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PLANNING A MISSION
TRIP
General volunteer information for out of town groups.
We at
Interfaith Housing Services really appreciate you considering our
agency as a possible site for your next mission trip. We always have
projects waiting and certainly can use your help!
This page is designed to
give you an overview of accommodations in Hutchinson Kansas and what
you can expect from IHS as well as what we will expect from you.
Housing
Hutchinson Community College - The most reasonable
accommodations are in the HCC Dorms. Their regular rate was $15.00
per night per room or $7.50 per person – for 2007. As far as I know,
this rate will be the same for 2008. They also have suites available
that will accommodate four (4) persons at $10.00 per person. Both the
women’s dorm, Kent Hall and the men's, Elland Hall, are located in the
1500 block of North Ford. Master Keys for all the rooms are given to
sponsors only. A lost key is an automatic $50.00 fee. Many of our
groups stay in the HCC dorms and always enjoyed it
All group members stay in one dorm, sometimes
with separate floors for men and women, but other times on the
same floor with men at one end of the hall and women at the other with
restrooms at both ends of each hall. Guests need to bring their own
bedrolls. The rooms are air-conditioned and each dorm has a nice
lounge area for group meetings, as necessary.
Unless already booked for Space Camp or a Sports Camp,
rooms are available on a first come first served basis, so firming up
dates and an approximate number of people as early as possible is
important.
NOTE: At least one week prior to arrival please notify
Jolyn at 620.662.8370 or
jolynr@IHS-Housing.org let her know that you the number of beds
you need for young men and male sponsors and for young women and
female sponsors.
Directions: To get to the
dorms go North on Plum to 15th and turn East one block to
Ford.
Important Information to
Adult Sponsors: IHS and HCC maintain a good relationship because our
volunteers are so courteous and respectful. Everyone cleans his/her
area, leaving no trash lying around. When dorm refrigerators are used
their are kept clean. Taking good care of the facility assures that
your group an other volunteers will be afford the pleasure of using it
again. Thank you for your cooperation. There may be students staying
in the dorms, please be considerate of them. They are still in school
and studying.
Alternative
Accommodations - If your denomination
or civic group has a sister church or group in Hutchinson, we can
inquire about their willingness to house your membership. This has
been done in the past by either staying at the church facility or by
inviting people to stay in various homes. If the church does not have
adequate shower facilities, either the church or IHS can arrange for
showers to be taken at the YMCA.
Kansas State Fairgrounds
Encampment Building - is available, but at this time rooms
are not air-conditioned, although this is planned for the future. It
is a concrete building, which makes it cooler and there are many
windows for a breeze. The large building has both big and small rooms
all with bunk beds. You must supply your own bedding. A kitchen and
dining area are available. The price is $10.00 per night per person
for 2008.
Hotels and Motels -
Local hotel and motel accommodations are listed on the
Hutchinson Convention and
Visitors Bureau website.
Meals
Depending on where a group
elects to stay, some provide their own meals, but for others meal
preparation is not possible. There are many ways to feed a group, and
by planning in advance, IHS can help. With a definite count on the
number of people to expect, we can often get churches and/or
restaurants to donate meals and snacks. When a meal is donated no one
can be too “picky.” For example, when hamburgers, fries and
drinks are donated from a fast food restaurant, all hamburgers are
dressed the same and all drinks are alike. We appreciate it very much
if each volunteer represents his/her group well and thank the hosts of
the meal. In the past, we have received meals and snacks from
Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, First Mennonite
Church, First Presbyterian Church, South Hutchinson Mennonite Church,
Pizza Hut, Anchor Inn, Sirloin Stockade, Dairy Queen, Smith’s Market,
members of a local AARP group, and Countryside Baptist Church, just to
name a few.
Special diets are difficult to accommodate but if we know in advance,
we do all we can to meet special needs.
We have found it is
difficult to get meals donated for groups larger than 30, however,
there are several ways you can still easily feed your group, and we
gladly help you in your planning.
Adult Sponsors and Youth information
IHS prefers that for every
seven youth group members them be at least one adult sponsor. In case
of an accident, a sponsor must stay with the group while another
sponsor goes to the docotor. Therefore, if your group had seven
members in the group, you need two sponsors. Each youth pastor/leader
must have medical and insurance information for each person. This is
vital in case of injury.
