Volunteer Check List

Volunteer Check List
If you want to volunteer here is what is needed:

1. Get your passport! That costs about $175 - get it at your local post office and pay for expedited service

2. Join the volunteer's forum (http://grou.ps/healthfreedomvolunteers): you can find the link and more information at http://www.natsol.org

3. When ready to plan your arrival, let me know so we can discuss your participation. This is a prerequisite for us to be able to recommend to the Trustees that we accept the offer to volunteer. We have Volunteer Application, Agreement, Health Form documents that need to be completed BEFORE you come. Contact Ralph Fucetola, ralph.fucetola@gmail.com, Patricia Espinosa, panamapatricia@yahoo.com or Dr. Rima, releyes@gmail.com.

4. Buy a round trip ticket to Panama City: cost about $350 plus $5 for the 90 day Tourist Visa that you buy while waiting for the airplane (the Tourist Card says "30 days" but that's a typical Panama typo). Tourist Visa requires round trip tickets, but you can extend both and even cash-in the ticket later if you buy a refundable leg to your trip for your return.

5. A. Buy a cheap cell phone when you get to Panama City - about $20 - and buy a $10 card so you can communicate. Everyone uses cell phones in Panama.

B. Buy a bus ticket (under $15) from Panama City to David (the third largest city in Panama and the capital of Chiriqui Province). It's on the hot Pacific Coast but the project is up in the cool mountains by the town of Volcan. The bus ride is about 6 hours; you can also fly to David, $90 one way; 45 minute flight on either Aeroplerlas (also called "  Air") or Air Panama.

6. If someone from the project is going to be in David that day, we can pick you up. If not, its a cheap bus ride to Volcan and the HQ is a couple blocks walk from the "Round Restaurant" where the bus can drop you off or we can pick you up there.

7. What to bring: first of all, if you have a lot of luggage and you are flying, you will pay an astonishing amount for excess baggage weight over 25 lbs.  So we suggest that you take one small bag with you on the plane and give the rest to our friend, Manuel, in Panama City when he takes you to the airport for your flight to David.  He will put it on a Flete Chevales truck and it will arrive in Volcan the next day for about $5 per bag.  He is honest and this system works very well. 

Please bring waterproof boots, a good rain jacket with a hood (it rains heavily here when it rains), jeans or other work clothes, short sleeve shirts (a couple of long sleeve ones, too) a light weight jacket for the evenings, a sweater, and not very many dressy clothes. There is pretty much no need for them since this is a pretty informal town. Hiking or work boots are absolutely essential and you will also need sneakers, sandals. The temperature is always, day and night, all year, between 65 - 80 degrees, but there is a very rainy season, so be prepared for wet weather but pleasant temperatures. People work early in the morning before the mid afternoon rains and then go out in the evening after the rain have stopped. That why the houses have deep porches to hang out on while it rains. If you have a laptop, bring it, since you'll have wireless internet at the HQ and at the Volunteer House and you may well be asked to do things that require a laptop for the VotM. 

8. Learn enough Spanish to get by. Many people there who you'll deal with speak some English.

Please make sure to get a letter of acceptance from the VotM before you make your travel plans.  You need to know that opportunities for Supported Volunteers do exist, but are very limited.  Self Sustaining Volunteers will be expected to contribute $500 for a couple per month and $400 for a single person per month which includes your room, board (organic meat, veggies, eggs, dairy products, etc.), and internet but does not include your personal expenses or transportation, phone costs, clothing, medical costs or other personal costs.

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