AMIGOS Suspends 2020 Summer Programs And The Spring Gap Program Due To Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic

HOUSTON, March 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --

Dear AMIGOS community,

I write today deeply saddened to share that, for the first time in our 55-year history, we have made the difficult decision to suspend all 2020 AMIGOS Summer Programs and the Spring Gap Program in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Out of concern for the health and safety of our volunteers, staff, host community members, and everyone in the AMIGOS family, we believe we must act boldly to limit and slow the spread of this virus.

The vision of AMIGOS is a world where all people are lifelong leaders sharing responsibility for our global community. Faced with the growing COVID-19 pandemic, we have come to the conclusion that the most responsible course of action for our global community is to suspend program operations. This decision was made after careful deliberation with our Board of Directors and Medical Director and based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the U.S. Department of State, and the World Health Organization (WHO).

AMIGOS was founded on the belief that young people can change the world. In our very first summer, a group of teenagers traveled to rural Honduras to help fight the growing polio epidemic. Since that time, AMIGOS has evolved along with our increasingly global society. We have focused efforts on rabies vaccinations, hygiene projects, safe kitchen stoves, and so much more. Today, we inspire and build leaders through authentic service and immersion experiences in collaboration with partner agencies and communities throughout Latin America. We do not take this work lightly. And we are immensely grateful and proud of the relationships we have cultivated over 55 years with our partner organizations and friends in Latin America. We would not be here without their support and we look forward to collaborating with them in the future.

In the coming hours and days, we will reach out to current volunteers, project staff, partner agencies, and our chapter network to communicate next steps and to offer support. In the coming weeks and months, we will work to strengthen our organization for the future. We will engage with our alumni and volunteers to be of service to each other and to our global community. And we will ensure that AMIGOS is able to build friendships across borders for decades to come.

If I have learned anything during my time with AMIGOS, it is that when we work together, we can tackle even the world's toughest challenges. And in that collaboration, there is hope.

Warmly, Sara Nathan
President & CEO,
AMIGOS

About Amigos de las Américas (AMIGOS) Amigos de las Américas (AMIGOS) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1965. AMIGOS provides safe and authentic volunteer and immersion programs in Latin America for young people ages 13 to 22. Volunteers get the opportunity to explore a new country, learn Spanish, bond with their host family, and make a positive impact by working on a community service project side by side with local peers and community partners. Our relationships with local and international organizations — built over 55 years — enable collaborative engagement in communities across the region.

Media Inquiries April Hearne
[email protected]
(713) 782-5290 ext. 103

To view this statement on our website, go to amigosinternational.org/la_carta/2020-coronavirus-program-suspension

SOURCE AMIGOS