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!

Meet Team Member Jacqueline

Hi! My name is Jacqueline Tiggs, AKA, Jacquie! I am 44 years old. At the present time I have decided to return to school and so I am now a part-time college student and homemaker. I am married to a wonderful man and we have 2 great sons (23 & 19). I love to read, sketch, listen to great music, exercise…(okay… not so much!), and make new friends.

This will be my first Habitat experience/trip and I am very grateful and excited to be involved in such a great endeavor with such, as I am so sure, great people. I look forward to meeting everyone and contributing in building a new home for a great family!

ALOHA EVERYONE!!!

Meet Team Member Mack

I am a Senior Accountant with an oil and gas company in Dallas, Texas and married to Jacqueline. We have two sons, ages 19 & 23. In my spare time I enjoy coaching and mentoring youth through sports organizations. My hobbies include traveling, basketball, fishing and I also officiate high school football.

This is my first Habitat adventure and I am looking forward to being a contributor to our team in the building of new homes for the families of Molokai.

Meet Team Member Don

Hi everyone, I’m Don Nunn.

Though not my first Habitat for Humanity experience, this Moloka‘i trip will be my first Habitat opportunity that requires travel. In the early 1990s I participated in a few rehabilitation projects Habitat was running in the Rose Park neighborhood of Salt Lake City, Utah. I was born and raised in Salt Lake, in the historic Avenues district there. I lived there until just after the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, when I moved to the Seattle suburbs. I’ve lived in the city of Seattle proper for 3 years now, about half a mile from the Space Needle—not quite the view of the city you could see from the backdrops in episodes of “Frasier” but pretty close!

In my day-to-day life, I’m an engineer for the online services division of a major software firm here in the Seattle area. When I’m not working, I like to spend time with family and friends, travel, listen to music (both live and recorded—how fortunate to be in such a vibrant musical scene as Seattle), play cards, volunteer my time (which I don’t do nearly enough), and cook, which I don’t do enough beyond the routine stuff. I also enjoy dining for the experience of it— the flavors, the matching of a good wine or beer with a meal—which makes a trip to Hawai‘i even more exciting for the new foods, friends, and experiences of a trip like this one.

Team Newsletter #1

GV Team Newsletter

Molokai, Hawaii

July 17 – 27, 2010

Newsletter #1

Introduction
Welcome to the Molokai GV Team! This is the first of several electronic newsletters that we will be sending you over the next several weeks to share information, guidance, and advice and tips to help prepare for our adventure. Thank you for choosing to go on a “vacation with a purpose” with us!

Orientation Materials
Thank you for submitting your $350 deposit. As soon as your deposit is processed, the Global Village office at Habitat headquarters will send you an orientation package. Perhaps the most important item in the package is the Global Village Orientation Handbook. It contains a wealth of general information about the GV program, travel and the work of building houses. Please take the time to read the entire handbook!

Airline Reservations
We will not be booking group airfare. However, if you are looking for a travel agent you may contact Terrie Montjoy at Universal Travel about individual discounted mission rate tickets. You can reach Terri toll free at (866) 924-9369 or by email at univ_tvl@bellsouth.net. Make sure you identify yourself as a Global Village team member. Feel free to use you own travel agent or look into booking flights online.

To simplify things 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.

Here are some travel resources that you may find helpful:

• There are no direct flights from the mainland to Molokai. You will need fly into one of the other major airports in Hawaii and catch a commuter flight to Molokai. The airport code for the Molokai Airport is MKK; here is a link to airport website.
• Instead of taking a commuter flight you can take a ferry from Maui to Molokai. Here is a link to their website. Please note that the ferry departs from Lahaina Harbor which is a 40 minute drive from the Maui Kahului airport. You will need to take a taxi or shuttle between the two destinations. Since the 4:00 p.m. target arrival time does not coincide with the ferry schedule it may be advisable to fly instead.
• Check out Side Step when looking for deals. It searches all available flights and finds the best deals and then directs you to seller to purchase your tickets.
• You may also want to check out the price predictor on Bing Travel. It analyzes the fares for the last 90 days and predicts when is the best time to buy to get the best price. You can set up alerts to come directly to your email box.

