AMIS Atlanta

Ways to Welcome New International Students with AMIS! - https://mailchi.mp/amisatlanta.org/amigovolunteer07252024

AMIS friends visited Stone Mountain this past weekend for a Summer day filed with new friendship and exciting views! This was followed by a BBQ at the home of AMIS volunteer and board member, Jesse Hancock. Hear what Jesse had to say about hosting international students:

"Hosting this event was truly my pleasure! It was so fun planning, shopping, and anticipating how to bring together people from so many different places and cultures. People really enjoyed the food. One student told me she just expected to eat hamburgers and hot dogs but really loved the variety of side dishes we served: mac n cheese, potato salad, baked chicken, pasta salad, zucchini and squash, fresh veggies and fruit, coconut cake and cookies, and sweet tea and lemonade. I was so pleasantly surprised at how grateful and kind everyone was to each other, putting aside and even embracing any differences. At one point I was talking with a small group from Iran, India, Italy, and Myanmar, and I just thought, “How cool is this?!” We don’t get opportunities like that often in our daily lives. So many students thanked me several times and offered to help. What a great day!"

Thanks to the Northside Kiwanis Foundation for their sponsorship of the upcoming 46th AMIS Welcome Reception! Last Thursday, they presented our Executive Director, Irene Wong with a check and a Certificate of Presentation for her lunch presentation about the work of AMIS in the community. Thank you Northside Kiwanis!

Save the Date to Welcome New International Students! - https://mailchi.mp/amisatlanta.org/amigovolunteer07182024-6735796

Our students and volunteers had such a wonderful time at last Thursday's July 4th BBQ at Susan Davidson's home. Friends from around the world celebrated America's birthday through eating hot dogs and hamburgers, lighting sparklers, and enjoying some refreshing watermelon slices.

Take a look at some of the pictures from this event!

Welcome Incoming International Students Through a Meal in Your Home! - https://mailchi.mp/amisatlanta.org/amigovolunteer07122024

15 years ago, AMIS volunteer Carrie Southard hosted a Japanese Amigo family, the Kuriharas, during their studies in Atlanta. Earlier this summer, the Southards visited their longtime friends in Tokyo! Take a look at reenactment photos taken at meals shared over a decade apart.
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The power of international friendship can connect families across the span of decades, oceans, and major life changes. Take part in our 2024-2025 Amigo Friendship Program and start the same journey that the Southards and Kuriharas began 15 years ago. You can find the link to fill out this year’s application in our Instagram bio or by visiting our Amigo webpage (amisatlanta.org/amigovolunteer).
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Join a Team and Help Answer International Students' Essential Questions - https://mailchi.mp/amisatlanta.org/amigovolunteer07092024

Help International Students Get To Saturday's Hike! - https://mailchi.mp/amisatlanta.org/amigovolunteer06252024

Danson’s words remind us that international friendship is always built on mutuality: the love from one friend helps to build the love of another.
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Take part in intercultural exchange by volunteering with our Amigo Friendship Program! Get paired with an international student/scholar and help them feel at home just like Danson. Apply for the program TODAY by visiting our webpage (amisatlanta.org/amigovolunteer) or by clicking the link in our Instagram bio.
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Quotes like Rick’s display the critical role that our Amigo volunteers play in the lives of our international students. With new and returning students arriving at Atlanta’s colleges and universities this fall, we need Amigo volunteers to help welcome these friends to America, and continue to support them through the avenue of international friendship.
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If you want to be an Amigo volunteer for the 2024-2025 school year, click the link in our Instagram bio or visit our Amigo volunteer webpage (amisatlanta.org/amigovolunteer) to apply today!
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ATTENTION: If you have volunteered as an Amigo in the past and want to volunteer again this school year, you must fill out the application form again for this year’s program.
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Get Paired With An Amigo Friendship Partner This Fall! - https://mailchi.mp/amisatlanta.org/amigovolunteer06142024

We are still in AWE of the creativity and generosity our international students brought to this month’s An Afternoon of International Tea fundraiser! Their willingness to share their culture with AMIS friends, volunteers, and donors made this event a space of mutuality, exchange, and friendship.
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Our international students continue to inspire us!
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Name your favorite sip or snack from this event in the comments below 👇🏼 👇🏼

Recap Sunday's International Tea Fundraiser! - https://mailchi.mp/amisatlanta.org/amigovolunteer06072024

A HUGE thank you to all our patrons and sponsors who made Sunday’s An Afternoon of International Tea possible! Your generosity not only contributed toward the sips and snacks served at the event itself, but will help us serve international students in Atlanta for years to come.
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Sponsors for Sunday’s event included:

WORLD PEACEMAKERS

Nancy Bedford
Zebekiah & Corinne Bortner
Heidy Brusitus
Jim & Carol Dew
Sally & George Hauptfuhrer
John & Patricia Hibbard
Adele Shepherd

DIPLOMATS

Paula Henao - Atlanta Fine Homes, Sotheby’s International Realty Jim & Marcia Reese
North Avenue Presbyterian Church
First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta

AMBASSADORS

Eve Chen
Helen Ingebritsen
Duncan McCluskey
Feet on the Street Ministries
SHG Consulting
Good Morning Enterprise

This Sunday’s An Afternoon of International Tea fundraiser was FILLED with tasty treats, aromatic drinks, festive decor, and countless instances of our international students sharing tangible pieces of their cultures with our donors and guests. Take a look at the memories from this event captured in these vibrant images!

Sunday’s An Afternoon of International Tea was FILLED with tasty treats, aromatic drinks, festive decor, and countless opportunities for our international students to share tangible pieces of their culture with our donors and volunteers. Take a look at this event’s memories captured in these vibrant images!

