Cocoon

Camphill Village Kimberton Hills

cocoon

Camphill Village Kimberton Hills

Story By Paula Beck
Photography by Adam Atkinson

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live a simpler life? I know I have. In today's world, most people are constantly stressed and pulled in about a hundred different directions at once. The result is that many of us are only a few degrees away from the boiling point on an average day.

On the morning I planned to visit Camphill Village Kimberton Hills, I saw an example of just that. I stopped at Starbucks to grab a coffee before heading off to my appointment. The parking lot was completely full so I cruised around a few times and unknowingly took a parking space another woman was waiting for. After parking and getting out of my car, the woman from the other car continued to send angry glares my way as I walked.

The mentally taxing effects of the woman’s hostility stayed with me until about an hour later when I arrived at my destination. Founded in 1972, Camphill Village Kimberton Hills in Chester County is a farming, gardening, and handcrafting community that includes adults with developmental disabilities.

I could already feel the stress of the morning begin to fall away as I took in the beautiful 432 acres of farm and woodlands. As I started up the long driveway, there was a dairy on my left. When I turned to the right to head up the hill toward the main office, I saw about twenty red chickens pecking the ground and I was reminded that there is another way to live. I had only driven about an hour but I felt like I was a million miles away from the Starbucks parking lot where I had been screamed at over a parking space that morning.

The office is located in a beautiful mansion at the top of the hill. I was greeted warmly by Charlene Roth, one of the villagers. Of the 110 people who live there, 41 have developmental disabilities and they are known as villagers. The additional residents are made up of long and short-term volunteers that become members of the Camphill Village community.

Villagers and volunteers live and work together daily. It is more than just a place to live- it is a place to thrive. Camphill nurtures the whole person. Villagers have the opportunity to work and be productive, as well as participate in social and cultural events.

Charlene Roth When Charlene first arrived at Camphill Village in 1977, she worked on the dairy. Charlene beamed when she told me that she was known as “the Queen of the Dairy”. Charlene expressed how much she really enjoyed working with the animals. However, as she got older, the dairy became too demanding on her physically so she now works in the bakery and the weavery. She showed me the looms she uses in the weavery and I also got to see some examples of her handiwork. She made lovely scarves and rugs.

The abilities and interests of villagers determines their work roles in the community. Bernadette Kovaleski, the public relations representative for Camphill Village said, “Everybody has to be happy with what they are doing.”

The work opportunities give villagers a chance to be productive and build self esteem but it also provides revenue that goes toward the operating costs of the village. The dairy produces un-pasteurized milk that is sold at Kimberton Whole Foods which also carries some products from their bakery. There is a gift shop located in the main office building where visitors can purchase the pottery, scarves, rugs, and other handcrafted items produced by villagers. Another revenue generator is The Café which is open Wednesday through Saturday and serves up organic fare. Incidentally I was so disappointed that I couldn’t sample the food at The Café personally because they were closed. However, Charlene emphatically stated that the food at The Café was “delicious” and I should make a return trip on another day to try it for myself.

The garden is another revenue generator for Camphill Village. It is a CSA (community supported agriculture) garden. Bernadette Kovaleski explained, “Members of the greater community buy shares and come once a week to pick up the harvest. The local food movement has been gaining popularity but we have been doing it for about the past 10 years here.”

The village is extremely eco-conscious. The gardening is organic, the fibers used in the weavery are natural and/or recycled, and newer buildings on the property have been built with sustainability in mind. They believe that being good stewards of the property and the environment reflects back to promote the health and well-being of the people who live there.

The focus is on promoting an atmosphere of all-around wellness and you can feel that when you’re there. The whole vibe of Camphill Village is one of calm and wellness. Everyone I encountered was warm and welcoming. Both villagers and volunteers appeared to really enjoy being part of the community.

David Reeves “The way that people live here is like an extended family. So like at Charlene’s house there is a couple with a child that live with four villagers. So that becomes a real family unit. It’s very family oriented” said Kovaleski. I had the opportunity to see a household and one of the first things I noticed was how the natural light filled the home. I was told that Serena House was designed so that the outside could be seen from every room. The home also had lots of open space a smooth flow. There was large beautiful kitchen and several common areas that villagers could use to relax and/or socialize.

There is a social building called Rose Hall on the property. The day I visited there was a performance of “The Prince and the Pauper.” The cast was made up of members from the greater community but the music for the show was played by villagers.

Before the show started I had a chance to speak with one of the volunteers. Melissa Ruiz who became a volunteer in mid-July 2010 said, “I wanted to be part of a community that was more centered around human interaction and being connected to the earth. I wanted to be somewhere that the focus is not so much on obtaining wealth or material things but how to interact with people – how to love people.” Melissa believes that the villagers, “find value in what they are doing. They have friendships and interactions. They are free to be who they are and learn how to love people and share this space together. And I think they are quite happy.”

It is really beautiful way to live.

If you are interested in learning more about Camphill Village Kimberton Hills visit their website, http://www.camphillkimberton.org/.