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Service Team Handbook Team Leader Section. January 2019.
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Service Team HandbookTeam Leader Section January 2019
As the Service Team leader, you are responsible for putting together a team of people who are not only excited about traveling to El Hogar and interacting with the students, but who also have an interest in forming an ongoing relationship with El Hogar. The Team Leader is there to ensure that the trip not only goes smoothly from beginning to end, but to also make sure that the team members are well-prepared before, during, and after their trip. El Hogar is here to help you with any questions you might have regarding your trip from early planning until after you return. Our Coordinator of North American Relations in Honduras, Erika Skafel, is always ready to answer your questions. She can be reached via email at eskafel@elhogar.org.
Assembling a Team Tips & Regulations
Assembling a Team – Tips & Regulations • Maximum size for a team is 15 • If your group is too small, we can also help you find a group to join. • Minimum age for team members is 15 • It is advised that those with serious medical or stress-induced conditions not participate on service teams • Reasons: • Work involves manual labor • Medical facilities in Honduras are NOT the same as in North America • Conditions can be uncomfortable at times: • Unfamiliar foods • Unfamiliar beds • Lack of air conditioning • Seeing extreme poverty • Difficult terrain for those with mobility issues • Please prescreen prospective team members who may have conditions that would make their time in Honduras difficult and encourage those people to find alternative ways to support El Hogar.
Checklist and Timetable All payments should be made out to El Hogar Ministries and should be sent to our North American headquarters at: El Hogar Ministries 21 Cummings Park Drive, Suite 238 Woburn, MA 01801
Fundraising One way to cover project expenses (at least $2,500) is through fundraising activities. Benefits: • Builds team morale and relationships among the team members • Removes the burden for members of the group (it’s suggested that they each pay for their own airfare and other costs as a “buy-in” for the trip) • Raises awareness of the group’s trip and their relationship with El Hogar • Gives the community a chance to take part in the project Fundraising Ideas: • Bake sales • Car washes • Special dinner events It’s also a good idea to ask if your church or organization supplies grant money for short-term service trips.
Group Guidelines Your group will be living in close quarters that will, at times, be outside of the comfort zone of some people. Group guidelines are agreements among all of the group members about how some situations will be handled during your time in Honduras. We suggest that you try to set these norms before you leave. Examples include: • To keep your bunk and suitcase area neat and clean • To set a “quiet time” within the volunteer house • To let others know if something is wrong or if you will not able to participate in a particular activity • Agreeing to not use phones during your time at El Hogar
Preparatory Meetings and Activities It’s critical that you organize meetings of the team that will be traveling to El Hogar to prepare them for the trip. These meetings will offer the opportunity to share all of the information with members that is needed for them to prepare, while also giving them an opportunity to grow close as a team. It’s a good idea to hold at least three meetings so that team members are not overwhelmed by getting all of the information they need at one time. We’ve included three sample meeting agendas that you could use as guides to help you plan these important meetings. Establishing Your Team Hold an initial informational meeting to gauge interest in the trip and to provide an overview of all that will be involved for those who might be interested. Use this opportunity to hand out the necessary forms that will be required from all team members. Your preparatory meetings will help the team to grow closer, but additional time/activities together can really go a long way. You can find a variety of activities by doing a quick web search, but you can also get suggestions by contacting Erika Skafel at eskafel@elhogar.org.
