Keeping the peace in Hood House

Tucked in the corner of Hood House, Edward Dalton is helping students discover the world. Several posters hang from the wall with catchy phrases like "Never have to start sentences with I should've" and "Life is calling, how far will you go?"

Edward Dalton, a UNH Peace Corps representative, is prompting UNH community members into Peace Corps service. Dalton lights up as he begins his story of creating the first yearbook for a small grade school in Belize, only one of the projects he accomplished during the 27 months he served with the Peace Corps.

"I could go on and on and on. When people start asking me about it my wife says she can't shut me up," Dalton says with a chuckle. Dalton and his wife, Sharon, spent 2005 and 2006 in Belize. They worked in a small village and lived among the villagers.

Dalton planned to meet with the nervous mother of a recruit. This is not part of the required interview for Peace Corps recruits, but Dalton has volunteered to help ease the fear many parents feel as their son or daughter decides to venture off to the other side of the world.

"Having Ed Dalton as an older recruiter definitely has its benefits," wrote Susanne Delaney, the recruitment coordinator at the New England Regional Peace Corps office, in an e-mail. "Although this recruitment office is located on the UNH college campus and Ed's focus audience are the young college students, Ed also attracts mid-career professionals and 50-plus candidates into applying to the Peace Corps."

Dalton became the Peace Corps representative at UNH in September 2007, nearly a year and a half after he and his wife returned from their service with the Peace Corps in Belize.

After Dalton and his wife returned home, he hoped to continue his help in some way or another. Dalton attended send-off gatherings and talked with future volunteers. He remembered being intrigued by the position of recruiter at his own Peace Corps interview.

"I thought, 'gee, that'd be a great job to have,'" said Dalton.

Dalton looked at different opportunities but nothing seemed to pan out. Then last fall, the opening at UNH came to his attention.

"There are so few of these positions around," Dalton said. "It's sort of what I call a 'meant-to-be.'"

Since UNH's student body ranked among a higher interest for middle-size universities, the university held a position open for a recruiter. This position is not found on every campus.

"The University of New Hampshire moved up four spots this year on the Peace Corps' 25 list of medium-sized schools producing Peace Corps volunteers. With 27 alumni currently serving as Peace Corps volunteers, the University of New Hampshire is now ranked No. 14," Delaney said. "Since the Peace Corps' inception, 615 alumni of the University of New Hampshire have joined the ranks, making it the No. 64 producer of volunteers of all time."

Along with holding monthly meetings in the Memorial Union Building for students and community members interested in Peace Corps service, Dalton conducts the initial interview for applicants.

After the New England Peace Corps Regional Office has received all of the applicants' information, Dalton is notified and sets up an interview. He says he looks for motivation, flexibility and commitment in candidates for Peace Corps service.

Dalton places the Our Lady of Lourdes 2006 yearbook on the table alongside brochures and books provided by the Peace Corps as he prepares for a Wednesday night meeting in the Memorial Union Building.

The size of the audience varies with the months, and the stormy weather of the night has kept all but two students in their dorm rooms. But Dalton brings the same enthusiasm he offered in a meeting last fall where nearly 20 students crowded into the same room. He begins by sharing stories of his and Sharon's days working for the Peace Corps while in the small village of Maskall, Belize. Their primary project was helping local woodcarvers and artists form organizations. But it is when Dalton talks about their side projects that he truly gets going.

Dalton and his wife noticed many of the children did not go home for lunch each day at school. When they realized these children had no food to eat, he and his wife began organizing a food project.

"We were planning all these literacy and computer activities and some students didn't have enough food," said Sharon Dalton. "Our goal became clear: how can we find a way to make sure all children have one meal everyday?"

Eventually, they were able to get around $300 a month for food and help to provide tables for the children to sit at while they ate. When the couple visited Belize last summer, they were thrilled to see the continuation of their program.

While Dalton created the school's first yearbook, Sharon also organized donations of nearly 3,000 books to the school library. These unscheduled projects provided Dalton with the most joy.

"They loved us and we loved them…it lights up your heart," Dalton said referring his relationship with the villagers.

Dalton holds monthly meetings in room 338 at the Memorial Union Building and can also be found in room 5 at Hood House. For more information on meetings and recruitment, visit www.peacecorps.gov and click on "Find Local Events."