The Fireplace Community

  • Community
  • 0 followers

About the Community

  • Established
  • Urban

What we do

History: The Fireplace began in 2021. In the years since, it has emerged as a vibrant community space. Learn about the community’s journey at thefireplacecommunity.org/news

Structure and governance: The Fireplace is a cooperatively-governed intentional community. This means that we do not have an external governing body; the long-term residents are the Board of Directors and participate in monthly board meetings. We are a not-for-profit corporation in the state of Illinois.

Values: The Fireplace is LGBTQ+ affirming and intergenerational. We strive to be anti-oppressive in our community practices.

Extended community: Non-residents who engage with the Fireplace are our “extended community.” They may attend and support house dinners, contribute financially, and share their creative skills.

Events and guests: The Fireplace is an intentional community that sometimes holds public events and allows community members to host events in our space. As we are able, we also use our guest rooms to host visitors.

Residents’ shared life: All residents work or study outside the house (the Fireplace is not our “full-time job”) but we each do about 10 hours per week of house activity, ranging from twice-weekly dinners/prayers to house administration.

Location: The Fireplace is located in a large house on the south side of Chicago (Kenwood/Hyde Park).

Our Vision

To bring together progressive Catholics and spiritual seekers for creativity, intentional community, and cooperative housing.

Our Mission

To bring together progressive Catholics and spiritual seekers for creativity, intentional community, and cooperative housing.

  • Community type
  • Spiritual Retreat Centers

Gallery

  • 8 Total members
  • Open to new members
  • Open to visitors
  • Open to volunteers
Total
8

How to join

Details at thefireplacecommunity.org/apply

1 – Learn about us and review our community expectations.

2 – Send an informal introduction expressing your interest to [email protected]. If possible, arrange to visit for a dinner, house tour, and/or short-term stay.

3 – Submit an application to [email protected].

4 – Submit a letter of recommendation from someone who has lived with you before. Your recommender may send their letter directly to [email protected].

5 – Complete an interview with current residents.

6 – Complete a background check.

7 – At a board meeting, the residents vote on your application.

Basic expectations or agreements for members

Learn about upcoming events at thefireplacecommunity.org/events If you would like to stay at the Fireplace for up to two weeks, please go to thefireplacecommunity.org/visit and fill out our visit interest form. Submitting this form does not guarantee that we will be able to accommodate your request. We will contact you to confirm whether or not we are able to host you. Direct all other inquiries to [email protected]

Primary decision-making authority

  • Small Leadership Group

A few people (not elected by the broader community) make the major decisions.

Governance structure

  • Representative/Democratic

Members elect leaders who make decisions within defined roles.

Economic model

  • Independent Finances

Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.

Economic scenarios for this community

  • Members need to pay fees, dues, or similar to live there on a per month or per year basis
  • There is a labor obligation
  • Members typically need to have their own job or other personal source of income to cover their expenses while living in the community?

Additional economic information

Monthly fees/dues: $1100
Labor required: 10 hours/week

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

Garden(s), Library, Stage or Auditorium, Fire pit, Internet, Laundry, Chapel, Art room, Porches, Yard

Frequency of communal meals

  • 2-5 times per week

Substance use culture

  • Substance use is frequent and public in the community
  • Religions
  • Christian

Reviews

Location

  • Illinois, United States

The Fireplace Community

Promoted Needs and Offers

Need
Need
Need
  • Communities with Openings
6 months ago

Join us in the mountains of Western North Carolina

Coweeta Heritage Center/Talking Rock Farm is located in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Coweeta is located in a beautiful and diverse temperate rain forest. It feels very remote here yet we are just 12 miles from Franklin, NC. Winters can be mild. Coweeta is blessed with springs and a stream, pristine forests, and abundant wildlife. Power is provided by a hydro-electric system which is not connected to the grid. An organic garden and trout pond provide healthy food that is also shared with the local community. Hiking, kayaking, and other outdoor activities are just out the back door. Coweeta is looking for others who would like to join together to form an Intentional Community embracing the principles of Voluntary Simplicity. Simply put (no pun intended): We wish “to live simply so that others may simply live.” It is a recognition that nature provides us with valuable services and resources that we can use to enrich our lives. Utilizing local resources, appropriate technology, and working cooperatively, we can discover creative ways to meet our needs as “directly and simply as possible.”. An example of this, in the tradition of many Indigenous People”, is to gather, and use wildcrafted foods as part of our diet. There is great joy in going to nature’s grocery for our sustenance. Voluntary Simplicity is based on the recognition that “very little is needed to live well” and that “abundance is a state of mind.” Living lower on the economic ladder allows us more time and freedom to pursue other life goals: community and social engagement, family time, artistic or intellectual projects, more fulfilling employment, political participation, sustainable living, spiritual exploration, and more. According to the Voluntary Collective, “The grounding assumption of Voluntary Simplicity is that all human beings have the potential to live meaningful, free, happy and infinitely diverse lives while consuming no more than an equitable share of (the world’s) resources.” We affirm the need for a work/life balance, the right to a healthy environment and healthy food, and healthy community relationships supporting a diverse population. It is our responsibility as engineers of a new generation to make the changes that we want to see happen and pass this on to the next generations. We can’t wait for someone else to do this important work. Voluntary Simplicity is a quiet revolution that can change the world. As one person said, “we must be poets of our own lives and of a new generation.” We hope you will join us here at Coweeta or elsewhere on our journey to a healthier and more sustainable future! Temporary housing is available in a 27 foot trailer trailer with attached deck next to a creek while we build additional housing. Your basic living expenses (shelter, basic food items, power and water) are met through our market garden or other fundraising projects that you will participate in. You are expected to contribute a given amount of your time and energy to help grow our community and meet our financial obligations. Possible future plans include establishing a retreat center for healing our earth and each other. Work includes organic gardening, construction projects and other community building activities. Come join Coweeta and learn how to live lightly on the land and enjoy the Earth’s bounty! For more information, visit www.coweetaheritagecenter.com Contact [email protected] for a visit or more info.  Paul
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