Help out at our non-profit museum and hostel in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA

United States

Favourited 369 times

Host rating
Feedback
22
Last activity
16/10/2021
Nº of Facebook friends
1908
Reply rate
91.7 %
Average reply time:
within 7 days
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Availability

2021

Min stay requested: at least 2 weeks

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What's this?

Details

Description
Hello from beautiful Central Arkansas!

We have an immediate openings for volunteers at this unique hostel and museum in Little Rock, AR.

We are a registered charity 501c3 non profit

We are looking for guest volunteers to join us for two weeks to three months in Arkansas’ new and only International Hostel & Museum. As a non profit organization we have under taken saving, renovating and bringing back to life Fire Station 2 within Little Rock's oldest park and turning it into a hostel and fire Station museum. The museum is free to the public to visit and our gift back to the community. Our neighbors within the City Park are the Arkansas Arts Center and MacArthur Military Museum.

We are looking for enthusiastic, outgoing individuals who are interested in the ins and outs of operating a unique and special place for travelers. Our ratings and reviews are high, and we are well-regarded in the hosteling community. We are looking to maintain this standard. In exchange for a bed (breakfast, coffee/tea, WiFi access, laundry and kitchen facilities are also included), volunteers are required to help about 20 hours per week. The main hours of focus are 3pm - 10pm for check-in with some focus on 7am to put out breakfast items. The Check-in shift allows for plenty of personal time between answering of phones and checking guest in. We want you to have ample time to interact with locals (through tours of our museum and community events) and travelers who are staying at the hostel. Cross-cultural understanding is extremely important to us. Little Rock is a low-cost MegaBus ride away from Dallas, Memphis, St. Louis & Chicago. We also get daily train service AMTRAK's Texas Eagle (serving San Antonio, Austin, Fort Worth, St. Louis to Chicago and points between). Dallas, St. Louis & Chicago all have very low-cost flights to many points in the States!

If you love small cities with lots to offer in the way of food, entertainment, outdoor activities, and nature then Little Rock will be a pleasant surprise!

Volunteer opportunities include:

General Housekeeping
Front Desk/Reception
Helping with Guests
Language practice
Help with social media
Community Events
Enjoying Little Rock, its culture and history.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Language practice
Gardening
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
UN sustainablity goals this host is trying to achieve
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What's this?
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Travelers will get to interact with both locals (through tours of our museum, community events and visiting international organizations- Heifer International and Clinton Presidential Center) as well as other travelers who are staying at the hostel. Cross-cultural understanding is extremely important to us. We have been open for several years.
Help
We are looking for guest volunteers (hours are extremely flexible) to assist us in greeting visitors, providing tours of our fire fighting museum, checking guests in/out, housekeeping and interacting with guests to provide them a wonderful experience while in our city! Please note minimum three-week commitment.

We are a registered charity 501c3 non profit
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Accommodation
We will provide a twin-size bed in one of our rooms as well as Wi-Fi, breakfast, coffee/tea, access to our computers, laundry, and kitchen facilities.
What else ...
Volunteers are able to take time off and are not required to stay every night at the hostel. We are located in the heart of downtown Little Rock within walking distance of major attractions. There are plenty of food options and nightlife in our nearby River Market District, SoMa (South Main) District or Argenta District in North Little Rock. Nearby attractions include the Clinton Presidential Center, Central High School, the Arkansas River Trail, Bid Dam Bridge, festivals, farmers markets and baseball games at Dickey-Stephens Park!
A little more information
- Internet access
- Limited internet access
- We have pets
- We are smokers
- Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
The hostel has designated off-road parking.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
max 20 hours per week (breakfast included)

Photos

Lobby and museum!

Our museum

MacArthur Park

Dining & Reception Area

Feedback left by and about host (22)

These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.

Accuracy of profile:
(4.9)

Cultural exchange:
(4.8)

Communication:
(4.8)

04/06/2021

Left by host for Workawayer (Eric)

Eric started volunteering with the Hostel and Museum at the beginning of the pandemic (March 2020) and stayed with us until we, temporarily, closed in December. He is a great asset to any establishment, very cordial, friendy, knowledgable, and a hard worker who was always willing to take on more than was required. Eric is welcome back to the… read more

(Excellent )

18/12/2020

Left by Workawayer (Eric) for host

Wow, what an amazing and wonderful experience this was.

I volunteered from March 11 to December 14th at this Hostel and Museum. I learned so many things and grew as a person so much.

