Document Actions

How to Become a Volunteer

Two Paths to Becoming an AMIGOS Volunteer

Your first step to becoming an AMIGOS Volunteer is to determine whether you live near a local chapter by looking at our Chapter List. If there is a chapter nearby, you should contact it for application information. If you do not live near a chapter, then you'll be applying and training as a Correspondent Volunteer (CV).

What's the difference?

Become a Volunteer Through Your Local Chapter

High school students who live in a chapter city should participate through their local chapter. Each year, about 80% of AMIGOS Volunteers participate through chapters. 

  • Chapters are separately incorporated nonprofit organizations that are managed by a local board of directors and connected to the AMIGOS International Office through a license agreement. 
  • Chapter boards are dedicated local adult volunteers who oversee recruiting, training, fundraising and parent support. Most board members have served as an AMIGOS Volunteer or Volunteer parent. 
  • Due to this local support network, chapter Volunteers and their families generally receive more extensive training, fundraising support and personal attention, while building relationships with others in their community.  
  • Chapter Volunteers train as a group. Each chapter has its own application deadline in the fall.

For more info on volunteering through a chapter, visit the Chapter List Page and contact your local chapter for more information.

Become a Correspondent Volunteer

The CV Program is geared toward college-age students and high school students who live outside of a chapter city.  

  • The CV Program is operated out of the AMIGOS International Office in Houston with long distance support provided by full-time staff.
  • CVs participate in a three-day training in the gateway city (Houston or Miami) immediately prior to their departure for Latin America.  
  • The CV Program requires a high degree of personal discipline, as local training, fundraising and parent support networks are not available. 

For more info on becoming a Correspondent Volunteer, see the Correspondent Volunteer pages.

What about costs?

  • An International Office Participation Fee is paid or fund-raised for each Volunteer.
  • Chapters conduct group and local community fundraising activities to lower the direct cost to the Volunteer.  In addition to International Office Participation Fee expenses, chapters cover the costs of: Volunteers’ domestic airfare, extensive advance training, and local support. 
  • Each chapter has a budget that sets the chapter’s Family Participation Fee based on group fundraising capabilities and local economic conditions. The Family Participation Fee for chapter Volunteers is less than $3,000, and chapters provide scholarship support to reduce that cost for low-income families.
  • CVs either pay or individually fundraise $4,600 that is paid directly to the International Office. Learn more.

We would love to hear from you!
AMIGOS Voices

“Ironically, I was in a small town in the middle of Mexico and speaking in a foreign language when I found that people really listened to what I had to say and respected my opinions. They saw me as an equal, despite my age and my, at times, shaky Spanish skills.”

–Melissa Tran, Veteran Volunteer