Our First Day of Volunteer Service in St. Lucia

We hit the ground running after arriving the evening of November 10th into St. Lucia. Our initial day for our two-week Global Volunteer Service Program was a full day of orientation activities beginning with a wonderful breakfast at Ben’s Hideaway. As we enjoyed our early breakfast, Michele provided welcoming introductory remarks. As is the tradition for Global Volunteers, each team member introduced themselves with a brief background intro followed by a memory activity to challenge one’s short-term capability to retain names. Emphasis on safety, precautions and concerns expressed by various team members were reviewed. Michele and Warren proceeded to cover the philosophy of service for Global Volunteers.  They also went over the twelve essential service’s for the St. Lucia Program. We were introduced to JJ’s Paradise Hotel staff which included; Sue (Manager), Kedoshia Emmanuel, and Tasia who are all kitchen/ server staff and Charlotte Felix, proprietor of the restaurant.

We traveled to Anse La Raye to integrate into the community for Church service/self-exploration of the town. We met with the primary community leaders and support personnel from the Anse La Raye area with whom we would be working during our two weeks stationed. We then returned to JJ’s for lunch and the remaining parts of orientation.

During our afternoon orientation session, further team-building activities were continued. Everyone participated in developing the list of fifteen characteristics of and effective team, selecting punctuality, respect, flexibility, motivation and cooperation as the five stand-out qualities. Michele emphasized the need for all to express any concerns which they were experiencing, as soon as possible. We then proceeded to develop team goals, discuss assignments, and review advice from the previous teams. Each group them divided to discuss their assignments with fellow colleagues. The final volunteer to arrive, Barbara C., was introduced to all by Michele.

Our day concluded with a wonderful evening meal and further getting to know one another. We adjourned for the evening to rest so we could fully engage in our first full day, revitalized!

– Kathleen