History of Amate House   Amate House was established in 1984 as a volunteer program for young adults by three seminarians from the Archdiocese of Chicago, along with a host of other lay and religious men and women.  The founders chose the name “Amate”, the Latin imperative “to love”, because they envisioned a program which lay young adults would put “love into action” by providing social services in response to the needs of the city and the Archdiocese of Chicago.  In addition to exploring and living out a vocation of service, Amate House places a special emphasis upon the personal, professional, and spiritual development of its Volunteers, encouraging their growth into compassionate leaders for the church and world.   Eight young adult volunteers occupied the first Amate House in the convent of the famous Old St. Patrick’s Church on the near west side of the city. Every summer since, a new group of young adults from the greater Chicago area, around the country, and occasionally around the world, have come together to begin a one-year commitment to faith-based community living and full-time volunteer service work.  In exchange for their efforts, they receive room and board, a modest monthly allowance, health insurance, ongoing supervision, a strong and supportive community of peers, and structured opportunities for guided spiritual growth and leadership development. Through the years, Amate House has called several parishes home, including St. Clare of Montefalco (1985 – 1990), Mercy Mission (1990 – 1994), and St. William (1994 – 2004).   After eight years of building a solid foundation, Amate House opened the doors to a second program in partnership with DePaul University in 1992.  The Amate House DePaul, which became known as the Vincent and Louise House in 2005, focused on integrating community living and volunteer service into the higher education experience. Amate House DePaul Volunteers were full-time students and part-time volunteers.  They committed to at least six hours of volunteer service work each week during the school year, while participating in community living and formational programs throughout the school year.  As of July 2009, the Vincent and Louise House is no longer affiliated with Amate House but now operates fully through DePaul University.   In 1999, Amate House continued to grow through the development of another house and a new vision of addressing the needs of the larger community. In collaboration with six Catholic parishes, the Little Village House was created, named after the neighborhood the Volunteers would live and serve. This third house is focused on serving the Mexican-American population located on the city’s southwest side and providing opportunities to young adults who have a particular desire and commitment to live and serve in the Spanish-speaking community.  In 2011, Amate House moved the Little Village community from the convent at Our Lady of Tepyac to a house a few blocks away. This is the first time Amate House has purchased a property, and proves to the Little Village neighborhood that we are here to stay.   In the fall of 2003, a fourth house opened in the rectory of the former St. Gelasius Parish in the Woodlawn community.  This new house expanded the reach of Amate House to even more agencies and schools, particularly on the south side of the city.  In 2004, two of the four houses were relocated. The house at St. Gelasius was moved to St. Maurice Parish, and the house located at St. William Parish was moved to St. Mary of the Lake Parish. St. Maurice Parish is also currently where the Amate House staff offices are located. It was during this time staff decided to refer to the different houses by their geographic location in the city, rather than the parish where the house was located.   Today, the houses are simply referred to as “South House”, “North House” and “Little Village”. The current house locations are:   "Little Village" - Little Village Neighborhood “North House” - St. Mary of the Lake Parish (Uptown Neighborhood) “South House” – St. Maurice Parish (McKinley Park Neighborhood)   Over the past 28 years, Amate House has grown from a community of eight Volunteers to a service and formation program that impacts over 10,000 lives each year.  This year alone, we have 29 Volunteers serving in over 20 Chicago sites, providing vital services like teaching, mentoring, case management, accompaniment, community organizing, and legal aid.  The program’s over 600 Alumni carry on a proud legacy of putting “love in action” at their workplaces and in their communities.