"We envisioned a community of elders who would live and age together and have support in their final years. We then discussed and wrote our values that included walking a spiritual path, taking care of ourselves and one another, living simply and respecting the earth."
(FOCIS Futures, Visioning Group Stakeholders Workshop 2005)
(FOCIS Futures, Visioning Group Stakeholders Workshop 2005)
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MISSION STATEMENT
to initiate and support communities of mutual support and late-life spirituality |
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VALUES
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| SPIRITUALITY Members believe that spiritual growth is the primary work of those in the later stages of life. Members encourage one another in the search for meaning in life and commitment to a spiritual path. Freedom of religion is fundamental. |
| MUTUAL SUPPORT Members develop face-to-face relationships through which they offer and receive support. They express their needs and convictions, listen to each other and strive to act responsibly, considering their good and the good of the other. |
| SERVICE Support from the Community empowers members to help each other and to contribute service to the wider community according to their abilities, interests and opportunities. |
| SIMPLE LIFESTYLE & RESPECT FOR THE EARTH Conscious that over-consumption by persons in wealthy countries threatens the earth’s living systems, members seek a simplified lifestyle that reflects a respectful relationship with the environment. |
| ARTS & RECREATION Leisure, recreational activities and travel contribute uniquely toward refreshing the mind, body and spirit. The arts form an integral part of the community. Members share and develop their gifts and talents through such activities as music, dance, theater, storytelling, gardening, crafts, weaving, etc. |
| HEALTH The word “health” comes from the same root as “heal,” “whole,” and “holy”. Recognizing this members pay attention to nutrition, rest, exercise and social interaction. Residents of the senior cohousing community of mutual support also commit to the following values. |
| CARE DURING ILLNESS & DYING The common goal of the cohousing neighborhood is to offer care to one another in the later years. It affirms home care and dying at home. However, when institutional care occurs, a member of the community stays in touch with the person and closely follows her/his condition. Members recognize that the process of living involves one’s desire for tolerable health and a capacity to be generative. Within the community, the process of dying raises one’s awareness that all surrender physical life, not in isolation, but as a sister or brother of the human community. |
| MUTUAL ASSISTANCE Sharing of goods and services is the norm in the cohousing neighborhood. When members have needs beyond the individual and family group, they are encouraged to make their needs known. Community meetings and common meals provide opportunities for open discussion, sharing and mutual assistance. Revised 9/2003 |
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ElderSpirit Community
“Goodness of Fit” Questionnaire |
| ElderSpirit Community is the name chosen by a group of older adults committed to spiritual growth, caring for one another, respect for the earth, and service to the larger community. The ElderSpirit Community is planning a co-housing neighborhood of mutual support in Abingdon, Virginia. This questionnaire is designed to help you decide if ElderSpirit Community might be a “good fit” for you and your interests. Read the following statements and note whether you agree or disagree. This is for your purposes only; please do not return the form.
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If you agree with most of these statements, you might be a good fit for membership in the ElderSpirit Community. For more information about ElderSpirit Community, or the cohousing neighborhood, please contact us at: ElderSpirit Community |
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CONCEPTUAL MODEL
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Picturing the Land & Asking Forgiveness
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Honoring this Place; Asking Forgiveness
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ESC members visiting site
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Early viewing of ElderSpirit Community - Asking Permission of the Land
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Early visioning & planning
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The July 2004 meeting of the Residents Association
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Early visionaries; Mary & Pascal
Celebrating their Marriage |
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Waldie & Evelyn Unger
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The potluck lunch has become a tradition.
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August 2005 meeting of the Residents Association
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Visioning
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© 2007 ElderSpirit Community®, Inc.
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