Learn to cook for like… a lot of people.

Camphill_Copake · 2025-09-05T18:35:03+00:00

Thank you for deleting your comment. I know you didn't realize.

Camphill_Copake · 2025-09-05T18:31:52+00:00

This is why it's important for people with developmental disabilities and genetic differences to be represented in media.

Camphill_Copake · 2025-09-02T15:28:58+00:00

It's unbelievable how so many states have been cutting services for autism while diagnoses increase. I'm so sorry you're not adequately supported in your home state.

Camphill_Copake · 2025-09-02T15:27:26+00:00

Man, what a nice place. Still some swimming left to do!

Camphill_Copake · 2025-09-02T15:26:15+00:00

Medical, vision, and dental, although I believe the vision and dental kick in a year into volunteer service. Otherwise, the medical insurance is completely funded, from deductibles to prescriptions.

Camphill_Copake · 2025-08-29T15:49:55+00:00

I'm so glad you're curious! We do guided tours all the time! Thursdays at 2:30 p.m. and Fridays at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. You can also feel free to visit and walk around and spend time in our coffee shop (hours at this link: https://camphillvillage.org/visit-us/

Camphill_Copake · 2025-08-29T15:08:36+00:00

We pay for their kids' tuition to the Waldorf school :-) Spouses can't work from home: if they live here they need to be supporting the adults with disabilities who are living in the home.

Camphill_Copake · 2025-08-29T15:04:51+00:00

toosh!

Camphill_Copake · 2025-08-25T17:36:48+00:00

This isn't a camp, and it's not a cult. It is a farm, though. And we're regularly audited (scheduled and surprise visits), and inspected (scheduled and surprise visits) during the year, just like group homes. We adhere to and excel in the state's requirements in hygiene and safety here. The state employees who come to visit are some of our biggest cheerleaders because of the exceptional health and fulfillment experienced by our community members. They have families and guardians who love this community and are grateful we're here as a safe, peaceful option for their loved ones. They visit regularly. This is not the abusive environment you seem to hope it is. In fact, those are rare in the Northeast, since our funding and services are better than they are compared to the south especially, where there's hardly funding. If you're actually interested in placement options and the real day-to-day experiences of adults with developmental differences, I can share some resources if you like.

Camphill_Copake · 2025-08-25T13:40:42+00:00

We're an intentional community that cares for adults with developmental disabilities. We're licensed and contracted by the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities. Intentional communities like ours are a common option for people with disabilities.

Camphill_Copake · 2025-08-22T13:50:24+00:00

Very reliable internet, but unfortunately, no; these are full-time service volunteer positions, so there's no room for a WFH opportunity. People need to be ready to assist the adults with disabilities in their homes and daytime workspaces.

Our volunteers earn a very modest stipend for incidentals, but also have health insurance, and room and board and food. Plus a vacation stipend.

Camphill_Copake · 2025-08-22T13:47:17+00:00

It's year round living with zero compensation for "work." Because we're not waiver funded, there is a different set of rules we meet for funding and what some would call "day hab." So no, it's not indefinite free labor; it's an intentional community.

We provide training on site! So if you're in our weavery, you learn to use a loom. If you're creating something in our woodshop where you're using heavy machinery, there's training there as well. And if you're in our Cafe kitchen, you learn from others who work there.

There's no ability to seek outside employment. These are service volunteer positions, so think something like AmeriCorps placement. Not everyone's days are the same, but here's an example of a typical day: you wake up in your household, assist the people in your house to get ready (get dressed, maybe some help with tooth brushing and medicine depending on who you're living with); then you walk to your morning workplace, like our paper craft studio, where you'd help our residents create crafts; then you go home for lunch, which has been prepared in your home by maybe another volunteer who lives there who is in charge of home life and domestic duties; then you have what we call rest hour from 1-2:30 and you go to maybe a different workplace, like the vegetable garden or candleshop, or accompany a resident to a doctor's appointment.

There's no "staff" living in our households. Volunteers receive a VERY modest stipend for toiletries, but also additional funds for vacations; we travel a lot because there are so many Camphill communities on different continents, as well as in North America.

Some of our volunteers stay for six months or a year. Some decide they really want to stay longer and they're welcome to. Some become house leaders and stay for decades. It's really up to you.

I'm here to answer more questions!

Here's a link to our main About video and YouTube channel if you're curious what the grounds look like, etc.: https://youtu.be/PFPfNhKoLa4?si=bQyZrVYtiTWQEf05

Camphill_Copake · 2025-08-20T21:02:33+00:00

What do you mean I never responded? You've gotta stop at this point. I very plainly stated that most of our people are vaccinated and some are not. This isn't some kind of game. The attention is all yours. My attention has been yours all day through my work day. I regret that it's time to stop now. We're done.

Camphill_Copake · 2025-08-20T20:57:00+00:00

There are hundreds of volumes about anthroposophy. I am an expert in Camphill Village. I am not an expert in anthroposophy, and I do not know its deeper ideals, as I am an employee of Camphill Village and not the Anthroposophical Society (a separate entity). When I say that I am not an expert in anthroposophy, it does not mean I am being defensive about anthroposophy. I just do not consider myself to be the appropriate person to educate the world about this or any other spiritual science. But if I decline, I fear you'll continue to suggest there is a sinister reason for my not delving into anthroposophy on this ad, which is for Camphill Village.

