Team Leader Expectations

As Team Leaders, we have some expectations for our team members. We talked about these on our conference calls. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns about any of the following:

On the work site:
• Safety first
• Be sure to hydrate continuously and reapply sunscreen throughout the day
• Proper attire (close-toed shoes, safety glasses, work gloves)
• If you’re not sure what you’re supposed to be doing or are not comfortable with the task you’ve
been assigned to do, find one of us or the Habitat construction foreman so we can rectify the situation.

All the time:
• Please make an extra effort to be respectful of the Hawaiian culture at all times. We are guests representing Habitat for Humanity even when we're not on the build site.
• If you go anywhere alone, be sure to let someone know where you’re going.
• Cell phones may be used during free time only.
• Patience and flexibility- despite all our careful planning, things will not always go as planned. We ask that you remain open-minded and be willing to go with the flow.
• We’re a team- we expect all team members to participate in all group activities, including team building, reflection times, and meal times.
• Live in the moment- this promises to be an incredible experience.
• Gift giving- you are giving your time, energy, positive attitude, and your help on the work site. In your trip cost, a $400 donation has been made to HFH Molokai and $100 to HFHI. Habitat for Humanity requests that you refrain from giving individual gifts.
• If you are having a problem of any kind, please let us know right away. It is very important that we work through any issues to ensure a positive experience for everyone involved- the team and team leaders, the families, the affiliate, and the community.

Newsletter #4

GV Team Newsletter

Molokai, Hawaii

July 17 – 27, 2010

Newsletter #4

Aloha! Our trip is less than a month away and we sincerely hope that all of you are getting as excited as we are. Here are a few last minute details and reminders.

Travel
We have received travel itineraries from most of the team. Thank you! We have not received or have incomplete information from the following people: Alexia, Anna and Sarah S. Please forward your a complete travel itinerary to us as soon as possible.

As a reminder, please try to arrive on Molokai as close as you can to 4:00 p.m. on July 17, 2010. We will gather as a team for a Welcome Dinner that evening. Our final activity as a team will be the Mahalo Party the evening of Monday, July 26, 2010. Since there are no flights leaving after the party, please book your departure flight for the morning of Tuesday, July 27, 2010. Your transportation to the airport will be covered.

Arrival Information

We will arriving on Molokai on Friday, July 16th to prepare for the team. We will be meeting each of you when you arrive on Molokai at either the ferry terminal or airport. We will both be wearing blue Habitat for Humanity polo shirts (see photo) to make it easier for you to find us. We will be keeping an eye out for each of you but if you spot us first please come over and introduce yourself.

Missed Flights
If you need to contact us en route we will both be available by cell phone. Our numbers are listed in our email signature. If you miss your flight or it was delayed, please contact one of us immediately. If you get voicemail please leave a message including a number where you can be reached.

If you would like to leave an emergency contact number with your friends and family members back home, please feel free to give them our cell phone numbers.  We will have them on us at all times.

Conference Calls
Thanks for your prompt RSVP’s to the Conference Calls on July 6th and 7th. Further details including dialing information will be provided via email in the next week or so. Please complete the Expectations section (pages 21-24) in your Orientation Handbook as well as your Habitat Learns courses prior to your scheduled call. Please refer to Newsletter #3 for step-by-step instructions on completing your Habitat Learns courses.

What to Bring
As we have mentioned before please remember to bring your own safety goggles, work gloves, sunscreen, and water bottle for the work site. A complete packing list is available in Newsletter #2.

Laundry
We posted information about the laundry facilities at Hotel Molokai on the blog, make sure that you check it out and plan accordingly.

Breakfast and Lunch
We recently sent a survey to all team members to collect information about your preferences for breakfast and lunch. Please complete the survey by Sunday, July 4th.

Team News
Remember to check our blog for updates about the trip, and to learn about your fellow team members. You can find the blog at http://molokaigv.blogspot.com/. Also, if you have anything you’d like to share with the team, please email it to us and we will post it on the blog. Feel free to share the blog address with family and friends so they can get to know our team and keep up with our adventures on Molokai.

**If you would like to be a guest author on the blog while we’re on the trip, please send us an e-mail to let us know and we will get you set up.

