GV Team Newsletter
Molokai, Hawaii
July 17 – 27, 2010
Newsletter #2
Aloha! There are less than 100 days until our adventure on Molokai. Here you will find reminders of the next steps and more details about accommodations, meals, weather, packing recommendations and more!
Travel
We share some specifics about making your travel arrangements in our last newsletter. As a reminder we ask that you try and book your ticket so that you arrive on Molokai as close as you can to 4:00 p.m. on July 17, 2010. Our first activity as a team will be a Welcome Dinner that evening and we want the entire team there. Our final activity as a team will be the Mahalo Party the evening of Monday, July 26, 2010. There are no flights leaving after the party so we ask that you book your departure flight for the morning of Tuesday, July 27, 2010. The cost of your trip includes transportation to/from the airport or the ferry terminal.
Once you have finalized your travel plans please email us a copy of your itinerary. If you have any questions, please let us know.
Who You Are
If you haven’t already done so, please write up a brief biography and send it to us along with a photo of yourself as soon as possible. All biographies will be posted on our team blog at http://molokaigv.blogspot.com/. Make sure you check the blog often and read the biographies of your fellow team mates to that you can get to know them.
Updated Trip Itinerary (tentative)
Saturday, July 17, 2010: Arrival Day (4:00 p.m.), Team Dinner
Sunday, July 18, 2010: Hawaiian Cultural and Team Orientation
Monday, July 19, 2010: Work Day
Tuesday, July 20, 2010: Work Day
Wednesday, July 21, 2010: Work Day, Kumu Farms Tour
Thursday, July 22, 2010: Work Day
Friday, July 23, 2010: Work Day, Coffees of Hawaii Tour, Aloha Friday with The Na Kapuna
Saturday, July 24, 2010: Work Day
Sunday, July 25, 2010: Free Day, Team Activity
Monday, July 26, 2010: Team Activity, Mahalo Party
Tuesday, July 27, 2010: Departure Day (morning)
Accommodations
We will be staying at Hotel Molokai which features open-air, oceanfront bungalows that are positioned east to west, allowing prevailing trade winds and the soothing sound of the surf to gently lull you to sleep each night. Accommodations feature Polynesian décor, private lanais, and mini-refrigerators. Many rooms have convenient kitchens with updated appliances. Our newly renovated rooms feature down comforters, new furniture, and updated fixtures and fabrics. High-speed Internet and cable television is available in each room. An Internet Kiosk is also provided in the lobby for your convenience.
Other amenities include a freshwater pool, soft drink machines, hammocks, laundry facilities, an ATM machine, photocopy service, and a gift/sundries shop.
Meals
Breakfast – We will have a continental breakfast each morning at our hotel.
Lunch will be served on the work site and prepared by supporters of the Molokai affiliate.
Dinner will be a mix. Restaurants, hosted by families on Molokai or cooking as a team.
Transportation
We will be traveling in a small bus while moving around the island. The bus will be driven by David, a future Habitat home owner.
Health and Safety
There is a first aid kit on the work site and we will be bringing a first aid kit for use while at the hotel and during other activities. Both of your leaders have CPR and First Aid certification. Our hosts also have a referral list available for doctors and dentists if we need it.
Communication
Telephones will be available at the hotel. You will need to bring a long-distance calling card or other method of payment for calls to the mainland. Cell phones should not be used during team meetings, on the work site or during team activities. Feel free to use your cell phone during free time.
Packing List and Tips
- Make sure to check weight limits/bag charges for the airline that you are traveling on.
- Put some sort of identifier on your bag (small/medium black suitcases are VERY popular). It will help you when searching for your bag on a luggage carousel.
- Backpacks come in handy for taking to the work site.
- Carry anything crucial in your carry on (medications, prescriptions, ID/passport, change of clothes, toothbrush, etc)
- There are laundry facilities where we’re staying, so feel free to use them and pack less.
For the work site:
- Close toed shoes are a must
- Shorts are allowed
- You may want to bring some old shoes. We’ll be working around red dirt. Shoes and clothes will likely turn red or be very dirty.
- Bing work gloves
- No tools are required; however, if you do choose to bring your own, make sure they are clearly marked so they don’t get mixed up with the affiliate’s tools.
Please keep in mind this is only a suggested packing list. Pack light! Don’t over pack! You never need as much as you think. Here’s a suggestion: Lay out everything you plan to wear on the trip, then pack half and put the rest away. Use your judgment whether or not you’ll need everything. A lot of items on the list are optional (tools). Please don’t make clothes an optional item.
Items you WILL need:
Casual clothes for team activities/free time
Socks, undergarments, Pajamas (women may be more comfortable in a sports bra on the work site).
Personal items including shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste/brush, cosmetics, prescription medications, eyeglasses/contacts, copies of prescriptions
Photo ID/Passport (for those who are not U.S. Citizens)
Water bottle
Pen
Hat/cap/bandana for sun protection
Shoes (flip-flops, work)
Swim suit, beach towel
Sunscreen, sunglasses
“Money” in the form of ATM/credit card (personal spending money for souvenirs)
Emergency contact phone numbers of family/friends
Optional items:
Book for downtime
Travel games, cards for downtime
A bag for dirty laundry
Camera
Simple first aid supplies (We will have a team first-aid kit, but you may want to bring some things like over the counter medications for yourself.)
Insect repellent
Antibacterial wet wipes
Lip balm
Watch and/or travel alarm clock
Snacks
Earplugs
Cell Phone charger
Team News
What are doing to prepare for our adventure on Molokai? Have you had any fundraising successes? Tell us about it. We want to post news updates from team members on the blog. So if you have something you would like to share with the team please email it to us and we will make sure it gets posted on the blog for all to see.
Conclusion
We recommend that you save this and other newsletters for future reference; they will also be posted on the blog for quick and easy reference. Future newsletters will contain more information about Molokai and our hosts. Stay tuned!