Safety
At IHS safety is always
first and we expect your group to do the same. Safety on
jobsites is of utmost importance!!! We want people to have fun, but
we never sacrifice safety for fun. We strive to assign the various
duties in an age appropriate manner. For example, volunteering grade
school children never go on a roof, but the are great help in cleaning
a client’s yard or helping paint on the lower level. We expect each
volunteer to be safety conscious and for youth sponsors and leaders to
speak to their group members when what they are doing is unsafe. Each
volunteer needs to bring his/her own work gloves and protective
eyewear.
Release Forms
Each youth must have a
release form signed by his parent or legal guardian. These are turned
in to IHS on the day you arrive. Anyone under age 18 without a
signed form cannot work. Adult volunteers also need to complete
and sign a release form. Release forms are not to be altered in any
way.
Insurance for volunteer accidents
IHS carries insurance to
help cover the costs of medical needs related to accidental injuries
on the jobsite. Our insurance policy is secondary to your own
coverage and helps to bridge the gap so you have no out of pocket
expense due to an accident. We pride ourselves on making safety a
priority and have experienced very few accidents over the years.
Please help us by making safety a priority when you are working as a
volunteer. All volunteers and/or their parents or legal guardians are
asked to sign a release form, which is incorporated into the work
log. In addition, there is a special release form that must be filled
out by parents of youth prior to their working on IHS projects.
Work Projects
Sometimes we do
new construction, sometimes we paint, roof, or do other rehab work at
a homeowner-occupied a house. Our project coordinator always has
several painting jobs lined up and often a couple of roofs to do. We
have 36 people on a waiting list for rehab work on their homes, so
there is always plenty to do.
Free Time
We want your trip
to include enjoyable leisure time activities and there mare many fun
and interesting things to do and see in Hutchinson.
YMCA -
By pre-arrangement, the YMCA offers
their shower facility free to our out of town volunteers. Once again,
please be respectful and courteous to ensure continued use by others.
The YMCA is located between Hutchinson High School and the Hutchinson
Community College campus. To get there go west of Plum on 11th Street.
(The Cosmosphere and Space Center are located at 11th &
Plum.) As you go East on 11th you pass the Blue Dragon
Football/Track Field, the Stringer Fine Art Center, the Sports
Arena. Turn into the lot on the East side of the Sports Arena and you
will see the YMCA directly in front of you. The actual address is 716
E. 13th. Busses can park in the Sports Arena lot across the
street.
Kansas
Cosmosphere & Space Center (11th & Plum) - This space
museum (an arm of the Smithsonian) helped with the movies “Apollo 13”
and “The Right Stuff.” The center is the complete package with
educational and enjoyable activities for all ages. Group rates for
tours of 15 ore more are available by rearrangement. The regular
features of the Cosmosphere include: Dr. Goddard’s Lab, the IMAX
Theatre, the Planetarium, and the Space Museum Tour. For more
information and current price listings visit
Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center.
Salt City Splash
(1601 S. Plum) - Go South on Plum
as far as you can and you are there! A great place to cool off
and relax after a hard day of work. The Splash features four pools,
slides, splash toys, and plenty of shade. For more information and
current price listings visit Salt
City Splash.
Kansas Splashdown
Water Park at the Grand Prairie Hotel (1400 N Lorraine) - The
totally indoor water park is open to the public with special rates
available for groups. For more information and current price
listings visit
Kansas Splashdown Water Park.
FOP Lake -
The Fraternal Order of Police makes their lake available in the
evening for IHS volunteers. After your evening meal a local police officer
will go to where you are staying so you can follow him to their
facilities. It is located near Fun Valley on West 4th
Street. Groups always enjoy time spent at the lake. This event requires pre-arrangement
with officers or FOP members. If you are interested please let us know
and we will make arrangements for you.
Underground
Salt Museum (Avenue G and Airport Road) -
Put on your hard hat and get ready to ride! Your
adventure at the Kansas Underground Salt Museum begins onboard a
double-decked elevator that takes you to the mine carved from ancient
salt deposits formed 275 million years ago...and on the way you
experience total darkness! Advanced reservations are recommended.
For information and current price listings visit
Kansas Underground Salt
Museum.
If you have questions or need additional help
in planning your trip, please contact:
Jolyn Rodman
Interfaith Housing Services
PO Box 1992, Hutchinson, KS 67504-1992
620.662.8370
jolynr@IHS-Housing.org
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