email : Webview : Amicus Community Update March 16 2020

Amicus community -

We continue to pray and plan for our Amicus year to continue as planned per our email on Friday March 13th. As further information is becoming available and the implications of schools and businesses closing is becoming a reality, we want to remain open to doing what is best for each student, their host and sending family, recognizing that no two situations are alike. We know some hosts may have their college-aged students coming home and space is changing; we know there could be a loss of income; some hosts are part of the at-risk populations due to age or their own personal health.

We ask every Amicus host to closely follow the recommendations of their own local public health officials as well as the CDC’s guidelines in taking necessary precautions to minimize exposure to the increasing risks of Covid-19 virus. For many, if not all, this will mean following a significant social distancing for the upcoming weeks which may include remaining at home and limited socializing outside the home. We understand this is a very challenging, anxiety-producing time living in such uncertainty. We ask students to be respectful and do as their host family requests during this time.

To that end, if a host family or a sending family determines it is best to have their student return home, we will absolutely support that decision and help facilitate however we can to make that return happen as quickly as possible. We know air travel rules in and out of countries are changing quickly so we are doing our best to be pre-emptive.

While we have no ability to predict the future, we continue to plan and pray that our students will go back to their schools to complete their academic year and meet in Washington DC on June 19th. If a student has returned home because of the current pandemic, and all the local, country and U.S. governing bodies, including Young Life, determine that it is safe for travel back to the U.S. June 19-28th, we would welcome students to return to join us for our time together in DC and at Lake Champion in New York.

It is important to note that Amicus sending parents expressly acknowledged their understanding that Young Life would not be responsible for claims resulting from “quarantine, government restrictions or regulations”, and as such Young Life will not be offering any refunds or reimbursements for costs associated with an early departure.

Flights to return home are the responsibility of the student and his/her family. Please feel free to contact our Division Coordinator or our Amicus office at any time to process - you are not alone.

Within the entire mission of Young Life we are praying Psalm 91 everyday for 91 days and we invite you to join us.

With gratitude,