Hedonisia Hawaii Sustainable Community Rainforest Retreat
Volunteer FAQ
1) Do you accept Volunteers with Children?
2) What is your Volunteer Pet Policy?
3) Do you provide Food to Volunteers?
4) What is the Maximum Stay for a Volunteer after the Tryout Period?
5) Do I have to Volunteer on Public Holidays?
7) What are the Hedonisia Guidelines regarding: Visitors and Overnight Guests?
8) Do you accept Volunteers under 18 years old?
9) How many people are living/working at Hedonisia Hawaii?
10) Is it possible to have a Second job/Earning Income?
12) Do you allow Volunteers Flexible Work Hours? Can I take extra days off??
13) "I am a man/woman over 40 years of age". Is it still okay for me to be a Volunteer?
1) Do you accept Volunteers with Children?
- We offer Volunteer possibilities on a case-by-case basis depending on the parent's skills in some of the work projects we have at Hedonisia. We do try to be flexible with work as we know that children have their own timetable and needs! Because a child cannot be a volunteer they are always considered a Guest. Our child rate is $5 per day per child. This applies to single parents and couples.
- All parents are completely responsible for the care of their children as well as any detrimental effects they may have on Guests, Volunteers and on the property itself. We like to maintain a peaceful & harmonious space in the communal living areas. If you have a child who is creating a disturbance please take your child on a nice walk or a drive to a place that is not disrupting the volunteers or guests on the property.
- Please be aware that we have a deep volcanic crater on the property- so it is absolutely essential that a child does not enter or play in this crater unless accompanied by an adult.
2) What is your Volunteer Pet Policy?
- Hedonisia Hawaii is pet friendly. We allow pets to stay for a one-time flat rate charge of $30 for small dogs or cats and $50 for large dogs. All pet owners are completely responsible for the care of their animals as well as cleaning up any mess that they make. This is especially important with regards to any detrimental effects they may have on Guests, Volunteers and on the property itself.
- For Guests staying in the Jungle Cottage there is is an additional $50 Cleaning Charge and $50 DAMAGE DEPOSIT. The deposit is refundable if owner and pet leave without any incident. There is no charge for Special Needs dogs (with supporting documents).
3) Do you provide Food from your Farm to Volunteers?
- Part of a Volunteer's Registration Payment is considered an Agricultural Farming Produce Fee. This means that any food plants growing on the property is free for Volunteers to use. Here is a Inventory of Hedonisia Plants inlcuding all edibles that we grow on property.
Crops grown on the property can count for up to 20% of your foods needs! However be sure to have enough funds to buy food for your remaining needs as Guests and Volunteers are responsible for their own food. We have private food lockers to store your personal food items. - There is also a Communal Food Area where foodstuffs that are donated or left behind by previous guests are available for Volunteers to use.
- As part of your pick-up fee from the airport we always stop by the grocery store so you can stock up! Otherwise there are a number of supermarkets and health food stores in the area. Hedonisia is defined as, "A community of independent individuals (and couples)!". Occasionally, as a group, we share our food and eat our meals together, but those times are voluntarily random and spontaneous. Normally, Volunteers are responsible for their own food.
- Be sure to ask us where the Food Gardens are. We are a community of independent individuals who are responsible for their own cooking. However, you can always cook with other community members in our beautiful Jungle Kitchen!
- Attention WWOOFers: Unlike traditional WWOOF establishments Hedonisia requires less work a day (3 hours) with weekends off. However, unlike other Wwoofing farms, we do not provide food for WWOOFers.
4) What is the Maximum Stay for a Volunteer after the Trial Period?
- We do not automatically guarantee a long stay. However, if your work is acceptable you are able to adapt to Hedonisia community living then you can stay longer than the two-week Tryout Period. The cost is one day as a Guest for each additional week you Volunteer. So if you wish to stay for 6 extra weeks then you pay for 6 days. We typically have a limit on stay for 1 - 3 months, but our main limitation is the Volunteer's character. If the Volunteer fulfills his or her work above and beyond what is required, gets along fantastic with the other Volunteers and Guests, and has a wonderful personality- then we can extend the stay!
- In addition, if we cannot offer you a longer stay as a Volunteer then you can still stay on as a Paying Guest as long as there is availability and no serious infringements of the Fair-Trade Volunteer Termination of Stay Guidelines in which case you will be asked to leave.
- MANAGERS & FRIENDS OF HEDONISIA - Our Fair-Trade Volunteer Program is offered for up to 3 months. However, Hedonisia Assistant Managers, Sustainable Community Managers and Friends of Hedonisia often end up staying longer!
5) Do I have to Volunteer on Public Holidays?
- We are a very small establishment relying on Volunteer labor. Our "work shift" is 3 hours per day so it's not much. So on most holidays we just do volunteer work as usual in the morning and everyone has their afternoons off. However, on July 4, Christmas Day and New Years Day we just do a community cleaning shift in the morning and then work that is only an hour and a half.
6) I am a professional who normally earns a high rate of pay. Can the value of my professional work be reflected in my Volunteer hours if needed?
- Hedonisia Volunteer Trade is NOT a job for cash. While we are quite aware that skilled jobs like electrician, carpenter, masseuse or mechanic are paid at a much higher rate in the "real" world, at Hedonisia we value all work equally as a Volunteer contribution. We simply would not be able to survive otherwise.
- We do appreciate the help of professionals; in fact a person with specialist skills to offer can be accepted over other applicants if their skills are needed. This is especially true if the hostel is full. And for those with critically needed skills we can even offer Ocean View Hut which is normally not available for Volunteers.
- If you are a professional whose skills normally command a high salary then please be aware that it will be valued equally as any other job at Hedonisia. Please do not offer your professional services unless you accept that it will be valued equally as any other job at Hedonisia.