Sunday’s An Afternoon of International Tea fundraiser was a tremendous event in the life of AMIS! We had a great turnout of old and new friends, international students, volunteers and partners who came together to enjoy global exchange and sharing through delicious sips and snacks. We shared AMIS’s mission of international peace building through friendship across cultural differences, all while raising money for AMIS’s future. 
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This weekend’s event reflected AMIS Atlanta’s ethos of intercultural collaboration, with our students and volunteers coming together to provide guests with an immersive, international experience. We are deeply grateful for our Event and Host Committees, whose hard work over the past several months helped make this dream a reality!
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Sunday’s guests could hear African graduate students Ezekiel and Otega explain the medicinal qualities of Hibiscus tea, Italian student Davide share the delicate baking process of biscotti, and others communicate the intricacies of their culture through food and drink. Thank you to all our students who invited us into their culinary customs!
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Stay tuned into our social media and newsletters for more stories, images, and updates from this past weekend’s event!
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TEA COUNTRY SPOTLIGHT
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We are just 3 DAYS AWAY for our first ever Afternoon of International Tea fundraiser! There is still time to purchase your ticket for Sunday’s event; either click the link in our Instagram bio or visit our tea webpage (www.amisatlanta.org/tea).
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Our Ireland table will be serving a selection of Barry’s and Lyons tea. Decide which of the two you enjoy more, and join the debate that has been stirring amongst Irish tea drinkers for nearly a century!

TEA COUNTRY SPOTLIGHT
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We are just 4 DAYS AWAY from our AMIS fundraiser, An Afternoon of International Tea! Join us as we celebrate the bonds of international friendship through a diverse selection of global sips and snacks. Purchase your ticket TODAY using the link in our Instagram bio or by visiting our tea webpage (www.amisatlanta.org/tea)
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Italy’s love of espresso began 100 years ago when Luigi Bezzera invented a method of brewing coffee that used steam to push water through grinds. Now, espresso is enjoyed worldwide in a variety of different forms! Attend Sunday’s fundraiser to enjoy a freshly prepared cup of espresso from one of our Italian students.

TEA COUNTRY SPOTLIGHT
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We are just 5 DAYS AWAY from our Afternoon of International Tea fundraiser! Grab your ticket ASAP using the link in our Instagram bio or by visiting our webpage (www.amisatlanta.org/tea).
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Green tea is a staple of Japanese cuisine. This drink accompanies nearly every meal in Japan, and has been part of their culture for nearly a thousand years. Attend Sunday’s fundraiser to have a glass of this essential drink!

8 Days Until Our International Tea Fundraiser! - https://mailchi.mp/amisatlanta.org/amigovolunteers05242024

This past year, our Amigo Friendship Program paired 155 international students with local volunteers! 90 of these students were matched in our year-long program, while 65 were matched in several short-term programs.
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Take a look at our 2023-2024 Annual Report for other statistics that tell the stories of international friendship in Atlanta this past year. You can find this report through the link in our Instagram bio, or by visiting www.amisatlanta.org/annualreport
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TEA COUNTRY SPOTLIGHT
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Buy your ticket TODAY for next Sunday’s International Tea Fundraiser! Celebrate international culture through a diverse sampling of sips and snacks from all over the globe.
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Our China-Taiwan table will provide white tea, sun cakes, and other delicacies important to the region’s cuisine! White tea holds a significant role in Chinese history, traditionally associated with royalty and offered as tribute to rulers during China’s imperial dynasties.
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To purchase your ticket, click the link in our Instagram bio or visit our fundraiser webpage (www.amisatlanta.org/tea).

This past year, AMIS served 425 international students and scholars across Atlanta! Of these, 325 participated in at least 1 AMIS event, and 155 were matched with a friend through our Amigo program.
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Take a look at our 2023-2024 Annual Report for other statistics that tell the stories of international friendship in AMIS Atlanta this past year. Find it through the link in our Instagram bio, or by visiting www.amisatlanta.org/annualreport

TEA COUNTRY SPOTLIGHT
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Come and enjoy India’s national drink: Chai Tea! This brew is a blend of different spices including cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and fennel. Join us on June 2 for An Afternoon of International Tea to grab a taste of this delicious drink… plus plenty more!
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GET YOUR TICKET TODAY! Visit the link in our Instagram bio or visit our webpage (www.amisatlanta.org/tea) and purchase your’s TODAY!

Thank you to our International Tea Sponsors!
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Your support has enabled us dream big about the future of AMIS and international friendship in Atlanta. Check below for a list of our sponsors so far:
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World Peacemakers

Nancy Bedford
Zebekiah & Corinne Bortner
Heidy Brusitus
Jim & Carol Dew
Sally & George Hauptfuhrer
John & Patricia Hibbard
Adele Shepherd

Diplomats

Paula Henao - Atlanta Fine Homes, Sotheby’s International Realty
Jim & Marcia Reese
North Avenue Presbyterian Church
First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta
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Ambassadors
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Eve Chen
Helen Ingebritsen
Duncan McCluskey
Feet on the Street Ministries
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If you’d like to help our Tea Fundraiser by becoming a sponsor, visit our Tea webpage (www.amisatlanta.org/tea) and discover our tiered levels of support!

AMIS Volunteers Hosted Cinco De Mayo! 🌮 - https://mailchi.mp/amisatlanta.org/amigovolunteers05102024

Tea samplers? A handcrafted teapot? 2 nights at Tybee Beach?
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Place your bid on these items plus PLENTY MORE at our International Tea Silent Auction! You can only bid on these items during our Afternoon of International Tea fundraiser on June 2nd from 3-5pm. You must attend to participate! All proceeds go toward helping AMIS better welcome international students at Atlanta’s colleges and universities.
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Tickets are now on sale through the link in our Instagram bio and through our tea webpage: www.amisatlanta.org/tea