Testimonials

Chong (center right) and Amigos volunteers, including Dorotha (far right) during evening English classes	“It is so important to me. I can’t explain. If I can explain it, I’ll cry. I couldn’t reach anyone before. Now I can reach out and it has opened my eyes. I tried every resource in the community. No one returned my phone calls or wanted to talk to me. Now at Amigos, I can ask for help and someone will be willing to teach me. The teachers are not paid to do what they do. They do it from their heart. I worked really hard to raise a family and now I can study. Others look at me funny when I say I go to Townsend to learn. I recommend it to other people (Americans) who can’t read or write in English. I’m proud of myself and that I called Amigos.” Chong Patterson, Wednesday August 4, 2010 Chong Patterson came to Amigos the Richmond Latino Center in the Spring of 2009. She has since studied continuously with Dorotha King, the volunteer liaison between Amigos and IU EAST students. Through a Work One program Chong would like to get her GED. However her reading and writing skills are not proficient enough to take the GED classes. Chong studies with tutors and independently for over 12 hours a week to improve her English so that she may one day (soon) take a GED course.
Victor at Transcultural Experience Simulation, 2011	“Amigos has helped me a lot over the past ten years. I used to come to the English classes. Then Amigos helped me with my immigration papers and I got my US citizenship. When my mother came here, Amigos helped me with the immigration paperwork for her. My mother is now participating in the in-home ESL program. Now I want to participate and give back to Amigos.” Victor Reyes, February 8, 2011

Chong (center right) and Amigos volunteers, including Dorotha (far right) during evening English classes

“It is so important to me. I can’t explain. If I can explain it, I’ll cry. I couldn’t reach anyone before. Now I can reach out and it has opened my eyes. I tried every resource in the community. No one returned my phone calls or wanted to talk to me. Now at Amigos, I can ask for help and someone will be willing to teach me. The teachers are not paid to do what they do. They do it from their heart. I worked really hard to raise a family and now I can study. Others look at me funny when I say I go to Townsend to learn. I recommend it to other people (Americans) who can’t read or write in English. I’m proud of myself and that I called Amigos.”

Chong Patterson, Wednesday August 4, 2010

Chong Patterson came to Amigos the Richmond Latino Center in the Spring of 2009. She has since studied continuously with Dorotha King, the volunteer liaison between Amigos and IU EAST students. Through a Work One program Chong would like to get her GED. However her reading and writing skills are not proficient enough to take the GED classes. Chong studies with tutors and independently for over 12 hours a week to improve her English so that she may one day (soon) take a GED course.

Victor at Transcultural Experience Simulation, 2011

“Amigos has helped me a lot over the past ten years. I used to come to the English classes. Then Amigos helped me with my immigration papers and I got my US citizenship. When my mother came here, Amigos helped me with the immigration paperwork for her. My mother is now participating in the in-home ESL program. Now I want to participate and give back to Amigos.”

Victor Reyes, February 8, 2011

We feel good about Amigos, Amigos us help to communicate through their interpretations, they support us with everything we need.

Patricia Santiago

I don’t have words to describe what Amigos does for me and my family; I really like this program and need your support.

Yolanda Quiroz

I agree with this program, it helps us with what we need, especially with the interpretation service. Without amigos, we feel that we can’t do anything.

Sonia Sales

We feel that this past year was a little better than before, we’re able to establish some way to

communicate.

Heather from GYN office, Richmond

“We are very grateful for the services that Amigos provides to us and to the Latino community in general here. Without Amigos we wouldn’t be able to go to the doctor and understand what is happening. We wouldn’t understand what the doctor said or what we were supposed to do about it. And we wouldn’t know how to get the medication or how exactly how to take it. Amigos has been wonderful for our family in keeping us healthy.”

I am grateful to Amigos for its help, especially Pamela, who is a person that always has time to help us with our needs such as interpretations and rides.

Araceli Robles

Kumar (left) and Sarah (right) at Corazón Latino Tostadas Fundraiser 2011

"The experiential learning that is made possible by volunteering at Amigos has changed my life. It's one thing for me to take classes in ESL, Spanish, and Women's Studies, but that learning is taken to a whole other level when I am teaching English to a woman in her home, learning about her life through conversations in Spanish, and participating in the Richmond community."

-Sarah Fox, Earlham College Bonner Scholar Volunteer

"The thing that brings me the most joy and satisfaction is working on a case with someone and having it be worked out successfully. If I don’t figure it out, it might not be resolved. The energy I’m putting into it is always worth it. It is the most important thing I do in my daily life."

-Kumar Jensen, Earlham College Bonner Scholar Volunteer

“Amigos is an invaluable asset to the community of Richmond. The services it provides do nothing but improve the quality of life for everyone associated with it. One of the beautiful things about Amigos is learning occurs in two directions—from the volunteers to students and from the students to the volunteers.”