An experience in a Camphill Community can be very rich and rewarding, and it can also be very demanding. Volunteer “coworkers” live in a house, usually with a family, one or two other coworkers and from two-six young adults with special needs. You will have your own bedroom, but will share the rest of the house with the other members of the household. The practical and social aspects of the house demand much time and participation, but there is usually some time each day that can be personal or private time.
Rebecca and Holly enjoy a summer picnic together. “After I graduated from Cornell and was working in Ithaca at Head Start, I became interested in Americorp. My strong interest in social work drew me to Triform and Camphill, which seek volunteers through Americorp. I wanted to look at people in a holistic way and wanted to share my life with others. I couldn’t believe that Triform was real. I thought it was a joke and thought it couldn’t exist. And here it was, living up to its ideals. After several years as a coworker, I’m now working for Triform as a job coach. I really believe that the world should not miss out and deserves to meet people with special needs.” |
Each year there are usually from seven to nine “coworker” volunteers in Triform from all parts of the world. You will also meet, and become colleagues with, some fifteen long-term committed coworker families for whom Triform is a permanent home. While the long term coworkers bear primary responsibility for carrying out the mission of Triform, you will join them in shouldering the daily work and social routines that comprise community life.
Almost everything in Triform is done with and for our young friends with disabilities, who range in age from 18-35 years. The young people are always very interested in meeting the new volunteers. All Triform residents, both young people and long-term coworkers recognize the invaluable contributions made by volunteers, who bring vibrancy, energy and questions that are beneficial for the future of the community.
You will be asked to do what you can to help run the community. In your house, you will be asked to help with chores like dishwashing, cooking, laundry, cleaning, as well as to assist the handicapped residents with their contributions. You will work during the day in one of the work training areas and in the afternoons in work or the education program. The work areas are the farm, the garden and estate, the weavery, the bakery and home economics. Our life stimulates learning through doing rather than learning theoretically.
Our lifestyle allows for much flexibility, and you will have many opportunities to visit other houses, socialize with each other, or go outside the community to shop or enjoy recreational activities. Evenings are spent in social activities, necessary community or house meetings, study groups or recreation. Since the days are full and demanding, it is common for the young people with special needs to go to their rooms early to listen to music, or tend to personal needs. There is no regular television viewing in Triform, although we do watch special events, like the Olympics, and some houses will occasionally rent videos. The social initiative of the young coworkers is much appreciated; for example, you could spend an hour one evening reading aloud for people in your house, or helping them write letters, or playing music.
Many of those people who are attracted to Camphill are consciously striving on a spiritual path, and may connect with anthroposophy, the philosophy which underlies our work. Spiritual striving is manifest in Camphill in many ways in our daily life. We begin meals with grace, and usually read the Bible each morning (or evening, depending on the house). Saturday night Bible evenings are common in Camphill worldwide; everyone has the chance to speak about the week’s reading in an atmosphere of respect and receptivity to the individual contribution. We celebrate a yearly cycle of Christian and seasonal festivals, in a living and very creative way. We attempt to permeate our work with a living consciousness of the spiritual behind the physical, an attempt which we hope manifests in our attitudes toward each other, toward the land, and toward the ethical and cultural future development of the community and the World.
As a co-worker, you will:
- participate in a vibrant, exciting intentional community that embraces a rich seasonal and festival life
- interact with people from a variety of cultural backgrounds
- live in a warm caring environment with people who acknowledge the sanctity of our natural surroundings
- have regular opportunities to pursue and practice the arts
- enjoy a work environment that is varied and challenging and will provide opportunities for expanding your abilities
To become a Triform volunteer contact volunteer coordinator, Meg Henderson at 518-851-9320 or e-mail hervolunteer@triform.org
