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Mary Richards ReportingMost teenagers are busy with school or friends or iPods, but junior Neil Reed is getting ready to go to Brazil for seven weeks of service. "I just want to help," he says.
Neil is in the Amigos program. "Last year I was on the healthy houses project in Nicaragua and there I built fuel efficient stoves of dirt and those are both cleaner and more fuel efficient."
Neil got involved in Amigos after his sister Allison volunteered in Costa Rica and Hondoruas. Mom, Shelly Reed, says her daughter left as a 16-year old girl and came back a 16-year old adult. "It's amazing the personal growth she had in initiating these projects by herself, she was treated as an adult, she came back as an adult. The change and transformation is amazing to me."
Shelly is now the president of the local chapter of Amigos. "It's such an amazing thing to see how what great kids they are, how they're thinking not of themselves, these kids in Latin America."
The first year Amigos was in Salt Lake, four teenagers went to Latin America. This year 21-teens are going. "I think that the interest in these programs is growing steadily and I think that's a good thing."
They train and fundraise for months before heading overseas. "I look for sustained stability so it will continue on without us, just keep on going."
There's another fundraiser starting Friday night at Campos. Neil says it's not about the glory that celebrities get, he just wants to learn a new language, have an adventure, and help.
