Peace Corps adding retirees to its volunteer ranks

By James Hannah The Associated Press in the Baltimore Sun DAYTON, Ohio - As a new member of the Peace Corps, Ralph Bernstein is trying to get used to the heat and humidity in the equatorial African nation of Ghana, the bone-jarring rides over unpaved roads and unsanitary conditions. It would be a challenge for volunteers in their 20s. Bernstein is 84. The Dayton man is the oldest current volunteer in the Peace Corps and part of a tidal wave of volunteers age 50 and older. The agency last year started a marketing strategy to try to capitalize on the trend of baby boomers looking for a nontraditional retirement. It is the first time the corps has targeted older volunteers as a group and on a national scale. Peace Corps 50+ Website