Aurora House & Seekonk House
Shared Living Homes with a Farm Program in Great Barrington, MA
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Aurora and Seekonk Houses are part of High Spirit Community Farm. We share our homes with adults with intellectual disabilities. We live together in a family style, cooking and eating together and helping each other with the activities of daily life. The lifestyle and the work that we do here is therapeutic, encouraging each person to live their lives as fully as possible and to reach their highest potential. Our daily Farm Program is the heart of our community providing us with purpose, fun, new skills, and of course delicious food.
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Our very small farm includes a large vegetable garden, fruit trees, compost piles, chickens, and goats. Farm Program time is fun and rewarding because we produce our own food, spend time with great people, and help our friends who cannot work on their own to feel a sense of accomplishment and pride in their farming and cooking skills. We believe that working with your hands and with the land is therapeutic for all of us! The farm animals are an especially good reminder of this. Our goats and chickens not only provide us with companionship, but also teach us that everyone, regardless of his or her ability, can be a caregiver.
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In addition to growing our own food, we love to spend time in the kitchen cooking delicious meals that we share together. In the summer, we work to preserve fruit and vegetables to use during the long winters. During the winters, we grind grain and bake fresh bread each day. We have fun working together in the kitchen to prepare the food we eat, and we enjoy sharing the food together as a community.
However, we don’t spend all of our time in the kitchen and garden! Volunteers accompany our residents and participate in many other activities in the afternoons and on weekends which include arts classes, swimming, hiking with the dogs, community gatherings and much more.
If you are interested in learning more, please visit us at www.highspirit.org and www.facebook.com/highspiritcommunityfarm.
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Casa Del Sol
A Shared Living Home in Great Barrington, MA
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Shadowood
A Shared Living Home in Great Barrington, MA
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Shadowood House is the home of Nina and three individuals with various special needs who have lived together for 30 years. When they started their lives together, Nina had two young children. Those children are now adults with children of their own who visit often and are all very much part of the life of the house. As caregivers, residents, children, grandchildren or friends, they have grown into an extended and inclusive family. Over the years the three individuals and Nina have been involved with the life and culture of Great Barrington and the surrounding area. During the day one person works at a local therapeutic horseback riding stable. Another is a pianist who assists a local voice teacher with lessons and performs as often as possible. Another works at a day program with a group of friends. Nina is the resident caregiver and artist. There are dogs, gardens, laughter, music and a whole lotta love. When life presents us with new opportunities and challenges, we support each other and continue to deepen and expand our connections with one another.
Shadowood House, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization in Great Barrington, MA.
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