The Hostel itself is a Museum and Hostel. The hours and responsibilities were exactly as described. The Manager, James was always a phone call away if I needed help… read more

(Excellent )

27/03/2020

Left by Workawayer (Ruby) for host

So incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to spend a month here! Besides the fact that I lucked out with the other amazing volunteers (whose reviews you can see below) that I consider great friends now, but I got to meet and talk with the lovely board of directors - who always went out of their way to make us feel welcome - and the awesome… read more

(Excellent )

21/03/2020

Left by Workawayer (Oliver) for host

What an experience of a lifetime!

I arrived at the hostel and museum with little to no idea of what to expect from it all. What was to come would be one of the best times of my life!

Within the first couple of hours I knew I had been blessed with being able to volunteer here. With amazing co-volunteers, an all-star board of directors, a… read more spectacular General Manager, and interesting and unique guests, (shout out to Rachel, Ruby, Kate, the whole entire board and James) I've met some of the most caring and funniest people. I can only give this gem of a hostel and museum a Herculean recommendation!

WORK
As a volunteer the main tasks include: general cleaning (sweeping, vacuuming, mopping, washing dishes, cleaning dorms and bathrooms), preparing dorms for new guests (making the beds, doing the laundry), manning the front desk (using the intuitive programs to check guests in, answering phone calls, and providing customer service to guests), and by simply being a friendly, generous, and helpful person! The tasks are all useful skills that people can add to their tool belt or sharpen up during their stay here. The work is really quite manageable, thus giving volunteers amble opportunities to immerse themselves in Little Rock!

LITTLE ROCK
I'm big on Little Rock (amazing slogan on banners throughout the city)! Little Rock is a city with a cozy, tight-knit feel. Being around 200,000 residents you never have to deal with huge traffic issues, and due to the superb location of the hostel, the downtown area is just a 15 minute walk away. There is a bus system to get around to the other parts of the city. With numerous restaurants, cafes, bars, shops and parks, Little Rock is always open for you to explore! Using the city's online event calendar, I was able to find great events every week! No matter your age, gender, background, or interests, there is something for everyone here! The museums in Little Rock are the bee's knees!

FINAL WORDS
If you choose to volunteer here you'll most likely walk away with new skills, great memories, and lifelong friendships! Make sure to really dedicate yourself to being the best person you can be whilst volunteering. The better the volunteers are, the more likely the hostel will continue to thrive in the future! The board of directors and General Manager work tirelessly to ensure that this excellent resource remains an integral part of the MacAuther Park and Little Rock at large, therefore the volunteers should do the same!

(Excellent )

01/03/2020

Left by Workawayer (Rachel) for host

I had a wonderful time volunteering here. I was constantly surprised by the ammount of this to do in Little Rock and the generosity and kindness of people who lived there. I can't wait to visit them again!

The work was quite reasonable and I had ample free time to explore the city and relax. Guests were wonderful and often joined volunteers in… read more

(Excellent )

15/02/2020

Left by host for Workawayer (Eric)

Eric spent about four months as a guest worker at the Hostel and Museum. Eric was helpful not only handling day to day duties but also assisting with maintenance and setting up computers, etc. Eric understands hostels and hostelers.

(Excellent )

07/02/2020

Left by Workawayer (Eric) for host

I stayed and worked here for about four months at the end of 2018. As it was my first workaway experience I wasn't sure what to expect but it was incredible. The staff were very friendly and easy to get along with, and I met some incredible guests - some of which I still keep in touch with. If you get a chance, spend some time here. Oh and make… read more

(Excellent )

15/02/2020

Left by Workawayer (Kathy) for host

What can I say, this a perfect 'little' hidden Gem! Arkansas real treasure lies in this Hostel. It is beautifully set up and every kind of memorabilia can be found in this Hostel. The v owners of the Hostel are both amazing people. They are kind and very friendly. They are open and communicate their needs for the Hostel concisely. They are fair… read more

(Excellent )

24/10/2019

Left by Workawayer (Max) for host

James, the manager, was very easy to get in touch with at the last minute and I had a great few weeks in MacArthur Park and in Little Rock.
Since this is a small hostel, I got to do a little bit of everything, which was a great learning experience.
Everything is both new and old here. The actual fire museum is down the stairs from the recently… read more

(Excellent )

