Student Forums
EXPLORE
A journal of social practice & professional engagement for the Antioch community
logo
mobile-logo
HomeArticles Posted by 1 Co-op-Admin

Author: 1 Co-op-Admin

mm
Ben McCombs / Author

support@antiochcollege.edu

Culture, Power, & Change, Pre-Education, Psychology, Mindfulness, & Wellness (Pre-Social Services)
0 Comments

Midwest, Ohio, Psychology, Mindfulness, & Wellness (Pre-Social Services), Public Health
0 Comments

The Work We Do
0 Comments

Culture, Power, & Change, Featured Post, Justice and Community/Identity, Psychology, Mindfulness, & Wellness (Pre-Social Services), San Francisco Bay Area, Study Area - Community Organization and Advocacy
0 Comments

Find Me



SKILLS & INTERESTS

Test skill 1 Test skill 2 Interest 1 Interest 2

Gallery I

Gallery II


 

Growth in Community = Growth in Oneself: Kai Gerstein 27′ at Camphill Kimberton Hills in PA

May 02, 2025
 
     Camphill is a global Initiative of interconnected communities made up of people with and without cognitive and physical disabilities striving to better each other. Camphill was founded in 1939 by an Austrian pediatrician and educator named Dr. Karl König, along with his colleagues. Initially, it was designed as a school system for children with special needs. The Camphill Village system was later created to be a lifelong option for those who graduated from the schools and anyone else who met the requirements.      Camphill Villages strive to stimulate social interactions and livelihood through artistic expression, agriculture, and many other community-based activities and events. All Camphill communities were founded on three principles: “To recognize the wholeness of each individual,” “to strive towards personal, inner development,” and “to bring equality, freedom, and fellowship into our communities” (What is Camphill, n.d.). These ideas were founded on the ideas of anthropology. To learn more about anthropology, the history of Camphill, and how they overlap, please visit the What Is Camphill and the Life In Camphill pages on the Camphill Association of North America website.      I am currently volunteering at the Camphill Village in Kimberton Hills, Pennsylvania (CVKH). It was founded in 1972 and is currently one of over one hundred such different communities worldwide. It sits on 432 acres of land and currently houses approximately 110 residents. There are eighteen households scattered throughout the community. Each household is made up of several villagers who are supported and cared for by householders, who act as household leaders and primary caretakers of the residents, as well as coworkers who assist the householders with caring for the house and the residents. CVKH is divided into three neighborhoods that are made up of approximately three to four houses. The households attend weekly neighborhood and community meetings. Issues that cannot be solved through regular open discussion or involve certain fields or policies can be brought to Management Group and other deciding bodies such as Maintenance or Admissions. To learn more about Camphill Kimberton and how it operates, visit the CVKH website.

Helping a villager with their bowl in the Pottery Workshop

     I am volunteering at CVKH as an intern, which means I do all the same work as a coworker, just in a shorter time frame. My schedule consists of helping around my household, called Franklin House, and participating in some of the many workshops in the community. CVKH has a plethora of craft workshops. Some examples are fiber arts, pottery, mosaics, and woodworking. It also includes outdoor workshops like farming, dairy, and gardening, as well as an estate crew that manages the grounds. All coworkers are assigned to assist in these workshops. Their tasks include assisting the workshop leaders, who are often householders, helping the villagers with their projects, and maintaining a calm and friendly environment. 

Making a cutting board

     My week really begins on Tuesday since Mondays are my assigned day off. I wake up at 7:00 a.m. and eat breakfast with the household at 7:30. Afterwards, I help the villagers get out the door for their morning workshop. I make sure they’re wearing appropriate clothing, have brushed their teeth and used the restroom, and have sunscreen and a snack. Then I head to my morning workshop from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and have lunch at 12:30. From there, I go to my afternoon workshop from 2:30 to 5:00 p.m.. Lastly, I have dinner at 6:00.       However, depending on the day, there can be much more to it. I take on a variety of household shifts and tasks throughout the week as well. There’s a Rest Hour, which starts after lunch at around 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.. It usually consists of cleaning up the kitchen, setting the table for dinner, and being available for the villagers if they have any questions or concerns before getting them out the door for their afternoon workshop. I do Rest Hour shift on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. 

