Frank and Ximena Huthnance joined the Peace Corps and left for Romania just 30 days after Frank retired. At 67, he now works in administration for Habitat for Humanity in Radauti, a small town near the Ukraine border. Ximena, 63, teaches English at a local high school.



Frank and Ximena Huthnance joined the Peace Corps and left for Romania just 30 days after Frank retired. At 67, he now works in administration for Habitat for Humanity in Radauti, a small town near the Ukraine border. Ximena, 63, teaches English at a local high school.

Retire to your dream job

By Kimberly Lankford
Kiplinger's Retirement Planning
Fall 2005

[Excerpt]

Time to give back

Caption: The Huthnances, in downtown Romania, savor the culture and low-cost living of their home abroad.

Frank and Ximena Huthnance lived throughout Latin America with their six children during his 36 years as an international banker. When he retired in July 2003, they were ready to see the world through a different perspective.

"We learned how important it is to have mutual understanding among cultures and for people in the developing world to have a goods image of America and Americans," says Frank. "We have been very fortunate during out 39 years of marriage and wanted to give something back and help others."

The couple joined the Peace Corps and left for Romania just 30 days after Frank retired. At 67, he now works in administration for Habitat for Humanity in Radauti, a small town near the Ukraine border. Ximena, 63, teaches English at a local high school.

In the year before their big career change, the couple prepared financially by paying off all their debt except their mortgage. They now rent out their house to cover those payments. The change ahs also helped them conserve their retirement savings. "As Peace Corps volunteers, we are expected to live in a modest manner similar to those whom we serve," he says. "The average wage here is $150 a month."

The Peace Corps pays the rent on their small apartment and gives them a stipend for daily expenses. "Our only expenses are food, electricity, water and heat. All of my social security income goes into a savings account in the U.S. We draw on that only for vacation trips. In the meantime, my 401(k) and other investments continue intact." And the Peace Corps provides medical coverage while on assignment. "That makes a tremendous difference," says Frank, especially since Ximena is too young to qualify for Medicare in the U.S. "Health insurance for her alone would have cost $750 a month."

The Huthnances will finish their two years of service in June, and Frank has another full-time job lined up for September. He'll be a management mentor for a nonprofit organization back home in the U.S. Ximena hopes to do volunteer work with children.

"The Peace Corps experience definitely expands employment opportunities for returning volunteers of all ages," he says. "Our service has been a revitalizing experience for us and made us realize that we don't want to stop working - ever!"

His advice to others: "The application process is long, especially for older candidates who have to go through innumerable medical tests and exams, so start the process a year in advance."

When this story was posted in June 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:



Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

The Peace Corps Library Peace Corps Online is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now available online. With over 30,000 index entries in 500 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related stories in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can find hundreds of stories about what RPCVs with your same interests or from your Country of Service are doing today. If you have a web site, support the "Peace Corps Library" and link to it today.

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American Taboo: A Peace Corps Tragedy Returned Volunteers met with author Philip Weiss in Baltimore on June 18 to discuss the murder of Peace Corps Volunteer Deborah Gardner. Weiss was a member of a panel that included three psychiatrists and a criminal attorney. Meanwhile, the Seattle U.S. Attorney's office announced that Dennis Priven cannot be retried for the murder. "We do not believe this case can be prosecuted by anyone, not only us, but in any other jurisdiction in the United States." Read background on the case here.

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June 16, 2005: Special Events Philip Weiss, PCV murder writer, speaks in Baltimore June 18 "Rainforests and Refugees" showing in Portland, Maine until June 25 "Iowa in Ghana" on exhibit in Waterloo through June 30 NPCA to hold Virtual Leaders Forum on July 29 RPCV's "Taking the Early Bus" at Cal State until Aug 15 "Artists and Patrons in Traditional African Cultures" in NY thru Sept 30 RPCVs: Post your stories or press releases here for inclusion next week.

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June 14: Peace Corps suspends Haiti program After Uzbekistan, the Peace Corps has announced the suspension of a second program this month - this time in Haiti. Background: The suspension comes after a US Embassy warning, a request from Tom Lantos' office, and the program suspension last year. For the record: PCOL supports Peace Corps' decision to suspend the two programs and commends the agency for the efficient way PCVs were evacuated safely. Our only concern now is with the placement of evacuated PCVs and the support they receive after interrupted service.

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June 6: PC suspends Uzbekistan program Peace Corps has announced that it is suspending the Uzbekistan program after the visas of 52 Peace Corps volunteers who arrived in January were not renewed. The suspension comes after a State Department warning that terrorist groups may be planning attacks in Uzbekistan and after the killings in Andizhan earlier in May. Background: PCOL published a report on April 23 that Peace Corps volunteers who arrived in January were having visa difficulties and reported on safety and visa issues in Uzbekistan as they developed.

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June 6, 2005: This Week's Top Stories Kinky Friedman will "sign anything except bad legislation" 6 Jun Niels Marquardt Makes Chimpanzee Protection a Priority 6 Jun Laurence Leamer needs approval for "Today" appearance 6 Jun Desperate Housewives' Ricardo Chavira is son of RPCVs 6 Jun Anthony Sandberg runs Berkeley sailing school 5 Jun Amy Smith field-tests sugarcane charcoal 5 Jun Mary Johnson organizes workshop on genocide 3 Jun Jonathan Lash in 100 most Influential Business Leaders 3 Jun Hastert jump-starts Chris Shays' Campaign 3 Jun John Coyne says 41 RPCVs applied for scholarships 3 Jun James Rupert writes on bombing in Kandahar mosque 1 Jun John McCain says to expand opportunities for service 1 Jun Jay Rockefeller's relationships with Japanese go way back 1 Jun Anat Shenker met her husband during service in Honduras 31 May Ryan Clancy punished without hearing for visiting Iraq 30 May Melissa Mosvick remembered as a fallen American hero 29 May Kurt Carlson played basketball against Togo's national team 29 May Helen Thomas's favorite president remains JFK 24 May

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Friends of the Peace Corps 170,000 strong 170,000 is a very special number for the RPCV community - it's the number of Volunteers who have served in the Peace Corps since 1961. It's also a number that is very special to us because March is the first month since our founding in January, 2001 that our readership has exceeded 170,000. And while we know that not everyone who comes to this site is an RPCV, they are all "Friends of the Peace Corps." Thanks everybody for making PCOL your source of news for the Returned Volunteer community.

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