KITCHEN
USE OF REFRIGERATOR: The big fridge is for all Staff House occupants use. Consumption of food and other stored contents in the fridge must be assured because wasting any resource provided by VHICF is highly discouraged. Please be mindful of the amount of food kept as well as the space each occupants use. Sections in the fridge will be assigned to each occupant accordingly.
USE OF STOVE: The stove is for all Staff House occupants use. It must be kept clean at all times (including the wall because splashes of water, oil and other liquids can easily stick and mess up the paint) to prevent attracting insects, especially ants. The Staff House has an issue with ants.
MARBLE COUNTERTOP & DINING TABLE: Counters and the big table must always be kept clean and dry. Both get easily stained even by water so after use, please clean up any mess or splashes. As mentioned before, because of the ant problem, always clean up areas used for food preparation or after eating. Kitchen towels are to be hung on the cupboards by the sink–not on the chairs–to avoid mold and damage to the chairs.
DISHES & ALL UTENSILS: All of it must be kept clean and dry. The cutlery needs to stay covered at all times to avoid dust/dirt in the tray. For washed dishes, use only the dishrack, not the countertop. Once utensils, dishes, cups, glasses, pans, pots and/or containers are washed and dry, put them back to their right storage area. Dishes taken out of the house need to be returned. Placemats and coasters must be kept clean and dry. Personal dishes can be labelled if you prefer not to share.
LEFTOVER FOOD: Since the Staff House has an ant-problem, please store or place any leftover food in the fridge or ant-proofed device (you can place the food on top of a container that has water).
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE SEGREGATION: There are three bins under the counter, in the cabinets by the entrance door. One is for clean plastic containers only (bottles–no wrappers or plastic packaging materials), the second one is for clean tin cans, and the third which is under the sink is for any other waste except for biodegradable waste. Clean glass is collected on the left side beside the bins. Any biodegradable waste that can attract insects–especially ants–is to be disposed of in the small grey bin attached to the cupboard door. This bin should be emptied frequently to avoid ant infestation.
KEEPING ANTS OUT: Please be mindful of keeping any biodegradable waste as we want to keep ants out as much as we can. If you see that a waste bin is full, please do not wait for another person to dispose it. You may dispose it directly to the big bins located beside the office. Garbage bags are provided in the Staff House.
HOUSE FLOOR, WINDOWS AND OUTER FLOOR TILES
CLEANING ASSIGNMENTS: Please refer to the cleaning schedule organized and posted by the assigned Staff House coordinator. Cleaning of the general area (namely the dining area, living room and the outside area of the staff house) is to be done weekly by the scheduled individuals.
BEDROOMS & BATHROOMS: Keep your spaces clean and tidy at all times. For groups who stay in one room, please organize a weekly schedule among yourselves for the cleaning assignment. Watch out for mold during the rainy season–it can be cleaned using vinegar.
CURTAINS, SOFA & PILLOW SHEETS: These are brought to the laundry room for washing and drying after every 3 to 6 months.
ELECTRICITY, NOISE & SECURITY
WORK SHIFTS MAY VARY AMONG OCCUPANTS: Please be mindful of other occupants in the Staff House. Keep the noise down especially at night and early in the morning (from 22:00 to 07:00).
SECURING VALUABLES IN EACH ROOM: Please secure valuable items in your rooms by keeping your room doors locked whenever no one is in the Staff House or you are leaving and no one will be left to keep an eye on things.
TURN OFF UNUSED ELECTRICAL DEVICES: At night, the outside Staff House light is the only light kept turned on throughout. All other lights and electrical devices (except for the Refrigerator obviously) must be turned off. Let’s be good stewards of what we are blessed with!
VISITORS AND HOUSE ACTIVITIES
VISITORS: Occupants of the Staff House are welcome to invite other staff or volunteers into the house. Visitors need to report to the office first. Any activities planned that will take up a lot of time and space need to be coordinated with the other housemates.
CHILDREN IN THE STAFF HOUSE: The children are not permitted to enter the staff house without explicit invitation and are not allowed to enter the rooms under any circumstances. Any children playing or hanging out outside the Staff House without an adult should be sent back to their house.
LIVING IN COMMUNITY
RESPONSIBILITY: Living in community means sharing a home with others and taking responsibility for the space we all share. We ask that you treat the house as your home and care for it accordingly.
SHARED EXPENSES: To cover the shared expenses for the gas, garbage bags, dish foams etc. please add your share into the money jar located on the top shelf. We trust everyone to do their part without keeping a list.
SHARED THINGS: You are welcome to use any of the instruments, games or books on the shelf–just treat them like your own and return them.
SHARED SPACES: Please be mindful of your belongings and keep shared spaces clear and welcoming. Clean up after yourself rather than leaving things for someone else to take care of, and do your part to keep the home comfortable and cared for. We can all contribute to creating a home that feels good to live in—by being respectful, pitching in, and leaving shared spaces at least as tidy and cared for as we found them.