About Us

The Seattle Chapter

Chartered in 1971, the Seattle chapter of AMIGOS de las Americas is one of nearly thirty throughout the United States. Over the past 37 years, it has trained hundreds of young men and women to work in collaboration with Spanish and Portuguese-speaking communities in Latin America. Not surprisingly, our volunteers have returned to Seattle and other cities to continue a life of community service at home. While most of the Seattle area volunteers are high school students, Amigos also offers opportunities for college students or students outside of a chapter city through its correspondent volunteer program.

The Mission of Amigos

Fostering partnerships throughout the Americas

AMIGOS unites people from different cultures and countries to address community health and development needs. AMIGOS partners with international development agencies such as C.A.R.E., Save the Children, and Plan International as well as local community organizations and governmental organizations.

In Latin America, volunteers live and work collaboratively with community members for up to eight weeks on projects such as:

• Promoting Healthy Households: hygiene education, latrine construction, and the utilization of appropriate technology to find sensible, sustainable solutions to local problems (the building of fuel-efficient stoves, for example)
• Encouraging Youth Development: Working with Latin American youth to get them involved in making their community better

Prior to their summer abroad, AMIGOS volunteers contribute to their communities here in the Seattle area through community service during training. Some of the organizations with which Seattle volunteers have collaborated include El Centro de la Raza, Forgotten Children's Fund and New Futures (formerly known as Project LOOK).

Encouraging youth leadership

AMIGOS empowers youth to take leadership roles in planning programs, facilitating community involvement, and inspiring local youth to be active in community service. AMIGOS volunteers learn to make mature decisions and build relationship that enhance their effectiveness and personal development. Outstanding volunteers return to AMIGOS by serving as project staff in host countries, working on training teams, or serving as board members of local chapters.