In this Issue
Celebrate Long-term Living: May is Older Americans Month
To recognize and honor the valuable contributions of
older people in their communities, the U.S.
Administration on Aging has designated May as "Older
Americans Month" with the theme "Celebrate Long-
Term Living." Older people are living longer and staying
healthier and more active much later in life. Indeed,
retirees are some of the
most active volunteers at Amizade and other nonprofit
organizations.
About half of our volunteers are age 55 and up. They
include retired and semi-retired teachers, nurses,
physicians, construction workers, business owners and
others, who have shared a variety of skills and lifetime
knowledge on a range of projects including tutoring
children at the Navajo Nation, building community
centers, orphanages and medical facilities in Brazil and
Bolivia and restoring historic cabins and outposts in
Montana.
Amizade provides an array of volunteer
programs -- short- to long-term, domestic to
international -- which offer numerous ways for retirees
to combine exciting travel opportunities with rewarding
community service. And, several studies have shown
that volunteering can help older people lead more
fulfilling lives. For example, a 1998 University of
Michigan study showed that people with "many social
contacts" have a tendency to live longer than people
who are isolated.
In celebration of Older Americans Month, we applaud
the accomplishments of our older volunteers. If you
have finally won the right to pursue relaxation and
travel as part of your retirement, we invite you to
consider the lasting benefits of sharing your time,
talent and wisdom through volunteering.
Read more about older Americans' contributions
Quick Links
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Greetings!
Amizade has many exciting volunteer opportunities this
summer! Whether you want to volunteer at an
orphanage in Bolivia, work with the forestry service in
Montana, build a center for street children in Brazil or
experience the unique aboriginal culture in Australia,
Amizade has something for you. Volunteer as a family,
a church group, a school organization or an individual.
We can customize programs for any size group, and we
can tailor long term placements for volunteers in a
number of countries. Contact us for specific program
information. We have something for everyone!
Sincerely,
Brenda Amand, Program Registrar
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Celebrate Amizade's 10th Anniversary: Build a Community Center for Children in Brazil
Volunteers on our 10th Anniversary program July
10-24 in Santarem, Brazil will work with
partner organizations - Amazon-African Aid
Organization (3AO), Fundacao Esperanca, and Pastoral
do Menor - to improve the education, health,
welfare and economic viability of communities and
residents.
Amizade founder and director of 3AO, Dan Weiss, said
volunteers will help build a community center for the
Pastoral do Menor. The center will house three
classrooms, a kitchen, and a meeting room which will
be used for educating youth at-risk, providing food for
needy children, counseling and a variety of other
social, educational, and recreational services for some
200 families. "We need able-bodied people ages 12-99
to help with this project," Weiss said. (Those under age
18 must be accompanied by an adult.)
Because poverty, inadequate housing, poor health and
nutrition and a failing educational system are prevalent
throughout Santar=E9m, volunteers have an incredible
opportunity to make change. "The overburdened
educational system is inefficient in its ability to educate
the children of Santar=E9m," Weiss said. "Teachers
receive the minimum salary (US $90 per month), and
most of them only have a primary school education.
Children are in school for only four hours a day, and
there are few extracurricular activities."
Previous volunteers gave the program high marks in
terms of housing, food,
interaction with staff and overall experience. As one
volunteer said: "The crew and the children we worked
with were amazing. We were able to see different
aspects of the culture and learned so much. I will
truly miss the friends I made there." Several openings
remain on the program, scheduled July 10-24 at a cost
of $1,425.
Volunteer in Brazil in July »
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Experience and Protect Aboriginal Culture in Queensland, =
Australia
Amizade's programs in Queensland, Australia immerse
volunteers in one of the oldest and most enduring
cultures on Earth -- that of the Aborigines. Having
faced prejudice and oppression for centuries, Aboriginal
art and culture is now experiencing a worldwide
renaissance, and volunteers are invited to be a part of
these important efforts.
Amizade partners with Korrawinga, an
Aboriginal community located just outside the rapidly-
expanding city of Hervey Bay. The Korrawinga are
dedicated to promoting Aboriginal culture by providing
residents with better opportunities for economic self-
sufficiency. Service projects take place on the Scrub
Hill Community Farm, and each project is designed to
provide small business opportunities for community
members, as well as a unique perspective on Aboriginal
life for volunteers. Volunteers help
construct a community center and maintain an organic
garden, tree nursery and nature trail -- all designed for
teaching children and tourists about arts, crafts, dance
and history of the Aboriginal people. Volunteers also
work with local artisans in a soap shop created
several years ago when the farm began producing its
own essential oils.
Known internationally for the best humpback whale
watching in the world, Hervey Bay has much to offer
visitors. From golden beaches, zoos, museums and
water sports, there is no shortage of things to do and
see. But in working with the Korrawinga, Amizade
volunteers experience more than the typical tourist.
Efforts continue in Aboriginal communities to preserve
and promote their own music, art and traditions.
Amizade volunteers directly contribute to these and
other important goals. Several openings remain on our
Australia program scheduled for Aug. 7-21 at a cost of
$1,800. We invite you to consider the possibilities.
Discover Hervey Bay »
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Don't Miss These Exciting Summer Volunteer Programs
Tanzania (Karagwe District)
Help Construct an AIDS Orphanage, Mentor Children
and Contribute to Health Education
July 22 - Aug. 10
$2,470
Bolivia (Cochabamba)
Construct a High School, Care For and Teach Orphans,
Assist the Elderly and Disabled
July 25 - August 8
$1,350
Montana (Gardiner Ranger District)
Renovation of a Backcountry Forest Service Cabin in
Gallatin National Forest
July 31 - August 6
Aug. 7-13
$530
Montana (Greater Yellowstone Back Country Program)
Construction and Renovation of Historic Cabins and
Other Structures
Oct. 2 - Oct. 8
$530
Download Volunteer Program Applications »
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