Amy Jo Preisler travelled with Andean Community Partners (ACP) to the Sacred Valley of Peru and the village of Huilloc on a medical and volunteer mission trip. While there, she quickly realized it was a life-changing experience that would stay with her forever.

Like many Andean villages, Huilloc is a remote community that is underserved by both public and private entities.

Andean Community Partners is a nonprofit organization that seeks to improve the health and well-being of the community and help people become better advocates for their own care. Preisler was introduced to ACP through a former colleague and mentor, but it was ACP’s “listen first” approach in serving the community that made her want to get involved with this particular volunteer opportunity.

The mission trip consisted of three days of medical clinics, which are sometimes the only opportunity for people in the community to receive medical care. They saw patients ranging in age from one month to 99 years old. The clinics offered checkups and routine care, but also helped patients utilize the Peruvian health care system more effectively, in partnership with Health Bridges International.

Helping community members become advocates for their own health and well-being was an important aspect of the mission. Oftentimes the language barrier and lack of access to the proper channels keeps community members from getting the care they need.

After the medical clinics, the group participated in building greenhouses for two families. Greenhouses allow families to grow a wider variety of produce they can trade with other families or sell to local restaurants, which aids in the economic development of the community. The greenhouse project, done in partnership with Andean Alliance for Sustainable Development, has been a successful endeavor with over 25 families owning and maintaining greenhouses in the village.

“Finding a cause I wanted to get involved with was important to me,” said Preisler, who earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Viterbo. “I thought about my passions, my values, and how I thought I could best be of service. During that reflection, I thought about my time at Viterbo and I was able to draw on my experience to help me find the right fit. My education exposed me to different cultures and religions and taught me how to understand and respect different views.”

“Viterbo modeled what I wanted to see in myself and ultimately give to others, providing care and hospitality in order for communities to be able to thrive in a healthy environment,” she said. “In my career as an advertising and marketing consultant, I’ve had the opportunity to work with brands that give back in meaningful ways. I’m proud of having had the opportunity to support important social programs in my career and now I’ve been able to give back in a personal way with ACP.”

Preisler added, “The people in Huilloc were some of the warmest and most welcoming people I have ever met. Their smiles were contagious, and they lean into the true meaning of community by helping each other for the greater good. When I think about Viterbo’s mission of preparing students for faithful service and ethical leadership, and our Franciscan values to work for the common good with humility and joy, welcoming everyone we encounter as honored guests, I felt prepared and inspired to join the ACP mission trip and had the most beautiful experience in this unique country and culture. I look forward to joining ACP on another trip in the future.”

To learn more about Andean Community Partners, visit www.andeancommunitypartners.org.