More than 80 different Peace Corps volunteers from the Pacific Northwest contributed their stories, pictures, and collected objects to the Oregon Historical Society’s (OHS) current exhibit, Peace Corps: 50 Years of Service and Bringing the World Home. Launched in 1961 by U.S. President John F. Kennedy, the goal of the Peace Corps is to channel the energy and intelligence of America’s young adults to aid foreign countries.

While other events celebrating the program’s anniversary are taking place across America, OHS marketing communications specialist Rachel Butler speculates the historical society’s commemorative exhibit is one of the most extensive. That’s not hard to believe. Both floor and wall space in the exhibit are packed with pictures, stories, and artifacts that bring to life the time residents of Oregon and Washington spent abroad in countries such as Pakistan, Nepal, Korea, Thailand, and India.

Their anecdotes range from humorous recollections about weird food and interacting — sometimes awkwardly — with locals to more intense memories of isolation, sickness, and death. Opinions of the time spent volunteering abroad run the full spectrum, but no one returned to America unchanged.

Creating such an extensive exhibit is no small task. Butler admits the yearlong process was a challenge, especially organizing the materials loaned by the volunteers. "We had more items brought in than we could fit in our display," she says, "and so much information."

When asked about her favorite piece, she moves quickly across the museum to a glass display case containing a large black and purple headdress from Cameroon.

"The woman who submitted this for display said it used to have powers," says Butler, explaining that it has since been retired, so it’s okay to display.

Butler believes that the tangible quality the volunteer-submitted materials give the exhibit is the reason it stands out, explaining, "It’s rare to see all these stories and artifacts in one place."

In the foyer just outside the exhibit space, former Peace Corps volunteers Nicole Dino and Laura Kutner stand behind a plastic folding table with a stack of empty, disassembled egg cartons. Fellow Peace Corps volunteer Todd Guren and his three-year-old son Joel sit on a plastic tarp spread over the museum floor. Father and son take turns packing dirt and pouring water around seeds they planted in the carton.

"We originally wanted to make a garden out of recycled tires," Kutner explains, motioning to the space, "but that would have been a little ambitious." She and Dino explain that gardening is something most Peace Corps volunteers end up doing during their time abroad.

Every other Sunday for the duration of the exhibit, OHS is offering interactive programs to supplement the information presented in the display.

"It helps to bring the exhibit alive," Kutner says, gesturing to the floor where the Gurens continue packing seeds into their miniature herb garden. Upcoming activities include an Earth Day event, a presentation co-hosted by Stumptown Coffee, and more.

Peace Corps: 50 Years of Service and Bringing the World Home is on display through June 19 at the Oregon Historical Society Museum, located at 1200 S.W. Park Avenue in Portland. For more information about the exhibit and special Sunday events, call (503) 222-1741 or visit <www.ohs.org>.