Making gnocchi for dinner

     Next is House Sitting, which is like a Rest Hour, but after dinner. It starts around 7:00 and ends at 8:00 p.m. The difference is that the tasks involve helping the residents get ready for bed instead of a workshop. These tasks often involve helping them with their showers, toothbrushing, and reminding them to bring down their devices and laundry. My shift for House Sitting is on Tuesdays and Saturdays. I also have to prepare dinner on Saturdays and breakfast on Sundays myself, which can be challenging due to the unique dietary restraints (such as no gluten or dairy) of certain residents.  Finally, since all householders have their day off on Sundays, it is my responsibility to take care of Franklin House and its residents. Luckily, another coworker is always assigned to help on Sundays.       On Tuesdays, I work in the Mosaics Workshop in the morning and The CVKH Cafe in the afternoon, where I help clean up after the lunch shift. On Wednesdays, I do my morning shift at Franklin House. These house workshops usually entail helping my householders with meal prep, cleaning the house, and guiding the assigned village helpers with their tasks. CVKH is a very environmentally conscious community, and, as such, their cooking and cleaning appliances are modified to be as eco-friendly as possible. For example, the kitchen uses only cast iron skillets and does not have a microwave. This makes warming up or cooking food more difficult and has forced me to be more aware of how I cook and its impact on the environment. In the afternoons, I work in the Pottery Workshop. On Thursdays, I work in the Woodshop, and then in the afternoons, I work in the Pottery Workshop again. Finally, on Fridays, I work at Franklin House in the morning and Mosaics Workshop in the afternoon. I also attend the neighborhood meeting with Franklin House on Friday morning from 11:15 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Mock baseball game

     The weekends are a little different since we typically start the day an hour later, and there are no assigned workshops for the villagers. However, that isn’t to say there isn’t any work to do. Typically, residents need to do a variety of household tasks, such as cleaning their rooms and running errands. Because it’s Spring, CVKH is having its baseball season, where the villagers who signed up go out and play baseball with other people with cognitive and physical disabilities from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. on Sundays. My fellow coworkers and I take them to the game and watch them play before bringing them back.       My schedule is pretty packed, and there have been moments where I have been overwhelmed, but I can’t complain, especially after understanding how important my schedule is. The schedule of every intern/coworker is planned out in order to best support the village’s functions and the villagers themselves. I’ve noticed how often some of the villagers question what they’re doing each day and how stressed they can get when something deviates from what they’re used to. This system gives a sense of order and peace that helps everyone work together to move through the day smoothly. 

Camphill Puppet Show

     That’s not to say that there aren’t deviations, especially when it comes to the tasks that other interns/coworkers and I have to do. I’ve often had to take on more than I was expecting or prepared for. For example, I’ve had to help lead the workshop when the workshop leader had to step out and manage the household by myself when the householders left for meetings, errands, and trips on several occasions. There are also community events such as potlucks, holiday events, weddings, and more. All our schedules often change in order to allow community members who want to help and participate in the event be able to do so. For example, when I recently helped out at a wedding in the community my householders stepped up to do some of my house tasks so I could do so. Lastly, there are times when the villagers have plans, such as eating at different houses, going out on little trips, or their family members visit and decide to take them out somewhere. These events can definitely cause some confusion and stress; however, I feel they bring a truly natural aspect to this community. I feel its unpredictability only strengthens the bond that this community strives to maintain. 

