My life-changing experience

I volunteered with AMIGOS in 2000 in a small community between Neiba and Barahona. I lived with two other high school volunteers from the USA in a small, rural community. We stayed with host families and volunteered with the school and helped to get a project started that would create a communal park space for children to play. The program was 8 weeks long and very hot and dusty! The best thing was that the people were so nice and loving, like our own families. Even though the power went off frequently, the bachata, merengue, and salsa music never stopped flowing! Since then, I've been inspired to volunteer with the Peace Corps and eventually become a Spanish teacher. I still volunteer with AMIGOS, but as a trainer for volunteers preparing to go abroad, and as a board member with my local chapter. This organization has only gotten better over the years since I was a volunteer. I definitely recommend this program to anybody with the desire to get to know the people and community in which they'll live, and to volunteer their time for the projects.