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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Helping a villager with their bowl in the Pottery Workshop
Making a cutting board
Making gnocchi for dinner
Mock baseball game
Camphill Puppet Show
Me and a villager on a walk
References
Learn about our community of care and service at Camphill. (n.d.). Camphill Association of North America. https://www.camphill.org/about/
