Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela

[Rebekah Scott]

Annie:
There ought to be a link on the website to the hospitalero training coordinator, so you can email him for details. If you can´t find anything that specific, just email them on their general "Contact Us" link and wait a while... and if that doesn´t work, contact me offline and I´ll put you in touch. The US program is based on a model used by the Federation for several years, and interested volunteers spend a day or two in seminars and discussions that are surprisingly informative and useful... they cover things you might not have thought of.

It´s true, it ain´t rocket science, and I don´t think there´s much mystic knowledge involved (no matter what some people tell ya!) But in order to meet insurance and safety regulations, trained people are a presupposition.

If it looks easy to you, just try doing it for two whole weeks!

Rebekah

[brendan nolan]

Hi All
I've worked twice as hospitalero at the CSJ refugio at Rabanal and, as others have said, it isn't rocket science but be aware you do have to do things such as cleaning toilets ..... it might sound obvious but the imagination of some folks doesn't get that far.
Obviously the CSJ refugio can't take all those wishing to volunteer but it is recognized that pilgrims from around the world like to volunteer but can't get to a training day. The CSJ will put a new volunteer with somebody who is experienced and ask them to arrive at the refugio 24 hours before takeover so they can see how the place is run. It is required that the hospitalero has gone through a first aid course but the cost is re-imbursed.
Hope this is helpful to some. If there are questions on practical things I'll try my best.

Brendan

[Rebekah Scott]

Also.. you never know what kind of road the Camino will send you down!

Over the last couple of months, through this ongoing adventure of getting these Southerners "educated," I´ve now become an Official Hospitalero Trainer under aegis of the Canadian Company of Pilgrims. (ta-daa! Thank you, Mary and Tom!) So... now that I am legitimate, (if not Canadian) we can get on with this.

I still must sell the idea of an online course to the Federation bosses, before we undertake the long tough slog it may require to get it written and get it posted and passworded. I hope to get this done at the big Hospitalero Round-Up in Terrazona Dec. 6-8.

Meantime, those who want to be trained, in English, using the Canadian program can come here to Moratinos for the experience, before/during/or after their camino, if I´m given enough notice and the candidates meet the requirements. Thanks for being patient!

[John Hussey]

I would LOVE to volunteer to be a hospitalera... Can anyone give me information on the training offered in New Mexico in 2009? I went to the website and didn't see anything? Help?

I cannot tell whether your question was answered offline so I decided to look it up and here is the link to the 2009 New Mexico training in the USA:

http://www.americanpilgrims.com/events/ ... ional.html

I am quite interested in getting the online training too as the distance to Albuquerque is somewhat far away from me at 2000 miles (3200 km).

So...I certainly hope the online course on this site becomes a reality. It is quite an innovative idea!

[sillydoll]

Congratulations Reb! An American/English/Canadian hospitalero trainer!

Can you list for us here what the requirements are that need to be met?

[Rebekah Scott]

If you want to be trained as a hospitalero you (and your spouse/partner, assuming you are serving with one) have to have been a Santiago pilgrim... having walked, biked, or ridden a horse at least the requisite distance. You should be healthy enough to withstand very long days and short nights. You should be flexible and outgoing enough to deal with every kind of person from everywhere in the world, in every sort of condition, but tough enough to say No when it´s appropriate. You should have funds enough to pay your own way travel and food-wise, if need be.

A first-aid course and familiarity with Spanish is VERY handy, although not required. And most of all, you must be able to commit to two full weeks of work -- either the first half or second half of a month -- as assigned by the Federation HQ in Logroño. Don´t be trained unless you really intend to serve.

[Rebekah Scott]

The good people at the Canadian Company of Pilgrims have extended their reach over the Atlantic, and now offer hospitalero training at The Peaceable Kingdom in Palencia. (aka my house on the Camino Frances.) It takes a couple of days (or one long day); you can stay here while it goes on.

At the end of it you will be an accredited Federation hospitalero, qualified to serve at the many albergues staffed by the Spanish Federation of Amigos.

The online option is still under development, and may well take some time. Please be patient. Or just come on over and get it over with! For an application or other questions, contact me at: rebrites (at)yahoo.com.

Rebekah

[ksam]

A large dose of common sense, more tolerance than you would think possible, and a realistic amount of cleaning. A bit like being a mum, isn't it?

Ok...problem solved..just recruit the moms who do the camino..let's face it, most of us got on the job training that we never would have believed ourselves capable of. Don't let the by the books folks make you crazy! Anything is possible, and most especially with a healthy dose of faith and prayer!

Buen Camino All, and hoping perhaps someday to return the favors given during my short camino!

To the lovely folks of the Camino Portuguese...Vielen Dank!