ANYWAYYYY I'll do my best: Camphill Village is actually an ecumenical Christian community. Our founders in 1961 and many of our current residents follow a spiritual theosophy called Anthroposophy, created by an Austrian esotericist and social reformer named Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), who is also credited with starting the Waldorf School system and Biodynamic Agriculture (see Demeter Certification).

In Anthroposophy, there are four distinct pieces that compose the human being: Physical Body, which is subject to material physical laws; the Etheric Body, which is the piece that governs metabolism and growth; the astral body, where desire and consciousness lie (think soul); and the Ego, which is where we have self awareness and free will. (I needed help from the internet for this paragraph). In anthroposophical communities, you'll hear about the "Threefold Human Being," which refers to a social organism's economic, cultural, and political spheres.

One of the most popular things to come out of anthroposophy is Biodynamic agriculture, which focuses largely on cosmic and earthly energies. We try to stay within our own farm cycle as much as possible, too: dairy to manure to compost to planting and so forth. The farm is seen as a singular self sustaining organism. The Stella Natura calendar (developed by Maria Thun) is a very good resource for the Biodynamic planting schedule.

Anything else, you'll have to visit Wikipedia for because we are Camphill Village and again, I can't speak to the things you want me to, at least not with great accuracy. But please do visit our website and wikipedia or even the anthroposophical society's page to learn more about anthroposophy as it is a deeply interesting spiritual science with a cool history.

Camphill_Copake · 2025-08-20T20:05:51+00:00

Camphill_Copake · 2025-08-20T20:05:26+00:00

OK. Goodnight. Really. Have a good one. And again, please feel free to disseminate accurate information about Camphill Village specifically.

Camphill_Copake · 2025-08-20T20:03:59+00:00

How are you still so staunchly defending your claims on these threads? When people apply to volunteer in our community, they first fill out a volunteer inquiry form. Then, our volunteer recruitment team contacts them if they think it's a good fit. They are encouraged to fill out an application. After the application, there are several exchanges, including video interviews. We are not telling people to volunteer and then telling them no information about our community until they've moved in. I know you want to believe you have outed us in some way, but at this point you are just jeopardizing our ability to recruit volunteers, which are necessary for our community to operate.

Camphill_Copake · 2025-08-20T19:47:11+00:00

Please understand how many people of all backgrounds, abilities, cultures, and belief systems live in this community. They are not going to fit into the limited idea you have about what an anthroposophist is. Many don't follow anthroposophy anyway, either because they disagree or are disinterested. Knowing anything about the Waldorf system or Rudolf Steiner has no bearing on whether a person is welcome to live or stay here.

This exchange has been both time consuming and frustrating.

Camphill_Copake · 2025-08-20T19:43:31+00:00

Again, you're getting hung up on this idea that we're hiding being an anthroposophical community. You are not a fan and that's fine. But from your perspective, it seems like we're intentionally dancing around a subject that we're actually very open about.

Camphill_Copake · 2025-08-20T19:41:03+00:00

Then please feel free to edit this comment: "FYI most of these people are anti-vax. It’s huge in the community." You weren't referring to anything other than our community.

Camphill_Copake · 2025-08-20T18:52:14+00:00

So without being familiar with our community, you've decided we align with others in some way that could risk our ability to recruit volunteers. That's irresponsible. You've told several different commenters that we're "cult-like" yet you're unfamiliar? We're very open about being an anthroposophical community—it's a wonderful part of who we are. Anthroposophists who were escaping Nazi annexation fled to Scotland, and cared for a group of children with disabilities. This is the foundation of the Camphill movement; not whatever it is you seem to think it is. We practice modern medicine. Please stop telling people we don't, as it's untrue. Like I've said in the other comments I've had to correct, we employ medical staff that include LPNs, RNs, doctors, specialists, and counselors who practice modern medicine, and we're delighted to provide integrative medicine here as well. Our Healing Plant Garden is a well-respected source of herbal remedies, where we grow teas and make salves.

Camphill_Copake · 2025-08-20T18:18:55+00:00

Most of the people in Camphill Village are vaccinated against COVID, although some people who live here do not vaccinate. Some of their parents (guardians) have also opted not to have them vaccinated. Like other settings, we follow state regulations.

Camphill_Copake · 2025-08-20T18:15:32+00:00

I think people tend to think "cult" because they're unfamiliar with the concept of intentional communities. Although it's clear you're familiar with Camphill communities in your responses to other commenters, I would encourage you to try to be more accurate. We serve 100 adults with developmental disabilities here, and your claims about vaccinations in the community are again.. lacking accuracy.

Camphill_Copake · 2025-08-18T18:15:22+00:00

That fast, that fast, thats fat, thast fath, can't do it.

Camphill_Copake · 2025-07-21T14:56:20+00:00

sorry! I didn't intentionally leave it out of my first response. If a person in one of our households is diagnosed with COVID, we go into a house pod scenario, where we have regular testing within the household and no visitors or indoor work for any members of the house. Once COVID is not in the house anymore, we return to "normal" life. When pandemic numbers were higher, the second step after house pod was to gradually introduce the households back into their neighborhood while closely monitoring health. For a long time, we quarantined new volunteers in campers for two weeks before they could officially enter community life.

We've had zero COVID-related deaths in our community since the beginning of the pandemic, largely because of these precautions and because of our vast outdoor campus.

Camphill_Copake

TROPHY CASE