responsibility to help others in need.
His spirit of service and justice lives on with the thousands of returned, current and future Peace Corps volunteers. It is a spirit that encourages us all to care for each other, regardless of nationality or circumstance. And it is with that spirit, working together, we can create a better more just world.
“The Peace Corps represents some if not all, of the best virtues in this society. It stands fro everything that America has ever stood for. It stands for everything we believe in and hope to achieve in the world.”
Sargent Shriver
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