Preparatory Meetings and Activities – Sample Agenda 1 • Introductions of team members • Why are we going on this trip (hopes, expectations, etc.) • Outline of costs involved • Decide fundraising projects • Decide who is paying for what • Flight information (what flight, how to get tickets, etc.) • Possibly assign a team member to coordinate this • Advise team members to visit their doctors or a travel clinic • Show and hand out the Service Team Handbook and ask various team members to prepare to report on a particular part of it at your next meeting. Other topics for discussion can include the history, politics, climate, geography, and economics of Honduras. • Assess knowledge of the Spanish language among the team members • Provide the Spanish phrase/dictionary handout • Collect the Participant Agreement, Participant Application, Waiver, and $250 deposit from each participant • Schedule your next meeting
Preparatory Meetings and Activities – Sample Agenda 1 Handouts • Questionnaire for team member contact information/degree of Spanish language proficiency/special skills • Service Team Handbook (print out copy or provide link and require reading before your next meeting) • Liability Waiver • Photo Opt-Out form
Preparatory Meetings and Activities – Sample Agenda 2 • Verify that plane tickets have been purchased and provide members with information (flight number, day, time, meeting location, etc.) • Update on fundraising efforts (completed tasks, amount raised, amount still needed, how to thank donors, etc.) • Hand out packing list and go over in detail • Go over list of items from El Hogar’s list of needed items (available from Erika Skafel at eskafel@elhogar.org) • Discuss insurance coverage (international coverage individuals have, coverage provided by your church or organization, etc.) • Discuss group guidelines • Confirm contact information of team members for the Arrival and Roster Form • Hold a team building exercise • Schedule your next/final meeting
Preparatory Meetings and Activities – Sample Agenda 2 Handouts • Flight information • Packing list • List of items needed by El Hogar
Preparatory Meetings and Activities – Sample Agenda 3 • Go over the packing list again • Answer any remaining questions • Revisit any hopes or fears that team members might have • Go over final fundraising information (remaining tasks) • Setup a time for packing supplies that are being taken to El Hogar • Setup transportation to the airport for your departure to Honduras and your arrival home • Final Reminders • Ask all team members to leave a copy of their passport with a family member or friend (in case of loss) • Ensure all team members know flight information and schedules (hand out tickets when you arrive at the airport) • Ask team members to pack any necessary medications • Finalize group guidelines • Final team building exercise
Team Leader Responsibilities While at El Hogar As the Team Leader, there are responsibilities and tasks that you will need to take care of during your stay at El Hogar. You are the point person for any questions or needs that might arise. It is your responsibility to bring any requests or comments to the attention of Erika Skafel. Examples of some of your responsibilities include: • Ensuring that all team members are where they need to be (breakfast, work project, etc.) on time • Ensuring that there is always bottled water available in the volunteer house • Ensuring that any problems or issues are promptly reported to staff (illness, broken equipment, etc.) • Ensuring that the team is flexible and that the work that is expected of them is completed • Holding a debrief each evening and including, if possible, Matt Engleby and/or Erika Skafel in your final meeting
Team Leader Responsibilities When YouReturn Home As the team leader, it’s important that you make time for your team to meet after returning home from El Hogar. This is important for a number of reasons: • Easing reentry into your community • You and your team members will see poverty and situations in Honduras that are unheard of in North America and this can leave a lasting impression that can make going home more difficult than some people may think. • Sharing experiences and memories • Contact other churches or community organizations to ask if you can speak about your experiences at El Hogar in an effort to build support. • This is an opportunity to share your experiences (highs and lows) of the trip, to show photos that may have been taken by team members, and to talk about the possibility of returning again in the future. • Deciding how to continue supporting El Hogar • Teams often return with a keen interest to continue supporting El Hogar in a variety of ways. These include: • Becoming a Sponsor (Child, Academic, or Sponsor of Hope), or make a donation • Holding fundraisers for our students (i.e. Friend a Child) • You can even invite a member of El Hogar’s North American staff, such as Executive Director Tim Monroe (or Honduran Executive Director Matt Engleby) to speak to your organization or church. This helps to build wider support for El Hogar within your organization and community. • Contact any local companies or foundations to inquire about financial support for El Hogar.
Tips for Youth Teams Traveling with youth teams presents a particular set of issues for you to keep in mind as a team leader. During the duration of the trip, these youth are your responsibility. Some tips to keep in mind when preparing to bring a youth team to El Hogar: • Parents of youth are expected to learn about El Hogar and Honduras • Youth teams require more supervision • We suggest that you have a ratio of one adult for every four students • Minimum age for visiting El Hogar as a team member is 15 or the ninth grade • Ensure that parents provide contact information and any necessary forms for their children traveling outside of the country without them • There is a process that may be in place at the airport in Tegucigalpa that may lengthen the time it takes to check-in for departing flights • All minors must report to Minor Control at the airport BEFORE checking in with their airline • It is required that their Team Leader or their parent accompany them to the counter • This requirement may change at any time
Service Team HandbookBackground Information January 2019
Background Information History of El Hogar Links to All Necessary Forms El Hogar’s Centers El Hogar Contact List
History of El Hogar This timeline illustrates the highlights that have occurred over the nearly 40-year history of El Hogar.
