NCCF is pleased to forward this profile on AVSI-USA: The Association of Volunteers in International Service – USA. Like so many of the organizations our donors support, AVSI-USA promotes the works of the Church overseas. It is an effective bridge with which individuals in this country can personally contribute to the betterment of marginalized people on five continents. Their USA offices are in Silver Spring, Maryland. I urge readers to visit their website. – Dana Robinson
AVSI-USA (www.avsi-usa.org ) is a trustworthy partner that bridges the gap between everyday American citizens and families and marginalized individuals and communities around the world. Through opportunities to donate, learn and connect, AVSI-USA helps us to rediscover that our hearts long for the same things as a young woman searching for work in the slums of Kampala, a Venezuelan father keeping his baby warm in a tent on the Brazilian border, or a therapist in Beirut offering her support to families whose homes were just bombed. In that shared longing, we discover a new sense of community—one that helps us keep our gaze open to the world.
AVSI-USA is a nonprofit organization founded by a group of Catholic friends in the United States with a simple but powerful conviction: all people—no matter their circumstances—have infinite value and the capacity to build a more resilient future for themselves and their community. The organization was born from the desire to live in solidarity with the most vulnerable and the community leaders who accompany them, because we recognize that in walking with others, we discover something essential about ourselves, our life, happiness, and human potential.
We work both internationally and in the United States to promote human dignity and accompany the most vulnerable. Through programs in education, dignified work, emergency response, and restoration for people serving time in prison, we help individuals take an active role in shaping their lives and the life of their communities.
At AVSI, we don’t just provide aid—we walk with those we encounter as they become protagonists of their own development. With over 50 years of experience across five continents, we have learned that real change begins with presence, relationship, and education as a journey to discover one’s own value.
The impact is real. Scientific studies, along with the many stories from the field, show that when a person feels seen and valued, and begins to flourish—and so does the community. Think of Francis, once a sponsored student in Uganda through our Distance Support Program. He now leads AVSI’s projects across East Africa, designing impactful programs to help other communities rise out of poverty.
AVSI-USA is part of the larger AVSI Foundation network, which operates in over 40 countries through field offices and local partners who carry out the work every day with deep knowledge and love for their people.
When our donors visit our programs or meet our partners, they realize that those who once seemed distant share the same desire of happiness and meaning in their own lives and for their families. And in that encounter, their hearts are reawakened with a renewed sense of belonging and purpose.
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