Volunteer Life at Kalani

To read about life from some of our volunteers' point of view, check out: Volunteer Reflections, Aloha My 'Ohana - Letter from a Departed Volunteer, Fireworks at Kalani (video made by Kalani volunteers), Christina's Reflections, Some Friendly Advice,  Musings on Kalani, and many others that you can check out on the Kalani Blog.

Community Life

Kalani's community is comprised of guests, staff, and volunteers. We form a group of like-minded individuals who value interdependence, mutual respect, integrity and responsibility while living together.

This type of community living is less common in western culture and it does take getting used to. Often we hear it takes about two weeks to settle in.  Personal boundaries are sometimes tested, and patience and tolerance are daily ingredients. We ask you to treat everyone with respect, starting with yourself. When living with others, resolving conflicts is an art that we can all learn and practice.  This is living, playing and working all with the same people.

Most volunteers comment that living and assisting within the community was the most powerful and rewarding aspect of their Kalani experience. Allow yourself to be amazed by others and grow with your community.         

Volunteer Benefits

In exchange for providing service to departments, volunteers receive a wide range of benefits, including, and in no way limited to:

Enjoy three delicious chef-created meals a day Experience your choice of more than 40 Kalani classes and activities scheduled each week (including yoga, Sundance and Hawai’ian culture) Unwind with discounted massages and bodywork Relax in the outdoor hot tubs or clothing-optional pool Work out in the gym Let off steam in the Sauna or make use of our Ceremonial Lodge Visit town or the local farmers’ market on the weekly  van runs  Explore the beauty of the Big Island on one of the monthly Volunteer adventures (e.g. Volcanoes National Park, Akaka Waterfalls)  Spend your evenings among friends, celebrating at a variety of special gatherings, listening to talks, dancing at DJ’d events, open mic, etc. Weekly `ohana night activities, such as movies, costume parties, bonfires  Enjoy discounted or free participation in some guest workshops Enjoy reduced rates on excursions A week of vacation time for 3 month program or half a week for 2 month program A journal to help you to reflect and document your Kalani experience  Living less than a mile from beautiful, black sand Kehena beach Opportunity to live in a diverse community of people from all over the world An affordable way to spend an extensive period of time in Hawaii Live near an active volcano! Reduced rate for returning volunteers

Many current and past volunteers have asked us to describe, in more detail, the things that happen aside from the responsibilities associated with volunteer work. Every individual's experience at Kalani is unique, so we recommend reading  the Kalani Blog for personal descriptions of what life at Kalani can be like. 

Volunteers come to Kalani for many reasons, such as:

• Enjoying a retreat from work/study/city life/stress
• Experiencing nature
• Working on self, mind and body
• Becoming part of a community
• Healing
• Transformation
• Letting GO!!!

Community Rules

As with any communal situation, there are set boundaries that volunteers, as well as guests and staff, are expected to follow. These boundaries, while broad enough to allow for personal expression, are important to respect.

We expect all participants to demonstrate a positive attitude and to act with integrity and honesty. In addition, we ask all volunteers to follow these rules:

• Quiet time: 10 pm - 7 am
• No smoking on property except in designated areas
• Punctuality for work
• No music or movie watching without headphones
• No large internet downloads during business hours