Devotions
As we mentioned in our phone calls with you, we will be having daily reflection time in our team meetings to help set the tone for the day. We invite all of you to participate by sharing something with the group. If you would like to lead a reflection one day, please plan to bring any resources (readings, poems, devotions, etc.) you will need. We look forward to having some of you lead this time. Please let us know if you are interested in leading one of these reflections so that we can put you on the schedule.

Conclusion
We recommend that you save this newsletter for future reference, but it will also be posted on the blog for quick and easy reference. We will be sending one more newsletter before the trip, in early July.

Laundry Information

We have clarified the information about the laundry facilities at Hotel Molokai and wanted to pass it along to all of you so that you can plan accordingly.  They have coin-operated washers and dryers open 24 hours a day.  A load of wash costs $1.50 and the dryer is $.75 with the option to add additional time by adding additional quarters.

We encourage you to bring laundry supplies with you.  A great way to do that is to bring Purex 3-in-1 sheets.  They are lightweight and a single sheet contains detergent, fabric softener and static remover.

Based on our experience on past GV trips we have found that bringing a few work outfits and combining laundry loads with your roommates helps conserve space in your luggage for bringing other items.

Meet Team Members Gary and Linda

Hi!  We are Gary Wenz and Linda Isola.  We have done volunteer work for 20 plus years in various places on different types of projects. We are fortunate to be able to spend our summers in Minnesota,
and our winters in sunny Arizona.

Newsletter #3

GV Team Newsletter

Molokai, Hawaii

July 17 – 27, 2010

Newsletter #3

Aloha! It’s hard to believe the trip is only a month and a half away! Below you will find some important reminders. We will send a longer newsletter with last-minute details and reminders a few weeks before the trip.

New Team Members
If you have visited our blog recently, you may have noticed that two of our team members’ profiles are no longer there. Chelsea and Austin both had to drop out of the trip unexpectedly. We have already found two wonderful people to fill their spots- Gary Wenz and Linda Isola. We will be posting their bios and photos on the blog soon, so be sure to check the blog to learn about them and your other fellow team members!

Travel
If you haven’t booked your flights yet, please do so as soon as possible and forward us your itinerary. So far, we have itineraries for Jacquie, Mack, Alexia, Tina, Jana, Neil, and Matt. As a reminder, please try to arrive on Molokai as close as you can to 4:00 p.m. on July 17, 2010. We will gather as a team for a Welcome Dinner that evening. Our final activity as a team will be the Mahalo Party the evening of Monday, July 26, 2010. Since there are no flights leaving after the party, please book your departure flight for the morning of Tuesday, July 27, 2010. Your transportation to the airport will be covered.

Important Dates
Trip Balance: Most of you successfully met the June 1st deadline- great job!! Also, several of you fundraised some or all of the money for your trip- congratulations to Jana, Neil, and Matt Jackson, Sarah Sawyers, and Don Nunn!!

Conference Calls: We have tentatively scheduled team conference calls for the evenings of July 6th and 7th. The Molokai Habitat affiliate has agreed to be on both calls to answer any questions team members may have for her. We will ask everyone to join one of the two calls. More details about these calls will be sent out to you later in June.

What to Bring
Please refer to the suggested packing list we included in Newsletter #2. Remember that you will need your own safety goggles, work gloves, sunscreen, and water bottle for the work site. You will not need to bring your own tools, however, if you do choose to bring any of your own tools, please make sure they are clearly marked so they don’t get mixed up with the affiliate’s tools.

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.

Team News
Remember to check our blog for updates about the trip, and to learn about your fellow team members. You can find the blog at http://molokaigv.blogspot.com/. Also, if you have anything you’d like to share with the team, please email it to us and we will post it on the blog. Feel free to share the blog address with family and friends so they can get to know our team and keep up with our adventures on Molokai.

**If you would like to be a guest author on the blog while we’re on the trip, please send us an e-mail to let us know and we will get you set up.

Devotions
As we mentioned in our phone calls with you, we will be having daily reflection time in our team meetings to help set the tone for the day. We invite all of you to participate by sharing something with the group. If you would like to lead a reflection one day, please bring any resources (readings, poems, devotions, etc.) you would need. We look forward to having some of you lead this time. Please let us know if you are interested in leading one of these reflections so that we can put you on the schedule.

