International Office

Amigos de las Américas began in 1965 as a summer project of a Houston church group to immunize people against communicable diseases in remote areas of Honduras. In the fall of 1965, AMIGOS was incorporated in the State of Texas as a nonsectarian, not-for-profit, educational-charitable organization. Since then, AMIGOS has trained over 19,000 high school and college age students for community service, exploration and learning. The international office is still located in Houston, Texas, and can be reached at its web site www.amigoslink.org.
AMIGOS is funded entirely by contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations. AMIGOS neither solicits nor accepts money from the United States government. Volunteers and their families raise the money to participate in the program with the help of chapter leaders. AMIGOS is recognized under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code as a charitable/educational organization. AMIGOS is audited annually by an independent accounting firm. These audited financials and annual reports are available upon request. Donations to AMIGOS are tax-deductible to the limits allowed by law.
AMIGOS is a member of Independent Sector, NAFSA: Association of International Educators, InterAction, and IVPA: International Volunteer Programs Association. In 1977, AMIGOS became the only youth group of its kind to formalize a relationship with the Pan American Health Organization, a relationship which continues today. AMIGOS is accredited by the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel.