Our Mission
The American Women's Club of Amsterdam (AWCA) is a volunteer, member organization whose mission is to provide an avenue of community for American and non-American women living in the Netherlands who have close ties to the United States.
Our Goal
We are committed to helping every member find their place in our community. To achieve this, we celebrate our diverse community and cultivate individuals from all walks of life. We are the collective sum of our individual differences and welcome the unique contributions that our members make through their opinions, culture, ethnicity, age, ability, sexual orientation or identity and race. We stay true to our mission by aspiring to ensure our group has a place for everyone.
Our Key Objectives
As an organization of diverse women with broad experiences from around the world we
- Embrace the Dutch experience while honoring our American traditions
- Provide opportunities for community involvement and philanthropy
- Enjoy cultural, educational, sport and family activities
- Support one another and building lifelong friendships
- Network with other professionals in the community
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In addition, all members must agree to the AWCA Member's Code of Conduct.
The Club Today
Today our club’s two young founders would be amazed to see how the world has changed and how their “Current Events Club” has evolved into a collection of over 325 strong, fascinating American and international women who call the Netherlands their home.
Amsterdam has grown into a vibrant, exciting city with 820,000 inhabitants and even more cars, trams, bikes and tourists. Travel, so rare a prize in the 1920’s, has become a way of life. If you left the USA in 1927, chances were you weren’t coming back. Now, we have many members with lives spread over two continents. We’ve seen the advent of the digital age and can now Skype, Facebook, Facetime or Instagram our families as well – something inconceivable to our founders.
The AWCA takes these changes in stride. We arm newcomers with tools to decipher this thrilling and ever growing city. Our list of activities constantly alters to meet the demands of the current members. While we travel the city to meet at real (and dare we say fabulous) locations, we also meet on AWCA’s updated website, our “virtual clubhouse," club Facebook pages and Instagram, which keep us connected in between.
While we have fun together, the AWCA also looks outward. We danced in Rembrandtplein for One Billion Rising, cooked monthly for the homeless and packed backpacks for children in need. And further afield, our membership in the Federation of American Women’s Club’s Overseas (FAWCO) means we have the power to effect change as our combined voice with women around the globe reaches both to Washington and to the U.N.
The AWCA has become the amazing, vibrant, strong club it is today because of the strength of its members, past and present. While times change, and our world changes, the bonds of women and friendship do not. We still come together for support in times of need, we celebrate together in times of joy, we learn from one another, we forge bonds, and together we embrace this wonderful country we now, for a brief period or for forever, call home.