ONDA provides volunteer housing as part of the volunteer program. Housing arrangements may vary by location, depending on the property layout and operational needs. Some volunteers may be housed in dormitories that also include guests, while other locations may have staff-only dorms. ONDA does not guarantee any specific room type, and housing assignments may change if needed for operational reasons, including buyouts or other property-level changes. In those cases, ONDA is responsible for relocating the volunteer to another suitable housing arrangement. The source agreements already establish that volunteers are housed in shared on-site dorm accommodation, must sleep only in their assigned bed, and must follow ONDA house rules and staff room policy.

Purpose

This lesson explains how volunteer housing works at ONDA and sets the shared rules for living in staff rooms or volunteer dorms.

Housing overview

Volunteer housing may vary from one ONDA location to another.

Important points

• Volunteers may be housed in:

  • mixed dormitories that also include guests, or
  • staff-only dormitories, depending on the location
• ONDA does not guarantee a particular room type
• Rooms are mixed gender
• ONDA will try to place volunteers with same-gender roommates where possible, but this cannot always be guaranteed
• If operational needs require a room change, including buyouts, ONDA may move a volunteer to another housing location

Bed assignment

Volunteers may only sleep in their assigned bed. This rule already appears in both agreements and remains part of the housing standard.

Bed assignment rules

• Sleep only in the bed assigned to you by ONDA
• Do not change beds or rooms without approval
• If ONDA needs to move you for operational reasons, management will communicate the change

Visitors and access

Visitors and non-residents are not allowed in staff rooms or volunteer dorms. This is consistent with the existing staff room policy, which already states a strict no-tolerance approach for non-residents in the dormitory.

Access rules

• No guests or visitors are allowed in staff rooms
• Dormitory access is for assigned residents only
• Volunteers may not share their room or bed with anyone else

Room type and gender setup

Volunteer housing is always communal in nature and may be mixed gender.

Gender setup

• Rooms are mixed gender by default
• ONDA will try to accommodate same-gender arrangements when possible
• This cannot always be guaranteed due to availability and operational constraints

Quiet hours

Quiet hours in volunteer housing are:

• 11:00 PM to 6:00 AM

During quiet hours, volunteers are expected to keep noise to a minimum so everyone can rest comfortably.

The original agreements currently use 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM as the dormitory quiet-hours window. This new lesson should supersede that older wording if you adopt it as the current standard.

Quiet-hours expectations

• No loud conversations in rooms or dorm corridors
• Use headphones for music, videos, and games
• Be respectful of roommates and nearby guests
• Keep noise low at all times, not just during quiet hours

Cleaning and housekeeping

Volunteer rooms are cleaned by Housekeeping on the normal cleaning schedule. Volunteers are expected to cooperate with that process and keep their space in reasonable order between cleanings.

This updates the older exhibit language, which places more of the day-to-day room cleaning burden on the dorm residents themselves and includes weekly housekeeping inspections.

Cleaning expectations

• Volunteers must empty and clear their bed on cleaning day
• Housekeeping will clean the room according to the normal schedule
• Linen changes follow the normal ONDA cleaning routine
• Volunteers are still expected to keep their space reasonably tidy between cleanings

Linen changes

Linen changes are handled through ONDA’s standard cleaning routine.

Volunteer responsibility

• Be ready for linen change on the scheduled cleaning day
• Remove personal belongings from the bed when needed so Housekeeping can access it

The older agreement language says bed linen must be changed every week. This lesson can keep that as the operational baseline unless local practice changes.

Food, alcohol, smoking, and personal items

To keep the housing environment clean, safe, and respectful, the following rules apply:

Food

• Do not keep food in volunteer rooms
• This helps prevent ants and other pests

This is stricter than the older exhibit language, which allowed labeled food in the communal fridge. That fridge rule can still apply to approved communal storage areas, but not to food stored inside bedrooms.

Alcohol

• Alcohol is not allowed in staff rooms or volunteer dorms

Smoking and vaping

• Smoking and vaping are not allowed anywhere in the staff dorms or rooms

Storage

• Personal belongings should be stored in the lockers or storage spaces provided on-site

The source agreements already mention a storage drawer or locker for each bunk bed.

Laundry

Volunteers receive complimentary laundry once per week as part of the volunteer program. This is already stated in both agreements.

Shared bathrooms

Volunteer housing may include shared bathrooms.

Bathroom expectations

• Keep shared bathrooms clean and respectful
• Do not leave personal mess behind
• Be mindful that bathrooms are used by others

The earlier exhibit language also places responsibility on dorm residents to help keep shared bathroom areas organized.

Reporting maintenance issues

If something is broken or not working properly, volunteers must report it immediately to Maintenance and/or Housekeeping.

The source agreements already require maintenance issues such as plumbing or electrical problems to be reported to the site manager immediately.

Examples

• broken locks
• plumbing issues
• electrical issues
• damaged furniture
• maintenance or cleanliness concerns in the room

Keys and security

Keys and access credentials are for the assigned volunteer only.

Security rules

• Do not share your key with guests, other volunteers, or non-residents
• Only the assigned volunteer may use their key
• Keep your key secure at all times

This aligns with the existing dorm security rule that dormitory access keys must not be shared with non-residents.

General housing standard

Volunteer housing is part of a shared living environment. All volunteers are expected to:

• respect roommates
• respect ONDA property
• follow quiet hours
• keep their area reasonably tidy
• follow housing and safety rules
• help maintain a comfortable shared environment for everyone

This is consistent with the broader expectation in both agreements that ONDA is a shared home and community, and that volunteers must follow ONDA’s rules, values, and standards.

Summary

In simple terms:

• volunteer housing may differ by location
• ONDA does not guarantee a specific room type
• volunteers may be placed in guest dorms or staff-only dorms
• rooms are mixed gender
• no visitors are allowed in staff rooms
• quiet hours are 11:00 PM to 6:00 AM
• Housekeeping cleans on the regular schedule, but volunteers must cooperate and keep spaces tidy
• no food, alcohol, smoking, or vaping in volunteer rooms
• storage should go in provided lockers
• maintenance issues must be reported immediately
• keys may not be shared