Karin

[Arn]

Aside from being a gourmet chef, having run a company of 123 with a 5 MIL $ budget AND I can get folks to turn off the lights at 10 pm and go to sleep...what more training do I need? O.K. my Spanish is awful..but I never went hungry, always had a drink and found my way into and out of the amblatoria...on two different occasions. GIVE ME THE SHEEPSKIN AND PUT ME TO WORK.

Buen please take off your boots outside Camino
Arn

[MermaidLilli]

Two caminos and both times I hurt my ankle (not the same one) and had to stop for 3 weeks. Because I have family and friends, I left the camino and stayed with them. I felt a little bad asking to be put up and honestly it was a bit boring. It was so good to get back and keep walking.
Camino number 3 coming up.... hopefully there will be no ankle issues this time (any tips appreciated), but if there were I would love to stay in an albergue and help out. I know I need to stay off the ankle, but I don't have to all the time, so I can be useful. The question is, are there albergues on any of the Caminos that would let someone hang and help? If all is well and I have extra time left in Spain, I can also help out at any albergue. Without making prior commitments, would there be any place that would allow a drop-in?
The online training is one option and I can also go to Reb's for her training....ooooooo, I am getting excited.
Thanks
Lillian

[Rebekah Scott]

I´m sorry I seem like I´m lecturing here, I really am NOT the boss. Really.
Ivar´s now at work on the techy end of the online program, so I´ll get into formatting and getting it ready for testing hopefully before the end of Feb. Anyone want to be a beta tester/guinea pig?

As for your questions about staying around places to help out:
The drop-in option is always there, but it is very, well... drop-in. Lots of people stay around in exchange for some work or company. It all depends on your condition, and how amenable the hosts are. I´ve seen a lot of it go on in places all over, but never more than a week or two. Just ask. (in Ponferrada they´ll snap you right up!)

Reb.

[sillydoll]

Arn said

.what more training do I need?

Most hospitalero training workshops are held over two days. I'm sure there is a lot more to learn than being a housewife or sergeant major!

Looking at the requirements, you need to be a good listener, pilgrims don't want to hear about your journey.
You need to be empathetic.
You need to know how Spanish emergency services work and have a bit of knowledge of First Aid.
Ditto, plumbing, electricity, telephone system, where to shop for food, how to cook for a crowd on a budget, perhaps on a gas stove.
You need to keep the books, registers, donations etc.
You need to clean toilets, pull hair out of shower drains, wash floors, make beds and sweep inside and outside.

In the blurb for volunteering at St Jean pilgrim's office they say:

You need to listen to them, provide answers to questions they ask you possibly, inter alia the first stage and satisfy, as far as possible, their requests. Your role is not to tell your path, whether the pontificating mode or friendly but to be an adviser to the pilgrim, the hiker or tourist. Neither inquisition, or proselytizing, the host must be warm and tolerant.

[Rebekah Scott]

as anyone who´s walked the camino knows, there are all types of hospitaleros: Moms, sergeant-majors, hippies, evangelists, doctors, walking-woundeds, nutters, chefs, know-it-alls, crabby old people, crabby young people, neatniks, nuns, control-freaks, cops, robbers, nice folks ... well. Just the usual lineup of Human Beings.

The only real reason you have to have training is because They Say So.

Reb.

[Arn]

Sil wrote: Most hospitalero training workshops are held over two days. I'm sure there is a lot more to learn than being a housewife or sergeant major!

Well!

When my wife passed away I became Mister Mom. Both my beautiful daughter and son call/email most every day...well, Romi calls the most and I love it. SO I can do the housefrau side. And, the demotion to SgtMaj really cuts deep Sil. Actually, most SgtMaj's are heads and shoulders above officers when it comes to understanding how to motivate rankers and junior officers.

Reb wrote: as anyone who´s walked the camino knows, there are all types of hospitaleros: Moms, sergeant-majors, hippies, evangelists, doctors, walking-woundeds, nutters, chefs, know-it-alls, crabby old people, crabby young people, neatniks, nuns, control-freaks, cops, robbers, nice folks ... well. Just the usual lineup of Human Beings.

Well #2

Never been a Mom (biologically that is) and while I've gone long periods having none, I've never been a Nun, but the rest sounds like me on any given day. I'm like the weather...wait a sec and I'll morph.

The keepers of the keys that I encountered on the Camino were often driven by the time of day and number of peregrinos waiting to check in. I've observed the most agreeable hospitalero turn on a dime if someone arrived with an attitude...for no reason...then revert back...in a heart beat.

I can tell you this...there were times following my fall where, once I arrived at the albergue, the hospitalero not only helped me up the stairs (carrying my pack)and when needed...helped me undress because I couldn't do for my self.

BIG hat tip to all the hospitaleros!

Arn