Riverflow Community

Overview

The dream is for Riverflow to grow into a four-home community on 30+ acres, with vegetable and perennial gardens, chickens and sheep, and numerous vocational learning programs embedded within the community. We are looking for additional founders who want to call Riverflow home. If you as an individual want to come as a householder or you are a family with interest in lifesharing, we are excited to start a conversation with you.

Each home at Riverflow will be unique because each home is created by those living in it. Householders are responsible for co-creating and maintaining beautiful, organized therapeutic homes for people of all abilities. You will live with adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who make their home at Riverflow and volunteers from all over the world who come to give one or more years of service. Typically, lifesharing homes consist of 3-4 adults who have some developmental or intellectual disability, 2-3 service year volunteers, and 1-2 house leaders (and their children, if they have any).

Riverflow Community is striving to create a vibrant, health-giving, joyful environment where individuals can meet as whole human beings and find their needs met holistically and collaboratively through long-lasting and meaningful connections.

Requirements

An interest in living and working with people who have intellectual disabilities in a lifesharing community is essential. An openness to understanding the human being as threefold - body, soul, and spirit - is also an important prerequisite for life at Riverflow.

Additionally, applicants must have:

Practical homemaking skills (i.e. cooking, care of the house, scheduling, administration)
Excellent interpersonal communication skills
The ability to respectfully train and guide new volunteers who support your house
A willingness to grow and a sense of humor

A background or interest in Anthroposophy is helpful but not required. We hope that prospective householders have some initial knowledge of Camphill and will recommend you spend time visiting an established Camphill before or during your application process. Previous experience working with a vulnerable population is preferred. Prior Camphill experience is preferred but not required.

We warmly welcome applicants with passionate pursuits in areas including, but not limited to:

Sustainable agriculture
Healthy living and nature’s rhythms
Authentic engagement with people who have a wide range of abilities, challenges, and backgrounds
Spirituality and holistic community living
Social Work, Occupational Therapy

Expectations

Householders will uphold, model, and embody the values of the Riverflow community, including: lifelong learning, cooperation, compassionate communication, consensus-building, accountability and trust, hospitality, flexibility, consistency, conscientiousness, and servant leadership.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

Ensuring exceptional day-to-day care for adults with disabilities.
Providing mentorship and training to new volunteers.
Coordinating, in collaboration with your team of volunteers: meal planning, laundry, housecleaning, grocery shopping, and health care services.

Overseeing medical needs and coordinating with medical providers.
Providing direct care and hygiene support for residents and ensuring that volunteers are properly trained to do the same.
Communicating consistently and graciously with parents.
Maintaining records and other household administrative tasks, including managing the household budget, schedules, menus, and adhering to licensing regulations.
Facilitating and/or creating social activities and seasonal festival celebrations.

Participation is expected in select meetings and decision-making groups that support and nurture the well-being of the Riverflow community.

What We Provide

Householders are provided with a personal/family needs budget to cover living expenses. In addition, the community provides:

Room, board, and utilities in our beautiful extended family homes with a dedicated household car. Riverflow houses have attractive semi-private wings for householder living.
For householders who stay at least 36 months, Riverflow provides generous financial transition assistance.
Riverflow householders pay into the Social Security system and in addition Riverflow sets aside funds in its own budget each year to build personalized retirement funding that is available to each householder after three years of service.
Assistance with student loan debt of up to $250/month.
Medical insurance through the state of Vermont.
Tuition for children at the local Waldorf school, if desired.
Up to 2 days of personal time per week, and up to 4 weeks of paid vacation per year.
Farm-fresh meals, largely made with organic and biodynamic ingredients.
A beautiful natural environment in Monkton, Vermont.
Funded educational opportunities including national and international conferences and workshops in addition to on-site training and mentorship.

Additional Information:

Training is provided in the following areas: Social Therapy, First Aid & CPR, effective communication with adults with special needs, fire safety, mandatory reporting, communication with parents and referral agencies to meet our licensing requirements, collaborative communication, restorative practices and circle work. Ongoing mentoring is provided for Householders through the first 3 years.

The intention of this opportunity is to explore a longer-term position within the Riverflow Community.

For more information or to apply, please contact:

River Parker / Director of Admissions
Email: volunteer@riverflowcommunity.org

Apply Online

Householder / Long-Term Coworker