Items that you need to accomplish soon…
1) Everyone that is remotely interested need to apply for your
passport! If you have a passport, please check to see that the
expiration date is 6 months past June 25, 2011.
2) Vaccines up to date–plus Hep A and Hep B. At a travel clinic, you
will need to get your typhoid shot and your prescription for Malaria
medication.
3) Think about how you want to fund raise. If we get several people
that want to go in the Detroit area, we can have a fund raiser in a
restaurant. HOLIA is a 501(3) c non profit. The easiest and
effective way to raise money for your trip is to email your friends
and family with a letter telling what you are going to do, where and
why you feel this is important to you, post that letter also on your
facebook page requesting donations, raise money at your work or your
parents work and let your church know. Also, many times your favorite restaurant will let you have 1 night that a percentage of the proceeds can go to your trip. I will present a slideshow and/or info to any organization if you want me to–just let me know. People want to help–they just want it to be used for a good cause. Do not be afraidto ask for help.
NO ONE should decide NOT to go because of the cost.
I really feel that this particular trip will be a trip of a lifetime.
I have so enjoyed all that we have done in Haiti but this trip is
unique and special–you will see. If people need a tax donation, they
can write the check out to Hands of Light in Action and in the memo
section put your name. Hands of Light in Action can then issue you a
check of your donations up to the cost of your plane ticket and the cost of Haiti trip. If needed, I can send you HOLIAs logo

letterhead for your volunteer donation letter.
4) Keep an eye on ticket prices to PAP. Seems like the best day to
buy a ticket is on Tues to PAP. The Detroit ticket price has been
around $430.

Depending on how many people end up volunteering, this price might be
lowered but at this time because of water, rice, beans, car rental,
paying translators/security, ect–the total cost including
transportation is $350/person for 1 week or $550/peron total for longer
stays. The cost that is knocking us out of the water is the rental
car and gas costs. For 3 weeks, a rental SUV or truck is going to be
approx $4000. I am planning to stay in tents with the kids as are
other hardy adults plus Camp Hope is letting some of the volunteers
stay in their homes. They have indicated that they are trying to open
up 2 of their homes for us. Mom will be staying about 10 minutes away
at Love and Peace Hotel where there is air conditioning. Others are
also welcome to do this. The approx cost for a hotel room is $45/night. 2
people are able to stay in 1 room.

I have 2 tents–each one can fit 3 adults. I also have a few mosquito
nets. As it gets closer, we will pool what we have and figure out
what we need. Any parent that is worried about the tenting. Do not!
We are tenting in Camp Hope. Camp Hope will have many houses built
by June so there might be a chance that at least 1 bed in several
houses might be available. Also if anyone has problems with the heat,
we will move them into Love and Peace Hotel with my Mom and who ever
else stays there. We will be purchasing water but I also have a water
filter and will be bringing down water tabs. We will bring down some
of our own food such as snack bars, peanut butter, breakfast packets
but I will write about that later.
We will cook with our solar “hot” pots.

Our main objectives —
1)Teaching and organizing 350-500 children from 4 villages drills in soccer,
volleyball and basketball.
2)We will also be teaching the parents how to coach the kids in the future.
3)We will be setting up the first soccer, basketball and volleyball
leagues in Haiti for these 4 villages.
Many children will be playing without shoes or will be borrowing
someones shoes when on the court. I hope that we will be able to
bring down tshirts for the kids with 4 different colors so we know
what village is which. The older Haitian kids will be helping us
along with some of the adults. Camp Hope has 1700 residents that made
it to Fond Parisean after the earthquake. They all were from Port Au
Prince and surrounding area. The injured were dragged, carried, ect
sometimes for 1 week to get to Fond Parisean. Some of the children
will be amputees or disabled. All children will be allowed to play.

Other activities–
4) Help with painting houses or doing finishing work on houses
5) Warehouse organization or setting up for food/clothing distribution
6) Assisting with the actual distribution of items in remote villages
7) Working with malnutritioned babies and updating any patients in Camp Hope
8) Have a discussion about trash pickup and have a couple of trash
pickup days with all the teams participating in the areas of Fond
Parisean and Camp Hope.
9) Camp Hope and our volunteers are going to have fun classes on
English/French Creole with exchanges on both sides
10) Art therapy projects for the kids.
10) Hiking for any interested
11) Tour around PAP to see the effects of the earthquake.

For our teenagers that are going, Haiti is very religious. The kids
do not swear and have a strong faith. They are very loving kids.
Even the boys will hold hands with their friend. It is accepted. You
will occasionally see a young adult male holding hands with another
adult male. ALL that means is that they are close friends and are
sharing a moment.

Adrianne, Carly and Diana plus my Mom are all return volunteers–their
emails are included. Feel free to ask them questions also if you have
any concerns. I feel Camp Hope is totally safe. We have continguency
plans if anything should arise including medical needs. Love A Child
Orphanage is 1/2 mile down the road with a clinic and staff. The camp
and LAC know we are coming and are in total agreement and support.
Camp Hope would place themselves in danger before they would allow one
of us to be hurt. Fond Parisean–where we are—is like a safe bubble
in Haiti. It is away from Port Au Prince where occ riots take place.
I have sent over 150 volunteers this last year and none of them have
been injured or put in an unsafe position. I consider all my
volunteers–including my Mom–my children and I keep track of them
all–seriously! That said–the teenagers must follow the rules and we
will go over them before and during the time that we are down there.
The only incident we had in over 1 year in Haiti was that 1 person had
a severe reaction to the Malaria meds–he was treated and finished his
1 month volunteering there.

Well I guess this is a start to answering your questions… When you
have firm dates, let me know and I will put you down for those dates.
Any further questions, please ask. If not, you will hear from me occ
right now but more frequently as the trip gets closer.
We will Change the World in 4 Villages–you will see! Just the look
on those kids faces will be everything! This is HUGE HUGE for them!
They can not wait to interact with USA young adults!

Thank you all!

Nancy Malone
Founder/President
Hands of Light in Action