Erika Plunkett, Dreaming and Connecting

ERIKA PLUNKETT Connecting Dreaming and BY ALLISON ARNOLD PHOTOGRAPHY BY TWO EAGLES MARCUS

Volunteers handing out resources and shirts for dads, Father’s Day, 2020, Zapopan, MX

300 backpacks fi lled with school supplies given to students, Back to School Event, 2019, Zapopan, MX

Construction volunteers at the building site, Public Restroom Build, 2019, Santa Maria Xadani, MX Igniting change has always been part of Erika Plunkett’s life. For over 12 years, she served as a mentor through her church, working with youth in at-risk situations. It was that experience that led her to create Ama International in 2018. Her idea was to bring at-risk youth to other countries to work with communities experiencing great need.

“I believe that if I was to take them into an environment...they would see a di erent type of struggle, and their struggles would then look a little bit di erent to themselves,” says Plunkett. “And their pain could be turned into power.”

Based in Grand Rapids’ sister city, Zapopan, Mexico, with a nonpro t in both Mexico and the U.S., Ama International is able to create a sustainable partnership, working directly with the local community in Zapopan.

“It’s about the exchange between the two cultures and the beautiful things that happen when you start to build relationship,” says Plunkett. “And that’s why we’ve been implanted in one area and we’ve stayed because I want to grow roots. I don’t want to be an organization that goes into a community, does some good and leaves, but I want them to know that we’re going to be there, we’re going to be counted on, we’re in it for the long haul, we’ve got you, we’re in this together.”

What do you like best about what you do? “So for me, I feel like what I like best is the fact that I’m able to really, really see love in action, like I see love in action all the time.” “I don’t want to be an organization that goes into a community, does some good and leaves, but I want them to know that we’re going to be there, we’re going to be counted on, we’re in it for the long haul, we’ve got you, we’re in this together.” — ERIKA PLUNKETT

Indigenous girl at children’s event, 2019, Santa María Xadani, Oaxacan, MX

Arturo Romero, Hands, 2020, 8’ X 8’ Paint and wood “One of the most beautiful things that I’ve seen, and I call it a forward moving circle, it’s just something I made up, but when you have someone that you’ve invested in them, and you believe in them and then they start to grow. And what do they do? Without even having to tell them, they start, they nd someone else, and they start investing in them, and they start loving them, and they help them grow... ere’s a ripple e ect that you will never see the end of, I believe, when you operate with love and action. And I think that’s what I love the most about what I do is that I get to see it, and I see it in so many di erent people, and I see it in so many di erent places.”

What motivates you? “A lot of it is the kids. I absolutely love the kids in Mexico that we serve and the children here, too. I love when I’m able to see that something that we’ve done as an organization has made a di erence in the life of a child. at gives me a lot of energy. And so when I know that something as small as a book or something like a backpack, something that they can use, the fact that we’ve been able to feed their family, like things like that, that gives me energy. So knowing that I’m helping people through Ama, and that all of us together are helping people and helping children. at’s what motivates me.”

What do you do in your spare time–if you have any? “I sing so that’s something that I love to do. I lead worship at church, so singing, writing music, ...creative stu like that. I like to do that in my spare time. I love to exercise, walk, run, all those kinds of things.”

What is your advice for someone looking to start an entrepreneurial endeavor? “Don’t be afraid to start small. Dream big, but start small…I think a lot of times we think we have to have every all of our ducks in a row to get started and really, if we just start with something small, then it will grow and you’ll start to gain traction.”

Find out more about AMA Without Borders

amawithoutborders.org

School students posing with Erika, 2019, Santa María Xadani, Oaxaca, MX

Allison Arnold is a writer and avid adventurer who loves hiking, traveling and trying new foods. She loves writing about food and culture on her blog, For the Love of Tacos.

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