In this Issue
Amizade Celebrates 10 Years of Service
In 1992, Amizade founder Dan Weiss participated in a
volunteer program in Brazil. There, a tiny seed of an
idea took root. Local residents mentoring at-risk youth
and providing medical care did not have permanent
quarters. They were working in fragile straw huts which
usually did not survive the rainy season.
"I was trying to figure out a way to continue helping
the people I met," said Weiss, who currently directs the
Amazon Africa Aid Organization. "I noticed what they
needed most were buildings and classrooms."
Weiss founded Amizade (Portuguese for friendship) in
August 1994. He ran the organization's first program
in Santarem, Brazil in 1995. "We built an orthopedic
shoe and prosthetics workshop, and it still ranks as one
of the best programs we've ever had," Weiss
said. "After that, everything fell into place."
Today, much of Amizade's focus remains centered on
construction projects that benefit our community
partners around the globe. From an
orphanage in Bolivia to replanting trees and crops in
hurricane-ravaged Jamaica, Amizade is committed to
identifying projects that lead to sustainable
development and economic growth for disadvantaged
communities.
Learn more about Amizade's partnerships in Brazil
Quick Links
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Greetings!
2005 marks Amizade's 10th anniversary, providing us an
opportunity to reflect on the accomplishments of the
past decade and prepare for the years ahead. We have
had the great fortune of working with many dedicated
people through our community partnerships and service
programs. Building on our
core values, we are preparing for the future by
expanding our partnerships, offering more volunteer
opportunities, starting outreach campaigns and
donation programs. We invite you to stay involved as
we continue this important work, and look toward our
20th anniversary.
Sincerely,
Michael Sandy, Executive Director
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Amizade to Lead Anniversary Program in Brazil
Over the past 10 years, Amizade has grown from
humble beginnings into an international, non-profit
organization that directly supports community
development projects and provides volunteer and
service-learning programs in 10 countries around the
world.
Since its inception, some 2,000 volunteers from
teenagers to senior citizens, have contributed more
than 100,000 hours of service in communities in Brazil,
Bolivia, Ghana, Jamaica, Tanzania, Germany, Poland,
Australia, Northern Ireland and the United States.
With new community partnerships being explored, and
cooperative agreements between colleges and
universities
for expanded service-learning programs,
Amizade is looking ahead to the next 10 years. To
celebrate, we're leading an anniversary program to the
city where it all began in Santarem, Brazil, in July. If
you have never had the opportunity to volunteer
abroad and make a difference, what better time
than now to acquaint yourself with Amizade? In the
words of founder Dan Weiss, "What truly makes for a
valuable volunteer experience is getting to know the
local people and being engaged in the culture. You
can't do that when you are on a simple vacation."
Executive Director Michael Sandy said pairing
meaningful volunteer experiences with locally-identified
community service projects remain Amizade's top
priority. "We work to form community partnerships
where they are most needed, so that they become
catalysts for future development in areas including
healthcare, education and the local economy."
Volunteer in Brazil and elsewhere »
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| Amizade Launches Donation Campaign
In order to continue and expand our valuable work for
another 10 years, Amizade is launching new individual
and corporate donation campaigns. Your tax-deductible
contribution provides direct support of our community-
based partnerships and educational programs in
communities around the world. There are a variety of
ways to donate. You can: Set up regular monthly
contributions via PayPal on
our web site; Make contributions by mail; Donate in
honor or memory of a friend; Make a contribution as an
alternative holiday gift.
Donations can be earmarked for the "General Needs"
fund, which helps us develop and expand community
partnerships; the "Amizade Scholarship" fund, which
promotes cross-cultural opportunities for financially less
fortunate people; a specific "Community Partnership,"
such as Bolivia, Brazil, Jamaica, or Tanzania; or
the "Amizade Endowment," which supports our efforts
well into the future.
With our supporters in mind, we have established
individual and corporate levels of giving ranging from
$25 to $10,000. Though we have never asked for
donations in the past, we have a goal of raising
$10,000 by the end of 2005 to expand community
partnerships and create more opportunities for cultural
understanding.
Through the generosity of our loyal supporters and
alumni, we believe we can achieve this goal.
We invite you to visit the reconfigured donor page on
our web site and consider ways in which you can help
us realize our vision of a world where people share
experiences and understanding. We thank you for your
support and hope you will remember Amizade in
charitable contributions throughout the year.
Your contribution goes a long way »
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| Be an Ambassador for Amizade
At Amizade, we consider our alumni and supporters
valuable assets. Positive word of mouth can be the
most helpful tool we have in spreading information
about our programs and the life-changing experiences
volunteers report time and again. For 2005, we have a
goal of tripling the number of names on our mailing lists.
To accomplish this, we are inviting you to participate in
a new "Amizade Ambassador Program."
It's easy to get involved. All you have to do is tell a
friend, or two, about our organization and ask them to
sign up for our free electronic newsletter, press
releases, promotional materials and other items.
You can also help spread the word about Amizade by
displaying our posters or promotional materials around
your office, dorm or lunchroom; or on community
bulletin boards in libraries, coffee shops, schools, book
stores and other public places.
We invite you to visit new links on our web page and fill
out the attached response forms to learn how you can
stay actively involved with all of our efforts. We hope
you will find it worthwhile to share your positive
experiences and be an "Ambassador" for Amizade.
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