Once you have finalized your travel plans please email us a copy of your itinerary. If you have any questions, please let us know.

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
Thursday, July 22, 2010: Work Day
Friday, July 23, 2010: Work Day
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)

Fund Raising and Trip Payment
As you should already know, the cost of our trip is $1,500, excluding airfare. This will cover all meals, lodging, ground transportation, and local cultural excursions.  $400 of the trip cost will be donated to the Habitat affiliate in Molokai and $100 will be donated to HFHI. The entire balance of the trip cost must be paid in full by June 1, 2010. We encourage everyone to make this payment online, but it can be mailed to the GV office at Habitat headquarters. NOTE: Please remember to use your eight-digit Habitat ID number and our event code (GV11027) when making your payment!

Are you interested in raising funds to cover your trip costs? Many GV participants choose this option. You can set up your own Web site and invite family, friends or other organizations (such as churches) to make a donation toward your trip. Go to the following address to set up your own web page: www.habitat.org/gv/create.html. No technical skill is required. You may then advertise your Web address and challenge others to support your GV trip. If you plan to do this, please tell us, so that we can assist you and monitor your progress.

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.

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!

Action Items
Here are some things that you should do prior to our next newsletter:

• Read the Global Village Orientation Handbook
• Finalize your air travel arrangements and email us a copy of your itinerary.
• Send us your biography and a photo if you haven’t already done so.

Meet Team Member Megan

My name is Megan McDonald and I am a senior at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California. I play water polo and I am president of the Environmental Club. I love to bake and read in my spare time. In college, I plan on double-majoring in Sociology and Global Studies so that I will be prepared to join the Peace Corps and then work for a non-profit organization such as Habitat as a career. I am so excited for our visit to Hawaii this summer as it will be a great first experience for me in preparation for what I plan to do the rest of my life.

News from Jana

I'm at Discovery Park trying out my new HFH hat and protective eyewear for our trip : )

Travel Information

Coordinating the arrival of the entire team is no easy task.  To simplify things 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 the airport or the ferry terminal. 

Here are some travel resources that you may find helpful:

• There are no direct flights from the mainland to Molokai.  You will need fly into one of the other major airports in Hawaii and catch a commuter flight to Molokai.  The airport code for the Molokai Airport is MKK, here is a link to airport website.
• Instead of taking a commuter flight you can take a ferry from Maui to Molokai.  Here is a link to their website.  Please note that the ferry departs from Lahaina Harbor which is a 40 minute drive from the Maui Kahului airport.  You will need to take a taxi or shuttle between the two destinations.
• Check out Side Step when looking for deals.  It searches all available flights and finds the best deals and then directs you to seller to purchase your tickets.
• You may also want to check out the price predictor on Bing Travel.  It analyzes the fares for the last 90 days and predicts when is the best time to buy to get the best price.  You can set up alerts to come directly to your email box.

Once you have finalized your travel plans please email us a copy of your itinerary.  If you have any questions, please let us know.

Native Hawaiian governement may become reality

Below is an excerpt from an interesting article that appeared in The Seattle Times on Sunday, March, 14, 2010 regarding the legislation currently pending the U.S. Senate to establish a Native Hawaiian government similar to the rights that have been extended to Alaska Natives and 564 Native American tribes. 

Native Hawaiian government may become reality

By MARK NIESSE
The Associated Press

HONOLULU - Their kingdom long ago overthrown, Native Hawaiians seeking redress are closer than they've ever been to reclaiming a piece of Hawaii.

Native Hawaiians are the last remaining indigenous group in the United States that hasn't been allowed to establish their own government, a right already extended to Alaska Natives and 564 Native American tribes.

With a final vote pending in the U.S. Senate and Hawaii-born President Obama on their side, the nation's 400,000 Native Hawaiians could earn federal recognition as soon as this month - and the land, money and power that comes with it. They measure passed the U.S. House last month.

Many Native Hawaiians believe this process could help right the wrongs perpetuated since their kingdom was overthrown in 1893. They also point to the hundreds of thousands who died from diseases spread by foreign explorers before the kingdom fell.

Read the rest of the article here.

Copyright © The Seattle Times Company