Habitat Learns
All team members need to complete three courses on Habitat Learns in order to prepare for our adventure in Hawaii. These courses will give you some basic knowledge about Habitat for Humanity and are easy to complete. Each course will take you about 15-20 minutes to complete. Please take the time to read the extra tidbits within each course, there are some really interesting things built in.

To sign up for the courses, please complete the following steps:

1. Go to http://www.habitat.org/Habitat_Learns/default.aspx.
2. Click the "Online Courses" link near the bottom of the page.
3. On the left side of the screen, click on "courses."
4. On the right "Categories" sidebar, click "(Open) Foundations of Habitat for Humanity," which is towards the top of the list.
5. On the right, under the "Enrollment" column, check the boxes for "HFHI Values," "HL_BEG The Beginnings of Habitat,” and "Vision and Mission of Habitat for Humanity."
6. Click the "Enroll Now" button.
7. Check to make sure you have the three correct courses under the "Course Title" column and click the "Confirm" button.
8. You will then have to click the red "Register Now" link at the bottom of the page.
9. Fill in your contact information. When you are asked for your "Habitat E-mail" enter your primary email address. When asked for organization/affiliate put "Molokai GV 11027" and for job title put "participant.”

 Once you submit your information, you'll have to wait for HFHI to process your information. You will first receive a “registration request” e-mail. After your registration is processed, you will receive a “registration confirmation” e-mail with your user name and password. This process can take several days to complete.

Once you receive your login and password you can complete the courses by following these steps:

1. Go to http://habitatlearns.org/home/
2. Log in on the right side of the screen.
3. Then simply click the course you'd like to take! The circles on the right will show your progress through the course.

Make sure to save your answers on every page as you work your way through the site.Please be sure to save a copy of the certificate upon completion of each course, and e-mail all the certificates to us. Please let us know if you have any questions or problems throughout the process.

Conclusion
We recommend that you save this newsletter for future reference, but it will also be posted on the blog for quick and easy reference. We will be sending one more newsletter before the trip, in early July.

Only 4 more days!!!

As a reminder, the deadline to make your final payment for trip expenses is Tuesday, June 1st, 2010.  Please let us know if you have any problems or concerns. 

Meet Team Member Anna

Hi, my name is Anna Reynolds and I am a senior at Rondout Valley High School in Accord, New York. I like to play tennis, ride my horses, run, read, bake, go on adventures, hike, travel and spend time with my friends. I was born in Berlin, Germany and have lived here in the States for about 12 years but I frequently go back to visit my family. In the fall I am attending the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. I plan to do a pre-med track with a focus on public health. Not sure what my major will be yet. My dream job is to travel around the world and do hands on work with helping developing countries have better health care systems and clean water. I am really excited to go to Hawaii and to experience a new culture with new people! Looking forward to meeting everyone in July!

Meet Team Member Sarah

Hi Everyone! My name is Sarah and I’m from Boston, MA. I’m a 7th grade Math teacher in the city and I absolutely LOVE what I do : ) This is my second time volunteering with Habitat, the first being in New Orleans post Katrina, and I couldn’t have enjoyed the experience more which is why I’m back again. I’ve never been to Hawaii, and certainly never heard of Molokai before signing up for this trip, but I can’t wait to get there, meet all of you, and get to work. See you in July!

Newsletter #2

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!

Meet Team Member Tina

Hello my name is Tina Cornish. I am the principal of an alternative high school in Colorado. I moved here for 5 1/2 years ago by way of Boston, by way of California, by way of Ukraine, by way of California, by way of Maryland, by way of Washington D.C. … I’ve been a wanderer since birth! I have traveled quite a bit volunteering, touring, or working. I am a Returned Peace Corps volunteer – an experience I hope to repeat someday if I ever retire.


In my free time I like to cook and gather friends, read, walk, paint, snowboard, take road trips to New Mexico, attempt home improvement projects….


I just started reading The Colony the Harrowing True Story of the Exiles of Molokai. I’m looking forward to learning a about the Hawaiian culture on Molokai yesterday and today from the local people we will be serving. I’m honored to be part of a team of people who have chosen to take their ‘vacation’ and donate it for a purpose. See you in July!