Me and a villager on a walk

     When it comes to my experience working here and interacting with the villagers, it was not what I was expecting it to be at first. I naively had certain expectations and stereotypes in mind about the villagers and the type of community I was walking into. However, CVKH has completely blown away all those expectations in the best of ways. While the community does acknowledge and support the villagers who need help due to their cognitive or physical disabilities, they do not coddle them. They treat them just as they would any other person and allow them the opportunity to succeed and fail on their own.       This system took a little getting used to for me, especially when I am someone who naturally wants to help people, especially when I see them struggling. Because of this, there have definitely been instances when I felt householders and coworkers were being too harsh. However, I have seen how being firm and patient with the villagers can actually lead to a better resolution than just doing it for them because it allows them a chance to grow and develop. But there is a limit to how much you can push them. It is just as important to acknowledge that there are some things that they cannot do on their own, and finding that balance has definitely been one of the hardest but most important lessons I have learned while at CVKH. I’ve had to develop my patience when dealing with villagers who push back against my suggestions and learn how to help them when they start having an emotional incident. For example, convincing them to do things like day-to-day chores, wear clothing appropriate for the weather, or even work on their workshop projects can sometimes lead to outbursts and breakdowns. Through much trial and error, I have learned how to phrase what I say and how often I say it to get them to listen to what I have to say. I’ve had to do this for nearly every villager I’ve encountered; each one is unique and comes with their own challenges. It also doesn’t help that many of them have tried to take advantage of my newness to trick me into doing what they want. This can be giving them things they shouldn’t have or doing tasks for them that they’re perfectly capable of doing for themselves. It is only thanks to the wonderful support I have from my householders, fellow coworkers, and everyone else in this community that I was able to gain the experience and confidence I needed to spot these differences and act upon my instincts. This co-op has undoubtedly been tiring and a challenge at times. However, It has granted me the opportunity to grow my artistic skills, form wonderful relationships, and develop my confidence and leadership skills. I have really enjoyed it, and I hope I can continue to improve in my final weeks here.             

References

Learn about our community of care and service at Camphill. (n.d.). Camphill Association of North      America. https://www.camphill.org/about/

 

A New Experience, A New Beginning: Erina McGuire ’24 at Rocking Horse Community Health Center

Sep 26, 2024
 

“At Rocking Horse Community Health Center we provide complete health and wellness services to take care of you, your family and everyone in our community. We offer medical, dental, behavioral health, patient advocacy and material assistance to help you be the best you can be.”

-Direct quote from the Rocking Horse Website

  My final Co-op at Antioch is at Rocking Horse Community Health Center in Springfield Ohio. It is a self design Co-op that I decided to do for two reasons. The first reason is that it is close to my house so I can easily ride my little electric bicycle to and from the location. The other reason is that even though Rocking Horse is a hospital, I work in the Patient Advocacy department. I don’t plan on being a healthcare worker in the future, but working as a Patient Advocate can help me learn more about patient needs and resources that can help my clients when I one day become a therapist.

“Our patient advocates can assist you in breaking down the barriers that may be keeping you from living your best life. We can help with navigating resources for housing, employment, guardianship, applying for cash, food and medical assistance, applying for daycare, transportation, prescription assistance, utility assistance, homelessness, domestic violence and more. Please talk to your provider or call one of our advocates directly.”

-Direct quote from the Rocking Horse Patient Advocacy Page Patient Advocates do plenty of things around Rocking Horse. They work with every department and do their best to ensure that the patients here have what they need in order to have their needs met. As one of the Advocates, Ja-Lynn told me: Patients won’t get better until the issues in their lives start to improve and their needs are met. The two main parts of my job are working in the food pantry to put together food boxes and hand them out, and collecting Opportunity Assessments and calling patients to get them in contact with resources they may need.

