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Become a Volunteer
If you will be 16 by September 1, 2009 and will have completed two years of Spanish language (or equivalent) by summer 2009 - you are eligible to become a volunteer with Amigos de las Americas in 2009! Recruiting continues through November 15. After November 15th contact the International Office in Houston. Please call Houston at the toll free number 1-800-231-7796, or check the web site at www.amigoslink.org. The final application dates are significantly later than the standard chapter dates (sometimes as late as Feb or March).
Each year about 30-40 new volunteers are selected to train for the summer program. Volunteers come from almost all the local high schools including Tam, Redwood, Drake, Terra Linda, San Rafael, San Marin, Novato, Marin Academy, Marin Catholic, St. Ignatius, University, Lowell, Drew, Urban and others. Volunteers must be 16 by September 1 of the summer they travel, have finished at least 2 years of high school, and have completed 2 years of high school Spanish or the equivalent. Anyone meeting these requirements is welcome to apply. Recruitment begins in the early fall when returned volunteers give informal presentations at their schools, most often to the Spanish classes. This is followed by a series of orientation sessions.
The Training Program
The Training Program is fairly intense and requires a mature, focused volunteer. We are looking for teens with good organizational skills who possess a desire to develop leadership qualities in the area of public health and community development. You must be 16 years of age by September 1st of the summer you travel, have completed 2 years of high school, and have at least two years of high school Spanish or the equivalent.
The Marin chapter strives to prepare volunteers as thoroughly as possible for all aspects of the AMIGOS summer by:
• providing training in Spanish
• working on the development of leadership and educational skills
• increasing cross cultural awareness and understanding
• providing hands on training for technical aspects of the
program
• helping volunteers to understand many of the challenges they will
face
• providing formats to discuss issues of development in Latin
America
• preparing volunteers for the most common illnesses in Latin
America
• providing volunteers first hand experience interacting with people of
Latin American heritage
This is accomplished through a series of parent meetings, volunteer meetings, Saturday workshops, and retreats which are usually attended both by the volunteer and one or both parents so that parents can be kept fully informed as to what is going on during the training process. Questions about training should be directed to the Training Director, Julia Mergendoller (415) 686-1312
Fundraising and Fees
AMIGOS volunteers participate in fund raising to cover a portion of the cost of this program. Volunteers receive extensive assistance with fund raising, and there is a family fee that is spread out over several months to make our program as affordable as possible. Some need-based scholarships are available to reduce the family payments. The funds that are raised go to cover the cost of the training program, domestic and international air fair, safety, in-country transportation, project materials, and program project staff in country. The Marin chapter holds various fund raisers during the year to help volunteers raise money, including grapefruit sales and a letter writing campaign. The grapefruit delivery is traditionally the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Fund raising is not directly credited to each volunteer. Instead, funds are pooled among all the volunteers. Each volunteer's fund-raising activities are tracked to ensure that volunteers are keeping up with this part of the program.
Our chapter is organized and supervised by a dedicated Board of Directors, consisting of parents of volunteers, veteran volunteers and interested professional staff. We hold regular meetings and anyone interested in becoming a board member is welcome and should contact the Board President, Rita Lawrence at (415) 525-9496.
Attendance Policy
Our philosophy is that volunteers will take responsibility for
their own training. Thus we assume that all volunteers are involved in
the training program because they want to be here and because they
understand its value in preparing them for the field
experience.
AMIGOS volunteers are required to attend all weekly meetings, weekend workshops, retreats, and other outside activities that occur during the course of the training year. Attendance must be priority over all other activities. If absence is unavoidable (a higher priority obligation as determined by Marin Amigos) the volunteer must contact the Training Director before the scheduled training session and promptly complete alternative training specified by the Training Director.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has...” -- Margaret Mead
