Volunteer Coordinator and Manager

United States

5

My stay was pretty good. I've met volunteers who are supportive with each other. I've explored the Hudson Valley Bridge and it was a fun and refreshing experience! The host was kind. She even ordered food for everyone, which was sweet! Overall, I had a good experience.

21 days ago

United States

5

My time at the guest house was fulfilling! I was opened up to new foods and great conversations with people whom I share interests with. During my down time I read or explored various local spots. Working hours are flexible and most of the work consists of keeping the house clean and managed. Susan has a wealth of knowledge about sustainability, psychology, and cooking. The household has different characters who equally bring personality. I hope to come back in the future for more :D

3 months ago

Colombia

5

Recommended experience, excellent host.

5 months ago

India

3

Nestled amidst the serene landscapes of Poughkeepsie, the guest house stands as a tranquil haven for the self-driven souls seeking a unique retreat. However, before embarking on your journey to this picturesque sanctuary, be prepared to embrace solitude and self-reliance, for this oasis caters to those who are willing to chart their own course. Transportation to the guest house proves to be a tale of independence from the very start. With no public transit in sight, the only companions on your journey will be UBER or Lyft.

3 months ago

Italy

5

It was an amazing experience. I found a safe place where people are good, willing to learn and improve the quality of life in the community. I liked the neighborhood and I enjoyed exploring the nature of the surrounding area. This trip has changed my life in a positive way and I wish the best to the people who will help grow this place in the future.

5 months ago

Netherlands

5

The house is an airBnB op a small road in a foresty area of poughkeepsie. Its very pretty but not greatly lit. Susan gives you the change to develop or do something with your own skills. Theres usually food in the house and you share a space for sleeping but have things between for privacy. Since this is an airBnB there are some housekeeping tasks to do which i probably read over so it took me by surprise the first day. But the people are really kind and interesting and its a nice location to get peace of mind. So it was a good time

7 months ago

United States

5

I've enjoyed incredible days with Susan, Her home felt is my own, nestled amid forests, far from the city, yet offering excellent WiFi Susan's cultures& religions respect is admirable. My advice to those considering a stay at Susan's house: Crave nature's immersion& organic food? Seek a positive environment? Wish to enhance English & experiences ? If you answered yes to any of these, then this opportunity is tailor-made for you. for those who have other motives, I recommend To agree with themselves first Finally, I am happy to be in constant contact with Susan after nice experience

10 months ago

Susan replied

Thank you Yacine. Your presence here has been a great blessing.

United States

5

The schedule and volunteer service is simple and straightforward. Susan is extremely intelligent, very respectful, and considerate and she's a very kind-hearted leader. She does her best to maintain a positive environment. Everyone I've met here was awesome and super friendly. Which made things easier... If you want to discover the true meaning of hospitality, understand how to work within a team, learn how to the guest house, and best of all, watch Lupin, I recommend volunteering here. I will always be grateful for everything I have learned here. This is no doubt an experience I will never forget.

about 1 year ago

Susan replied

We already miss Deandre. Wishing we could clone him, so there are hundreds like him in the world. My personal wish is that he goes on to touch lives, paying it forward, because he has that in him. We can all make a difference in the world, one person at a time.

United States

5

Susan was a great host and our stay was very hospitable. She's very thoughtful and attentive to her guests. A lot of people from all over come to stay in this lovely haven in Poughkeepsie, for the atmosphere and for the wonderful home cooked meals. Blessings to Susan for letting us stay here.

over 1 year ago

Susan replied

Thanks Chip! Best wishes for you in your travels. You were such a huge help here. I hope you find other great adventures!

United States

3

I really enjoyed my time with the other Worldpackers. As far as my time with Susan I just feel like things could have been a little better. I felt like I was always on call and even on off days would be asked to do things. There were a few times a felt my religion and dietary lifestyle weren't respected. I would try hard and do what I could with the knowledge I had and I feel like that wasn't even good enough based on Susan's reaction's. I just felt like it's all everyone else's fault except hers and it effected my mental health bad.

11 months ago

Susan replied

Sean was a pleasant, fun young man. I met him when he reached out and contacted me, being desperate to leave a situation at another location that involved intolerable living conditions. Without much of an interview, I accepted him to stay here, because I wouldn't want to see anyone be in the situation he described. While here, he got to meet a friend of mine, an executive chef, and I gave Sean a personal recommendation, after which, he was offered a paying job. I made arrangements for him to be here, even after his program ended, with the option to continue volunteering or paying a small, reasonable rent for his space, considering this IS New York, and a very expensive place to live. I also gave him a car to use to get around, at no cost to him, other than paying for his own fuel costs. It was not until well into his stay that I learned he had both physical and mental health challenges, and also that he was color blind. While it was not mandatory to know these things prior to the stay, earlier full transparency would have been helpful in understanding more clearly how to accommodate him in feeling even more comfortable, or find more suitable volunteer jobs for him where he could excel. We made every accommodation possible to make Sean feel comfortable given his belief systems and lifestyle choices. I discussed at length with Sean that he had a choice of continuing to do both volunteering for free room and board or begin paying rent at the end of the program, and could make that decision any time during the duration of his stay. He chose to both work and volunteer simultaneously, putting great time demands on him. The stress of the paying job on top of the continuation of volunteering, affected Sean at the end, and he admitted as much to me and to the management where he was working. He asked for access to a mental health specialist, counselor or psychologist, and neither the workplace nor my own location was able to provide these services. He told me and gave the job's management 2 weeks notice, saying that he would be better off going back home to Texas where his lifelong support system was. I did ask him to cover the $250 charge for the property damage that he caused due to negligence, which he agreed to reimburse for, but never actually did. While we have had some amazing experiences with WorldPackers up until this point, this experience with Sean has left us re-evaluating the WorldPackers program for our location, and we are uncertain we will continue on with it.

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