History of El Hogar El Hogar began in 1979 when several members of the of the Episcopal Church in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, felt moved to address the deplorable situation of the children abandoned to the streets. They began with five boys who they brought to a rented house to give them a safe place to sleep, food to eat, the love they needed, and an education. It’s been nearly 40 years since those first five boys and El Hogar has graduated around a1,000 children. Our organization in Honduras now includes an elementary school, a Technical Institute, an agricultural property, and a Girls’ campus. Until the establishment of our own private school in 1990, the El Hogar boys (ages five to 16) attended the public school in the community through the available six grades, at which time they left the center. We came to realize that our job was not done, as they still had no home, no one to care for them, and no job skills. In 1984, St. Mary’s Technical Institute was built with a grant from the United Thank Offering and from U.S. Aid to Industrial Development. The original buildings were actually built by the boys, supervised by volunteers. This was a modern, residential vocational school for 66 teenage boys, where they continued their academic education (with our own teachers). We also put them in well-equipped shops where they could learn from competent instructors to become carpenters, furniture builders, metal workers, or electricians. Since the boys from the Elementary campus of don’t fill the institute, we accept applicants from throughout Honduras. This provides opportunities for a good education to poor boys who otherwise wouldn’t receive any further education beyond elementary.
History of El Hogar In February 2005, the Technical Institute relocated to a new property in the Amarateca Valley, about 30 minutes outside of Tegucigalpa. A capital campaign raised over $1.5 million to make this move possible and the new Institute was dedicated in February 2008. Since the beginning, the vision was to have a third center offering an alternative course of study in agriculture and farming, for our boys who prefer this direction for their career. The Agricultural School was dedicated in February of 1993. In 2007, we expanded our work to include girls from elementary school through high school. In 2011 we purchased a piece of property in Santa Lucia about 20 minutes from Tegucigalpa where the high school girls live and attend a private high school. In 2017, the first group of four of high school girls graduated from our program. We have realized much growth from the original five boys to up to 250 boys and girls in our care. We have a capable Honduran staff who serve as role models for our children. Our children learn, by instruction and example, of the love of God. They are baptized and confirmed in the Episcopal Church. We are not funded by the national Episcopal Church or by the Diocese of Honduras, although we sometimes receive grants from the National Church. Our primary funding comes from many caring individuals from the United States and Canada, plus churches, Rotary Clubs, schools, universities, and corporations.
History of El Hogar A large part of our work, besides oversight of the day-to-day operations of the program in Honduras, is to visit churches and groups in North America to tell the exciting El Hogar story, and to seek support and involvement in this program. We are hopeful that, as you learn more about what El Hogar is doing in Honduras, you will think of ways that we can share this story in your area, and involve more people in this work.
El Hogar’s Centers Elementary Campus - Claudia Castro, Director El Hogar de Amor y Esperanza (The Home of Love and Hope) This four-acre oasis in the middle of Tegucigalpa provides a home and education for over 100 boys and girls. These children come from poor rural and urban areas in Honduras. Children attend academic classes in the morning and enrichment classes (baking, silk screening, etc.) in the afternoon. They also have plenty of time to play and be children. Colorful murals and gardens are found throughout the campus, which provide a sense of peace and home for our students.
El Hogar’s Centers Technical Institute – Lazaro Juarez, Director InstitutoTecnico Santa Maria (St. Mary’s Technical Institute) This eight-acre campus is located in the Amarateca Valley, about half an hour outside of Tegucigalpa. The boys there range from grades seven through ten. The students have a full academic curriculum and the attend workshops that specialize in one of three areas: carpentry, welding, and electrical work (includes appliance repair). Students produce items for sale, including furniture and gate grills. A number of the students at the Institute come from our Elementary campus. The Technical Institute also accepts young men into the program from poor families who can pass an entrance exam.
El Hogar’s Centers Agricultural School – Yony Aguilera, Director Escuela Agricola de Amor y Esperanza (The Agricultural School and Farm) Closed temporarily during the transition period to our new co-ed middle and high school facility. This 240-acre property is located an hour outside of Tegucigalpa in Talanga.
El Hogar’s Centers High School Girls Home – Claudia Castro, Director La Casa de Niñas El Hogar (El Hogar for High School Girls) This home, nestled on a hillside just outside of Tegucigalpa in the town of Santa Lucia, is home to girls in grades seven through eleven. The campus includes a vegetable garden, fruit trees, and expansive valley views. The campus has a maximum capacity of space for up to 25 girls. The girls attend a local high school where they have academic classes and preparation for University. This location does not currently provide volunteer accommodations.
Links to All Necessary Forms • Service Team Application to Reserve a Week - bit.ly/2UUelTP • Service Team Participant Application - bit.ly/2HATI9b • Service Team Participant Agreement - bit.ly/2GdoO4x • Service Team Roster - bit.ly/2RpyLh3 • Service Team Arrival Form - bit.ly/2XA2mIa • Service Team Adult Liability Form - bit.ly/2KXc7yt • Service Team Minor Liability Form - bit.ly/2PunqNc • Service Team Photo Opt-Out Form - bit.ly/2GH5X1C
