Called to serve: First day as volunteers

Well, we have arrived (Tues. night 9:30 pm; about 23 hrs. after leaving home)! And after a day of campus orientation (Wed), today (Thurs) have jumped into our roles of maintenance and housekeeping duties along with the other 15 or so volunteers.

We departed Newark airport at 10:30 am Tues, and after about a 6 hr. flight, plus a 5 hr. layover in San Francisco, we boarded our final 5 1/2 hr. flight for Maui. Virgin America airlines opens passenger bidding on unused First Class seating about 1 hr. before boarding and we were fortunate to secure 2 of these seats on the San Fran/Maui portion at a highly discounted rate. The roominess, reclining seats and dinner were wonderful.

This month there are no training sessions at the Institute so much of the work to be done is thorough, periodic cleaning of areas more difficult to do when the conference is in full session. Also, going on is some major commercial upgrading of guest room furniture and replacement of carpets in halls and conference rooms that need cleaning up after the contractors are finished.

Leon spent part of the morning helping the guys manually unloading cartons of 200 pound, 6 ft. credenzas and desks from the tailgate of a shipping container trailer. Then on to mopping and vacuuming floors and cleaning the numerous public restrooms in the conference center. Karen joined a team of women involved in "deep-cleaning” the many, presently empty guest rooms. She was given a 6-page manual to study on the specific procedures to follow when performing her duties properly. One of the “old-timer” volunteers here told us that the standard of cleanliness and hospitality here is higher than the hospital and the Ritz-Carlton as attested by the food safety inspectors and the pest control persons, who inspect all public institutions on the island.

We are already enjoying our first day of hard work, fun co-worker volunteers and the incredible surroundings of this tropical paradise. A late afternoon dip in the facility’s pool, made the sweaty, tired-muscled bodies quickly rejuvenate.