Amigos de las Américas (or AMIGOS) is a nonprofit organization based in Houston, Texas dedicated to creating opportunities for young people to excel in leadership roles promoting public health, education, and community development throughout the Americas.

History

AMIGOS was founded in 1965 by Guy Bevil, Jr. Bevil served as the youth director for River Oaks Baptist Church in Houston and in that capacity took over 250 young Houstonians to Honduras by caravan with the intention of giving polio vaccinations. Out of that initial summer, what was known as Amigos de Honduras grew to become Amigos de las Américas.

Other founders recognized by AMIGOS are H. Kirby Atwood, Sr., Searcy Bracewell, Raymond Cook, Ed Frank, Jr., Carlos R. Hamilton, MD, Victor Huvelle, Mariann and John Marshall, Ed Morris, and Wilson J. Pais.

Today

Currently, the organization is officially non-religious and unaffiliated with any government. AMIGOS' primary function is holding summer programs in various countries, including Paraguay, Honduras, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Panama, and Mexico, in which high school and college-aged volunteers live with host families in rural villages for four to eight weeks. Volunteers are partnered with one or two other volunteers in carrying out health, education, and environmental programs, ranging from latrine construction to formation of youth groups to teaching HIV prevention and dental hygiene. The programs are carried out in partnership with host agencies, which have included Save the Children, Plan International , and the governments of the various countries above.

Each year, about 600 young people take part in AMIGOS' various Latin American programs.

Although the organization began in Houston, it now has chapters all over the United States, including three in the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento/Davis, Los Angeles, Santa Clara, San Diego, Portland, Seattle, Tucson, Albuquerque, Denver, Salt Lake City, Houston, Dallas, Austin, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Chicago, Kent, Ohio, Kansas City, Washington, DC, Boston, New York, and San José, Costa Rica.

External links

• Official website