Dear Friends and Family,

I am so excited to tell you about my plans to volunteer in Latin America this summer with Amigos de las Americas!

I will be volunteering with the Tierras Altas Project in Panama for 3 weeks. The overall project will focus on sustainable agricultural techniques used by locals in the Panamanian highlands.

Since its founding in 1965, AMIGOS has inspired more than 30,000 high school and college students to live a life of purpose as critically engaged citizens and leaders. Today, AMIGOS creates opportunities for young people to collaborate, design, and lead development projects based on the needs and desires of their host communities. To prepare, I am enrolled in an extensive AMIGOS training program with a group of other students from high schools up and down the South Bay and Peninsula. We are learning important skills in areas such as cultural sensitivity, community development practices, youth leadership, teaching young children, and how to protect my own health & safety. 

I was inspired to join Amigos after hearing friends rave about their experiences in Latin America. I make it a priority to seize each opportunity I have to expand my understanding past my small bubble in California. As a result, I am excited by the opportunity to travel somewhere new, meet new people, and taste new foods! My language skills will be challenged this summer, but as someone who aspires to be fluent in Spanish one day, this is a crucial step. I chose the Amigos program for it’s unique topics, such as environmental activism and cultural immersion, that are intertwined with fundamental themes of community service and social skills.

As a non-profit organization, AMIGOS relies on its participants to help raise funds each year to meet the costs of its programs. Your support will directly affect the work AMIGOS does and the community-based project that I will be working on this Summer. With your help, AMIGOS can transform us participants and our Latin American communities and have impact on both a local and a global level.

I would be very grateful for any level of support you can give. Just click on the Donate button above to donate online. Or, you can send a check made out to "Amigos de las Americas" and return it to me directly. 

Thank you so much for your support!

Sincerely,

Corinne 

P.S. As a 501(c)3 charity, your donation to Amigos de las Américas is tax-deductible. Many companies also offer matching funds for donations to nonprofits. Please consider matching your donation through your employer if that option is available to you