7) What are the Hedonisia Guidelines regarding Visitors and Overnight Guests?
- DAY VISITORS: Are the responsibility of the Guest or Volunteer who invited them. In other words, if you invite someone on the property you are responsible to ensure that they abide by ALL Visitor Regulations which are posted in The Barn. All Visitors need to be to told, by the Volunteer who invited them, that they must clean up after themselves. We hate cleaning up after a Visitor so if you are visiting, it is great to contrinbute in some way to Hedonisia either by washing some dishes, cleaning, weeding etc.
- Do not bring Visitors here with the expectation that they have a place to stay as a Volunteer. They must first be interviewed before we will accept them if space is available.
- No Visitors after 9pm unless okayed by Management.
- ALL Visitors must pay $5 for use of the internet regardless of whether they were a previous Volunteer or Guest.
8) Do you Accept Volunteers Under 18?
9) How many people are living/working at Hedonisia Hawaii?
- Our population varies by season. Hedonisia Hawaii has only 10 bed spaces on 3.72 acres of land, giving everyone the room to enjoy our peaceful jungle setting. Our usual (and ideal) population is between 6 and 16 people. Call in advance for information concerning large groups of volunteers wanting to stay together. Large groups will be assesed on a case by case basis.
10) Is it possible to have a Second job/Earning Income?
- With their extra time, many volunteers have worked at second jobs. We even allow volunteers to do small scale private business activities on the property as long as permission is sought beforehand and the hostel operations are not affected adversely. There are a number of farmers and Individuals who occasionally hire Hedonisians to do landscaping, gardening, or light construction work. Sometimes they give us a call to see if there are any Hedonisian Volunteers available. Otherwise you can look on the notice boards of the Health Food shops in the area for work opportunities.
11) How safe is it for Hitchhiking on Hawaii Island. What is transportation like on the island?
- Hitchhiking is safe and easy on the island, but as with most places in the world there are some criminal types on the island. Hedonisia Hawaii has never suffered from theft yet and we would like to keep it that way. If you have a ride to the property it is usually convenient for the driver to drop you off at the end of the street. If they would like to bring you directly to the property, have them drop you off at the entrance, ESPECIALLY if the driver is a male.
- Paid Driving Services: We do offer paid lifts to various locations on the island for those who don't have cars. Just reserve with one of the Managers. For a list of our Driving Services click here.
- Free Lifts: As well, there are often Volunteers and Guests with their own cars who may offer a free lift. However, please understand that anyone who gives you a lift is doing so because they feel like it. Be appreciative; you may ask but do not expect people to give you rides. And if they do it is often a courtesy to at least offer them something for gas expenses.
- Public Transport: There is a skeletal free bus service on the island. Click here for info of the Hele-on Bus Service.
12) Do you allow Volunteers Flexible Work Hours? Can I take extra days off?
- Volunteer Trade is usually done on a day-to-day basis. However, as long as permission is sought beforehand, volunteers may work in advance and "bank" their hours so they can enjoy up to 3 free days without work. However, this is at the Manager's discretion as some volunteer activities require a daily commitment. If we are doing a special project then you may have the opportunity to work extra hours on that day to have the next day or days off. Once your shift is over you will not be asked to for help again that day unless there is a special project to complete.
- Volunteers are NOT allowed to owe hours. However, if you wish to have an extra day off for any reason or if you take a day off then we offer a Special Volunteer Discount rate of $15 for any day that you do NOT want to work!
- Normally a volunteer shift is from 9:30am to 12:30pm. If you need to adjust this time, ALWAYS see a manager before hand, not after the fact.
- IMPORTANT: Some Volunteers get "caught up in the moment" in our island paradise; they may decide to camp on the beach for a few days and then not show up at their work time. Volunteers have responsibilities and we are very flexible but we need to be notified if a Volunteer is not going to be showing up for work.
There is also a safety issue; a Volunteer might not be showing up to work because something has happened to them. So under the Fair-Trade Volunteer Program, if a Volunteer does not show up on the property for 48 hours we will try to contact them. If this is unsuccessful we will file a Missing Persons Report with the police.
If a Volunteer does not show up for work without notifying us we will give one warning. But once we have to call the police then the person's Volunteer status is over. However, they may stay on as a Paying Guest and are welcome to apply back to be a Volunteer again in a month's time.
13) "I am a man/woman over 40 years of age". Is it still okay for me to be a Volunteer at Hedonisia?
At Hedonisia we accept people of all ages, sexual orientations, races, physical abilities and ages! Our aim is to encourage people from all walks of life to have an ecological working vacation where they learn new skills and ideas that they can possibly bring back and practice when they return home.
However, over the years we noticed that we tend to have the most problems with middle aged to older adults as volunteers and/or managers at Hedonisia. In a nutshell, we want the experience and wisdom of those who are older combined with youthful enthusiasm, idealism and willingness to learn.
Especially, we want adults who have no problem working under and taking instructions from someone who is younger. That seems to be very difficult for some adults. And the more experienced they are, the harder it is sometimes for them to work and live with younger folks!
At Hedonisia we see older and younger as equal. Though it may not always seem apparent, younger people can have deep wisdom too. In this fast changing modern world the young have different experiences which are often so valuable to teach the older. It is not like in the old days where knowledge was passed on from generation to generation. Now the information flow often goes the other way with the young making new innovations and teaching the older. We respect that.
So as long as you are okay with younger people as equals then there should be no problem. Many people in their forties to sixties have greatly enjoyed their time here. However, we usually recommend the two-week tryout and then we see how it goes from there.
Hedonisia Hawaii Fair-Trade Volunteer Online Application Form