The reason for the hold...

So this morning I called PCHQ and spoke with the Placement Manager - actually he is a Director, in charge of all of the volunteer placements. Luckily for me, he was nice enough to look into my questions - the ones I felt had not been answered on Friday.


As I have long suspected, they have been holding my application until the house has sold. I had previously been told that I could still get an invite with the condition that the house is sold/I am no longer responsible for it as of my departure date. But apparently they decided to wait until it sold to move forward, contrary to what I had previously been told.


Now this presents a few challenges. It is a bit of a chicken-and-egg matter.


Last week the Bank (capitalized on purpose) requested additional information on my circumstances, made sure the buyer and I signed a document stating that it was an arms-length transaction, etc etc etc. So things are progressing. I found out this morning that when they do approve the sale, they usually provide 30 days' notice to closing. I asked if it is possible to get something more expedited than 30 days. Say they approve it TODAY - that is the end of December before it closes, unless I can get an expedited close. That is past the deadline for me to get an invite for a February departure.


Now, the buyers are committed to this, from everything I can tell. They signed the additional documents and have inquired about purchasing the empty lot next door to my house. I am not worried about the buyers. I am obviously committed to this sale, so that is not a problem. It is another waiting game - waiting for the Bank.


That being said, I have assured them that the closing WILL occur before February.


I got an e-mail back from him a little while ago, where he said:

...basically it appears that we are waiting on your house sale to proceed. There is the option of a provisional legal clearance...we would move forward as if your house had sold, and that is something I will discuss with (Placement Officer) when she returns or with another Placement Officer if she is out for an extended time. Also, please be aware that we are a little short staffed right now and doing out best to assess and invite people as we can. I know that it is difficult to understand, but we deal with over 6000 applicants per year and I have very few number of staff to handle all the cases. But be assured that by the end of the week a Placement Officer will look at your file and begin working with you on the final items to make a final determination as to your possible invitation. Expect someone to be in touch this week.

I did thank him, and told him I am very mindful of their situation re: staffing, and that I had in fact waited quite a while before calling and only became concerned after speaking with the Placement Assistant and (this I did not say) feeling like I was not getting the "whole story."

This is, actually, another argument for increased funding for Peace Corps, but that is another discussion...

I do wonder what the final items to make a final determination are - they have my medical and dental clearance, legal background is done, updated resume, etc. Whatever else I need to do, I am willing to do to get this application moving and get that invite.

While I am relieved to have had his assistance, I do not recommend that everyone start calling PC about their applications. I did so because my timeline for a February departure is becoming very short. I also had a bit of a special circumstance to deal with re: my house. But prior to calling, I had previously waited quite a while for them to conduct their business.

More later, when I have more to tell...

What??

I think I have been doing a good job at being patient re: waiting for my invite. Reassuring myself that I am a great candidate - not only no medical problems but two grad degrees, 15 years of full-time work experience, did well on the French proficiency exam, etc. Trying to remind myself of how busy the Africa "desk" has been, what with pulling people out of Guinea, reassigning them, re-opening Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Madagascar. Reminding myself that I am not at the top of their priority pile, even if they are on the top of mine.

I'm getting frustrated.

Today I found out that another person with the exact same nomination as I have got a call on Wednesday - saw it on her blog (Mazel Tov Katy!). So I called my Placement and Assessment Assistant to check in on the status of my application. And found out that my Placement Specialist (aka Placement Officer) has been "unexpectedly out of the office for the past two weeks." Hmm. I told her I hope everything was okay with this person, but also mentioned how I thought she had called Katy the other day (I later found out that Katy was called by a different P.O. - somehow her file got transferred) and how I looked forward to hearing from her early next week.

No, she said. I should not expect to hear from her within the near future - not within the next three weeks.

Umm....

I pointed out that we are bumping up against the deadline for me to get an invite for a February departure. She then told me that if "I" missed the deadline, they would consider me for another position.

Wait a minute. If I missed the deadline? I've made all of their deadlines, with plenty of time to spare. I pointed this out and she clarified - if I did not get an invite in time. She also mentioned that they tend to go in order of when a person was medically cleared, and that may be why the other person got the invite already and I did not.

Now, wait a minute. I was medically cleared two weeks before said other person (Katy). But again, this was before I found out that it was another P.O. that called Katy.

She (Placement Assistant) assured me that my file was still "actively being considered" and that she would leave a note for the P.O. that I had called to check in.

So I'm frustrated. I feel utterly and totally powerless - I have done all they asked and been patient, waiting while other people with later nomination dates have gotten their invites. I feel like the Placement Assistant was not telling me something, and it is really heard to just keep waiting when "I" may miss the deadline for getting an invite - there must be something I can do?

I found a number for the Placement Manager on the PC Wiki and left that person a message. I am hoping that he will call me back on Monday...because I would really like to know whether I will be getting an invite for February, or if I need to change my plans because it will be delayed.

A new home for the kitties, mama's still waiting

Thanks to assistance from my friends, it looks like my kitties will soon have a new, loving home! A friend of a friend has recently moved back to the area and is closing on his house today, and he wants an "older" (why is nine years considered an old cat?! They live to 16 or so!) bonded pair. I talked to him for a while on the phone and could tell from the way he talked about the kitties he had to leave with his ex that he is going to be a good dad to my two loves. This has taken a big

weight off my shoulders - I was more worried about them being in a good home than about anything else. I've even made a couple of new friends because of this!

Speaking of other goings-on, the house sale seems to be moving along. My realtor sent in the information that the bank requested, and right now I'm waiting for them to move through their process. They provided a timeline that starts as of the day they get the completed information, and from the timeline it looks like I will likely close in mid to late December. Of course, the bank is the one who will make this call, but that's my estimate. After that, I am officially homeless, and a kind friend has offered me a room in her house until it is time to leave.

Leaving for the PC assignment, for which I am waiting for the invite, still. A lot of people have been receiving their invites for Jan-Feb-Mar 2010, but I am remaining patient because PC has had A LOT going on in Africa. I still have three months to February, and even though I would like to know now where I am going I am trusting the process, that I will soon hear from the Placement Officer. It is tempting to speculate based on the information on the PC Wiki, where people are posting their staging dates. I am trying to resist that temptation though!