Example of a food .box that I have put together

For the food pantry, when people come by for a food box, we put their name into PantryTrak and check to see if they’re a patient here or not. If they are, we put in their chart on NextGen that they received a food box, if not we mark it on a sheet to keep track of how many non-patients we assist. I also put together food boxes and help to bring in the food delieveries for said boxes roughly once a week. For Opportunity Assessments, every morning I pick them up from one of the nurse stations. Opportunity assessments are meant to be given to patients during each visit, and they ask if there are any areas in their lives that they may need assistance with, like food, housing, healthcare and other similar areas. There are four nurse stations in our facility that have the Opportunity Assessment drop boxes. One in Pediatrics, two in Family Practice, and one in Obstetrics.

Example of a blank Opportunity Assessment

When I return to my workspace, I organize the assessments into three piles. Negative Assessments, English Positive Assessments and Non-English Positive Assessments. A negative assessment is where a patient marks ‘no’ for each question asked about assistance, while a positive assessment is one where the patient marks at least one yes. Both negative and positive assessments are put in patient charts on NextGen, but with positive assessments we reach out to the patient and share with them different resources depending on their needs. However if a patient marks that they do not want an Advocate reaching out to them, we still treat it as a positive assessment but we complete it and note in the chart that they did not want to be contacted. As for the Non-English Positive Assessments, Rocking Horse Community Health Center serves many Spanish and Haitian-Creole speaking people. The questions aren’t any different, which is why the Non-English Negative Assessments can be done since we do not reach out to the patient, but the positive assessments are put into the patient’s chart and then a task is sent to all Advocates for someone to take. We have a few advocates who can speak Haitian-Creole as well as some Advocates and student volunteers who can speak Spanish, but we also have a translation service that can be called to help the Advocates who cannot speak any of those languages. Although I can really only speak English, I did take French at Antioch. While Haitian-Creole is its own language, it uses French as its base. So even though I can’t hold a conversation with someone who speaks Haitian-Creole,  I can at least speak enough that I can roughly ask someone what their name and birthday is so that I can look them up in the system to give them a food box or see if they have an appointment (Thank you professor Cary Campbell). Food boxes and Opportunity Assessments are not the only tasks that am able to do. I have done a few office tasks, and recently got the opportunity to go on a house call with one of our Advocates who did an initial assessment to assist one of the doctors for a telehealth visit. So far I have really enjoyed working with the Advocates and other volunteers. They are all amazing people who find a way to make me laugh everyday, even when things aren’t going the best. It’s been fun learning the work, though it can be hard with the personal situations of patients needing assistance. I think it is definitely helping to prepare me for the types of things I can see later in life as a therapist.
Rocking Horse Website Banner

 

Winning Victories For Every Species: Heron Schleeter ’26 at Antioch Kitchens

Aug 31, 2024
 

Over this past spring, I have been deeply committed to fostering a harmonious relationship between education and ecological stewardship. One recent initiative—a crafted birdhouse near the campus apothecary garden—exemplifies this dedication. Designed to promote avian habitat and facilitate ornithophilous interactions, which is the act of pollination by bird species, this project supports local wildlife and enriches our campus ecosystem and educational experiences.

The construction of the birdhouse involved meticulous planning and sustainable practices; I chose heat-treated wood for its durability and finished it with an all-natural hemp sealant to ensure the structure remained eco-friendly. The birdhouse features a stainless steel hinged roof, allowing easy access for cleaning, and is assembled with sturdy steel screws. One of the main challenges was securing the birdhouse to its base from the interior, which we overcame using an extender drill bit provided by Richard Kraince. This innovative solution ensured the birdhouse’s stability and functionality.

 Completing this signature assignment gave me valuable insights into the best practices for birdhouse orientation and preparation. Positioning the birdhouse facing east minimizes exposure to prevailing winds while maximizing sunlight, keeping the interior warm throughout the year. Additionally, filling the interior with an inch of natural substrate before installation has been proven beneficial, as birds prefer to clean out and personalize their nesting spaces rather than starting with an empty house.

