Sarah's Acres

  • Community
  • 0 followers

About the Community

  • Forming
  • Rural

What we do

Sarah’s Acres, to be located in Central Virginia, will be the first location using a new aging model for special needs families created by Peace of Mind Community LLC. Currently, housing options are limited, especially for those with high support needs.

As parent caregivers age, living at home becomes less feasible. How do we spend quality time with our child if we need to move into assisted living? We need an aging solution for all of us.

  • We will all need the same kinds of care.
  • We all need community.
  • We all need peace of mind.
  • While there are many great efforts to house those with support needs, there are still people without options. With thousands of people on the waitlist for housing across the United States, we have an opportunity to make a difference.

    Focus on the family

    What if the entire model centered around the adult with support needs, including opportunities for quality time with family members? More than just a walk around the block or a shopping outing, but everything from an overnight visit to a summer-long stay? What if some housing was full-time for both the parents and their child, aging with support together?

    Higher support levels

    If you need one-on-one 24/7 care, your options are limited. Most live at home with their parents as caregivers or nursing care coming into the home. This model “works” for a while, but once the parents are also no longer able to live independently, the choices become limited to their child moving in with siblings, a foster family, or institutional care.

    Dependable care

    Even at home, care is not ideal. Aging parents plus poor caregiver quality and availability have many parents paralyzed in their lives, unable to give their adult child what they need and also unable to live their lives to their fullest.

    Safety

    Safety drives many parents’ fears for housing, especially for their female adult children.

    *********

    Sarah’s Acres was initially inspired by Sarah and her family. Sarah, now 24, was born with Pitt Hopkins syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that has left her unable to walk independently, speak, or use her hands. Sarah is also legally blind.

    Our Vision

    We dream about a world where all people with special needs and their caregivers have abundant options for living healthy, full lives amongst a supportive community. We plan to offer programs and respite anchored by special needs families living on the property, parents and their children aging together.

    Our Mission

    We dream about a world where all people with special needs and their caregivers have abundant options for living healthy, full lives amongst a supportive community. We plan to offer programs and respite anchored by special needs families living on the property, parents and their children aging together.

    • Community type
    • Cohousing
    • Ecovillage
    • Activities
    • Education
    • 40 Total members
    • Open to new members
    • Open to visitors
    • Open to volunteers
    Total
    40

    Primary decision-making authority

    • All Community Members Together

    The whole membership decides collectively.

    Governance structure

    • Collaborative/Horizontal

    Power and responsibility are shared relatively equally among members.

    Economic model

    • Partial Income-Sharing

    Members contribute a percentage of income to community funds.

    Economic scenarios for this community

    • There is a one-time fee, investment, or share purchase to join the community separate from accessing housing
    • Members need to pay fees, dues, or similar to live there on a per month or per year basis
    • There is a labor obligation

    Additional economic information

    Join fee: Yes (amount not specified)
    Monthly fees/dues: Yes (amount not specified)
    Labor: Encouraged or suggested
    Members with pre-existing debt: Yes (some debt)

    Shared resources and amenities that are accessible to everyone in the community

    Common House, Garden(s), Greenhouse(s), Library, Workshop, Outbuilding(s), Swimming pond or pool, Large Scale Kitchen, Stage or Auditorium, Fire pit, Swingsets & play areas, Recreational vehicles, Gym or sports area, Internet

    Reviews

    Location

    • Virginia, United States

    Promoted Needs and Offers

    Need
    Need
    Need
    • Communities with Openings
    12 months ago

    Water Birch Co-op. Urban living in central Denver.

    Large, lovely house built in 1900, two blocks from Cheeseman Park in downtown Denver.  5000 square feet. The house was a Buddhist Meditation Center for 20 years before we got it and has lovely, calm vibes. We currently have ten people and have room for one more. We are an intentional community sharing dinners, 3 living rooms, 2 new kitchens and a kitchenette, & 5 baths. Staple food (organic) is bought together. The group is self-regulating as a co-op; it decides together how the house runs. There are chores ;-) Average cost per room is about $1000 ranging from $650 to $1354. Currently available room is $875. We are just finishing renovation of three bedrooms on the third floor  they are $875 each and share our largest, newest bath (shower and separate claw foot tub) and a brand new kitchenette  they all have beautiful windows and lots of light. PLEASE CHECK OUT COMMUNITY LISTINGS FOR MORE INFO. Initial lease for 3-6 months while we and you decide if we are a good fit for each other.  Deposit in the amount of one months rent is required prior to move in.  We do background checks on all members. Utilities are currently $130 per person per month and are all-inclusive.  They will change if costs go up, that amount is insufficient to cover utilities, or more people mean the cost per person goes down.  WiFi is via mesh network from gig-speed fiberoptic service.  Heat is with radiators.  Cooling is evaporative.  We have a storage room in a nearby commercial facility.  And a new large workshop in the garage. Shared food is $125 per month per person; it is a pass-through cost divided evenly among residents; it does NOT include meat or alternative protein nor any alcohol.  We will not be surprised if that needs to go up some soon ($10 or 15). We have two dogs and three cats in the house  that seems like a sufficient quantity of furry friends for now. Our community intentions include: Communication with compassion. Shared space and life. Shared meals. Shared staple foods which are non-GMO and Organic. Group decision making. Safe, inclusive space: queer and trans friendly, anti-racist, non-violent, and feminist. The purchase of the house by the co-op in about five years. The expansion of the co-op, possibly to include other housing types (like separate apartments). Weekly meetings and house committees to manage our community. We are considering implementing Sociocracy as an organizing method. Quiet hours are from 10:00pm to 8:00am. We are looking for community members who: Want to live in a community not just have a place to sleep and eat. Want to live in a beautiful, clean, and organized house and are willing to help make and keep it that way. Residents should expect to spend 16 hours per month towards this goal. Are curious, compassionate, flexible, and open to living with others who will undoubtedly have different ideas about many things. Are interested in pioneering a new co-op. There will be work involved to get there. Are responsible and communicative. Embrace enthusiastically that living in community requires introspection and personal growth. Are not joining the community as a way of running away from something.
    Need
    11 months ago

    Travel to visit intentional communities with Ecovillage Tours ✈️

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