19/09/2019

Left by Workawayer (Larissa) for host

I had an incredible experience working at the hostel, it was my first Workaway experience and it couldn’t be more pleasant. I felt welcoming since day one, they trust your work and support any need you might have, also I had the opportunity to work with sign language, because they are also supporting deaf program, witch is awesome. I Definitely… read more

(Excellent )

28/06/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Larissa)

Larissa was not only extremely helpful, but also delightful to be around. She maintained a positive attitude and was always ready to jump in to help. Larissa was able to communicate with deaf workers even though there are differences between Brazilian and US sign language. We hope she returns. Thank you, Larissa, and best wishes for safe and… read more

(Excellent )

18/08/2019

Left by Workawayer (mark) for host

Our experience here was excellent. Little Rock is a Gem of a small city. Lots to do and very easy to get around town! Beth and Josh are full-time volunteers and great people to know. Consider yourself lucky to hear Beth play guitar and sing! Josh also from the town helped us with car repair-shock needed to be replaced. The Park Board of Directors… read more

(Excellent )

08/08/2019

Left by Workawayer (Anton) for host

I stayed in this hostel for two weeks and it was a very good experience. Everybody was very kind to me. I was supposed to help with the hostel for a couple of hours per day, but I was glad to do it even more because I enjoyed chatting with guests. I wish I could communicate more with Stephen, who is the manager of this hostel, but I didn't know… read more

(Excellent )

01/04/2019

Left by Workawayer (James) for host

I spent five weeks working at the Hostel in the early summer of 2018. The hostel is worth visiting even if you’re not planning to volunteer and are simply passing through Little Rock as the Museum is a unique attraction. I hadn’t originally plan to come through Arkansas but it turned out to be one of the most enjoyable and memorable experiences of… read more

(Excellent )

22/04/2018

Left by Workawayer (Chris & Sheri) for host

This is definitely a unique hostel. The first floor contains all of the firefighter exhibits, they have some great stuff! If you get a chance, definitely hop in on a tour given by Johnny, the museum curator. This building has been extensively renovated and you can quickly tell how new everything is and how much thought was put into making this a… read more

(Very good )

16/01/2018

Left by host for Workawayer (Emily)

Emily stayed with us in January 2018. She was an absolute treasure to have; kept the place sparkling clean and even fixed our clothes dryer! She helped out with check-in/registration for late (well, middle-of-the night) arrivals. She was great with guests and other guest volunteers!

(Excellent )

11/01/2018

Left by Workawayer (Emily) for host

Absolutely loved spending my week in Arkansas here! The staff is phenomenal, the atmosphere is great, and the learning opportunities are unending. I am extremely thankful to have been given to the opportunity to assist here at the Hostel. I would come back and recommend this host to any workawayer! Thanks again for everything, I'll be back!

(Excellent )

10/12/2017

Left by host for Workawayer (Emily)

Emily was one of the best Workawayers we ever had! She stayed with us for a five-week period in November thru early December 2017. She is able to work independently, multi-task and socially interact with our museum and hostel guests. She is very organized and kept the place sparkling. She was able to have ample time to explore both the regional… read more

(Excellent )

06/12/2017

Left by Workawayer (Emily) for host

The hostel is in a great location in Little Rock. It is quite small and pretty new which means the work is not difficult. Joe is happy to work with you so you can do your hours around what you want - long days so you can have a few days off in a row or a few hours a day.

There are plenty of free activities in walking distance and a small brewery… read more

(Excellent )

11/09/2017

Left by host for Workawayer (Yidan)

Julie stayed here about three weeks. I wish all WorkAway-ers were this good! She is very enthusiastic, helping with housekeeping chores, reception/check-in, help in the kitchen and engaging with other guests. She did take time to soak up the local culture and sights. Bon Voyage!

(Excellent )

05/09/2017

Left by Workawayer (Yidan) for host

I had an excellent work experience here.
Joe and Scott are both very knowledgeable about Little Rock and the surrounding area and willing to give travel tips/rides to the bus station.
Work expectations were definitely reasonable - the other volunteers and I had lots of leeway to plan our schedules as long as we meet the total #of hours. I had… read more

(Excellent )

10/09/2017

Left by Workawayer (Jack) for host

This was my first experience with workaway and Joe made me feel welcome from the moment I walked into the hostel. Joe is a great guy who will do anything to help you get the most out of your time in Little Rock. He took me to the local gun show and arranged for me to watch the local baseball team play, which are experiences I'll always… read more

(Excellent )

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