 The birdhouse is strategically placed approximately fifty feet from the apothecary garden. This location, surrounded by a 30-foot diameter of unobscured area, provides ample space for birds to fly in and out freely while staying close enough to interact beneficially with the apothecary garden and nearby area. We anticipate that this project will enhance pollination and seed dispersion throughout campus, contributing to its growth and biodiversity.

 Looking forward, this birdhouse represents a small yet significant step in the broader conservation efforts I plan to undertake during the latter half of my undergraduate career. I aim to build on this initiative with my senior project. This involves implementing red-colored light-gel sheets into the artificial lighting within our campus restoration area near the Arts & Sciences Building, which will be monitored against a white-light restoration area near Weston Hall and Pennell House. This initiative is designed to create a safer environment for local bats, night-migrating birds, and other urban wildlife.

This birdhouse project is more than a simple construction; it symbolizes an ongoing commitment to ecological harmony and educational growth at Antioch College. Whether you’re interested in building birdhouses, contributing to our apothecary garden, or participating in other efforts, your involvement can make a significant impact; together, we can achieve victories for every species!


 

“In the Bay, at Martins”: Bridget Padilla’24 at Martin de Porres in San Francisco

Feb 21, 2024
 

What is Martins?

Martin de Porres House of Hospitality, affectionately known as Martins, is a Free Restaurant, serving soup for anyone and everyone Monday – Saturday from 1-2pm. Martins was inspired by the catholic workers movement which lead to their mission to “serve in the spirit of compassion, love, and understanding.” Martins is a non-profit 501(c)(3) community that is run as a collective, meaning no funding comes from the government or the church, leaving Martins to be dependent on private donations.

What have I been doing here? 

For the past couple of months, I have been helping as a full time volunteer at Martins working Monday through Fridays, with the exception of Wednesday, from 9am- 2:30pm. My day to day activities range throughout the week, mainly since everyday we serve a different kind of soup. Monday’s are Oatmeal, Tuesday’s Tofu Curry, Wednesday’s Minestrone, Thursday’s Black Eyed Pea, Friday’s Split Pea and Saturday’s Lentils. The days are usually spread out to three different shifts: 

 

9am-10:30am

During this time is what is called “the big chop”. The volunteers gather around the serving counter with knives and cutting boards, ready to tackle the 7-9 trays of freshly washed vegetables and greens for the soup and sides. Along with the chopping, we also place bread on trays and make tea to hand out to the guests before we begin serving lunch. 

12pm-2pm

It is finally serving time! For this, the volunteers gather around and decide who wants what job. There is no real hierarchy when it comes to shift duties, there is a general crew chief who is there to help, not control or boss around. The jobs are simple kitchen duties like dishwashing, serving, or walking around bussing tables. During this shift as well, there are showers on Tuesdays and Thursdays, along with a free pop up clothes and necessities store, filled with items that are usually donated.  

2pm-2:30pm

At the end of a usually chaotic but satisfying shift, we begin the clean up process. It usually takes around 30 minutes or so since there are around 10-12 volunteers per shift which really makes the clean up easy. The clean up consists of washing dishes and pots, mopping floors and other front of the house operations. We offer bathrooms everyday, which also need general cleaning.

Community and Communication

We are open to serving any kind of person who walks through the doors. The goal of the Martins location is to provide sanctuary, a calm and inviting space to lounge around and enjoy a meal or simply sleep in peace. The majority of our guests are unhoused and low income locals, so we cater more to their needs on the daily bases. Along with providing their material needs, we also help with setting guests up to receive government funds, and even sometimes housing. There are many guests who come in who have been a part of the community for 10 years. This free kitchen is the only source of food for some folks in the Potrero/Mission area, so it is vital for Martins to continue to create meals and feed the people.  

I never considered social justice work as something I would have been interested in, but since being here at Martins, I have loved it. Entirely, I feel so grateful to have been able to come and volunteer here while making so many special friends. My experience has been unforgettable and has even become a place I want to spend many years in. I can not wait to return to this wonderful, and loving community.