Life in Camphill Village Copake
Camphill Village is an integrated community where we connect with one another through meaningful work, enriching spiritual life, and supportive relationships. We are unfolding our potential together through the practice of social therapy, in which we nurture the gifts of our peers while meeting their needs through life’s different stages.
There are more than 20 lifesharing households in Camphill Village. These are shared by individuals with and without developmental differences, including house leaders and their families, volunteers, and students of the Camphill Academy. These housemates of all ages and abilities live as extended families—experiencing milestones and challenges together, enjoying wholesome meals, and sharing responsibilities within the household.
We spend our mornings and afternoons working in our therapeutic craft studios, houses, and practicing biodynamic agriculture. Evenings and weekends are dedicated to creative pursuits and visiting with friends; we might enjoy a week baking cookies and sourdough breads in our Bakery before relaxing on a Saturday afternoon in our busy Coffee Shop. Some will spend evenings practicing a new piece of music before performing alongside fellow musicians in our Village Bell Ensemble concert.
Our weekly activities provide structure and balance, but life in Camphill Village follows the natural rhythms of the seasons. Chilly winter mornings spent cradling mugs of hot mint tea from our gardens melt away into long sunsets by the swim pond. And through these seasonal shifts, we gather for our many holidays and spiritual festivals.
Many of our celebrations are held outdoors, as our scenic valley landscape provides us with space to grow food, as well as gather. Our land enables us to stroll and chat with friends, ride our bicycles in a safe environment, and to decompress peacefully at the end of a fulfilling day.
Camphill Village Copake is a 501c3 not-for-profit organization, and we thank our donors and other generous supporters for helping us to make Camphill Village the special place that it is. Learn about the different ways you can support the adults with developmental differences who make their home at Camphill Village here.
Medical and Therapeutic Care
In addition to off-site care, the Medical Office here in Camphill Village is staffed with nurses and doctors. Our caring medical staff practice integrated medicine—combining homeopathic and mainstream medical care and remedies.
We offer on-site dental care, vision care, physical therapy, and mental health counseling, as well as a wide array of supportive therapies including massage, eurythmy, painting, music, and movement—all of which are utilized enthusiastically by our community members of all abilities.
Camphill has reminded me that life is a gift to be shared. The staff in the medical office, the house leaders, and the villagers give testimony to the power of community; and it is clear that Camphill cares.
Upcoming Events
We’re so grateful to be surrounded by seemingly endless places to explore and swim all summer long! Tamarack House makes especially good use of the refreshing ore pits at @taconicstatepark every year! Thanks for the photos, Rose!! 🫶
Our seasonal festivals are some of our favorite ways to connect as a community! St. John’s Day falls within days of the summer solstice each year, and we love to celebrate with a bonfire, music, and ice cream! The volunteers who live in Camphill Village enjoy full college loan assistance, healthcare, room and board, and friendships with people from all over the world! Visit the link in our bio to learn about our volunteer experience.
Looking from our own Eagle Field and across to the Berkshire hills, we gathered last night to celebrate St. John`s Day. It was a beautiful summer evening! We enjoyed fruity sorbets and sitting with friends, and we danced all evening around our St. John`s Day bonfire while the Terrabelles (Monica Talaya and Laura Geilen) led us with accordion and fiddle. A wonderful way to welcome the summer ahead!
Let Oliver and Frank teach you how to handle wet, sticky focaccia dough! Visit the link in our bio to learn how you can live and volunteer in Camphill Village Copake!
Camphill Village Copake and Camphill Ghent seek a strategic, relationship-driven Major Gifts Officer to lead major and planned giving efforts across both of our communities. This role is responsible for securing significant philanthropic support from individuals and families through a disciplined, portfolio-based approach.
Despite being a part-time position, our Major Gifts Officer will receive excellent medical insurance and generous paid time off, along with an $85,000 salary. This position is mostly remote, with twice monthly on-site presence expected.
Visit the link in our bio or visit camphillvillage.org/careers to learn more.
Turtle Tree Seed’s epic annual Memorial Day Plant Sale starts Friday at 10 am! Find sooo many different varieties of your favorite vegetables. Don’t sleep on hot peppers! They’re great for canning salsas and pickling. We’ll hold a bunch of plants back to make sure our Saturday shoppers get a fair shot! Join us in Camphill Village outside of the Village Green from 10-4 Friday and Saturday! Take what you need, pay what you can. Cash or check please!
Yesterday was our third session making handmade felt slippers in our weavery under the very helpful instruction of Amelia from @floweringhearthomestead! We`ve been working with beautiful wool dyed in earth tones and jewel tones, and yesterday was finally time get very soapy and rinse our slippers under cold water to shrink them to size. It`s been such a fun process from start to finish. Thank you, Amelia!
We were so inspired Friday by a presentation delivered by Mr. Manivannan Ganapathy, the founder of India`s Heart and Soul Foundation. Mr. Ganapathy has been a special educator in India for many years, and his foundation has been doing excellent work and fundraising to begin Aalayam, a Camphill-inspired community in Bangalore, where there are many children in need of services but whose families have no income to obtain them. You might recognize his wonderful daughter, Aparajitha (in pink!), who has been living in and studying our community in order to bring her new skills home to assist with Aalayam in its establishment and future. We are so blessed to have this talented and steadfast family in our lives!
