CaMPHILL VILlAGE MINNESOTA
newsletter '17/'18
THE
eldt
V
illage
Sustaining Solidarity
FROM
Where creating connection is our birthright, sustaining that solidarity is our greatest challenge. Through difficulty and separation we find it most simple to search for the otherness in another, than to seek what continues our comradery. In times of turmoil it is our humanity that keeps us connate. Yet, the closer we get to our own likeness, the more difficult it becomes to witness the spark in each other. Everywhere around us we are prompted and pulled by the weight of difference. We are divided and separated, as though we are in a conquering crusade to carry our correctness to the mountain top. We are surrounded by perceptions of opposition at every turn. It seems we are wanton to take up arms against one another. And I wondered, how could this be transformed? How could we be seditionists of a different kind? More than ever the call is clear, we must be rebels with a cause! Our apostasy must be to lay down the sword of rancor and take up the shield of syndication. And let us not forget, we must forever expand our ideas of who is in our tribe. We must reach across the table of our tensity to shake hands with the opposite outlook. The table upon which we have laid our races, religions, abilities, and beliefs is there to set our hearts upon as well, and admire the “other” in ourselves. In so doing we bind together, setting aside place and perspective to lift one another up, allowing each to give their gift, so all are able to shine their brightness into the darkness of discontent. Let us put aside our sympathies and antipathies towards those we view as “Other”. Let us make a new pact of reconciliation within ourselves, and face the mirror of our own proprium, by trekking the middle way of love. Together we can be the staff that holds the lamp of light for the world. If this be our cause, our triumph will be great. C.
NEWS
LETTER
EDITOR
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the
lee
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SpotlighT
Week
CONTENTS
In
Hello
Goodbye
page 6
Pg 17
Table
LifE
SON
Heartland
Renewing
A
ABOUT
Pg 4
My
in
&
Nature
Walking
OUT
Appreciation
Donor
Pg 11
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Lindsey Flicker-Community Outreach Coordinator Alicia Marvin-Kitchen Manager Kate Droske-Head Weaver Ann Luloff-Head of Visual Arts Joe Peterson-Direct Care Provider
revising
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roles
As we change and grow in our lives, so do our roles within community. We would like to acknowledge the following people as they bring new and invigorating ways of sustaining relationships to Camphill Village Minnesota.
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ello
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ood-bye
We give heartfelt thanks to friends that have left our community in the past year. Their work and energy have left an indelible mark on all of our lives.
Anna Kooper Tina Sanders Dante Palau Grace Son Janice Davidson Maddie Whitehead Sammy Kovacs (born) Clara Batista Jen Ralston Natalia Paredes Lopez Stuart Lantz Claudio Santana Grig Stephanov Seamus Nemrow Angela Michieli (returning)
Betsy Brennan Neil Garrison Leslie Garza Ari Carlson Adam Ellison Julia Pfeiffer Viktor Lambert P
BY
Linda
my son lee
Lee Dowhower has been living at Camphill Village MN for three years. He has grown to fit in very quickly and is an integral part of our community. Linda, Lee’s mother, has written a letter sharing her loving perspective on this experience. This is her story.
Bittersweet is one word that somewhat expresses what it was like to hear my son’s first words at age four. Joy that he used a word, and pain that his first word wasn’t uttered until age four. Life with Lee was a bit of a battlefield every single day as communication remained his dominant struggle. Unable to communicate verbally, he screamed, hit, kicked, spit. He was certainly able to communicate his extreme frustration, anxiety and anger. Imagine not having words to communicate in a confusing world. Slowly, very slowly, he added new words. Happy was the day when he put three words together! He remained at that level for the next many years. Lee was diagnosed as autistic at a time when it was considered a low-incidence disorder. I remember being told only 1 in 10,000 births is autistic. I was devastated, but my daughter, Lee’s older sister by just 19 months, was jubilant. “We’re really lucky then!” she exclaimed, as though we’d won a much coveted prize. In fact, we had. Lee lived with me through his school career, extended programming, and working at WACOSA. He had come a long way and I would marvel at his new abilities to tolerate waiting, taking turns, and dealing with unknown factors. Autism is a puzzling disorder and the spectrum is wide, but it is generally characterized by difficulties in behavior, social interaction, communication and sensory sensitivities. He doesn’t like to be touched, is sensitive to the textures in food, sees people more as objects than people, and has few filters in social interaction. For years I had known that one day Lee would move away from me. Thinking about where this place would be was unnerving. I’d heard about Camphill Village many years earlier and had brought Lee there one time during their annual open house.
Schmidt
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"
Lee is not alone [here]. He belongs.
He was still quite young and I wasn’t looking for anything immediate. Even on this very busy day, I felt serenity in the acres of land and people. I tucked this place in the back of my mind for many years. For several years I had “primed” him by gently and nonchalantly stating that he was growing up and someday he would leave home and live in his own apartment. (His sister had moved away and was living in an apartment so he had some kind of an idea what I was talking about.) His response was always, “no grow up” and “Lee-mom-forever.” About 2014, I sensed Lee was growing restless. His days were very routine with little new stimulus. He watched a lot of TV and movies. He didn’t have the ability to tell me, but I knew it was time. He needed more. He was 26 years old. Moving day, March 7, 2015, was the start of a new life for Lee. We loaded up a truck with his bed and belongings and drove to Camphill Village. I wondered if he really understood that this was more than a visit. I sensed he was stressed but also that this was what he wanted to do. Not long after his move in, we had a meeting to discuss how things were going. Lee attended, too. He sat silently as we discussed his behaviors, the good and the not-so-good. He was gleaning that we were talking about him and his being at Camphill. When we had a pause in our conversation, we all sort of looked at Lee, and he pronounced, “Stay.” One word changed everything. Lee has been at Camphill Village over three years now. I am amazed at his continued progression. He has become much more social, even initiating conversations with others. That is not how he usually operated unless he wanted to tell you about a portion of a Disney movie, and then it was relayed sort of “at” you and not “to” you. At a recent Camphill gathering, where social norms are explored, Villagers were encouraged to give a hug to another Villager. I’m told Lee gave long and genuine hugs to several people. He often only tolerates a hug, so this was an enormous step in growth for him. My son is happy at Camphill Village. He comes home for visits but is always ready to go back. He has experiences that I was unable to provide for him, like feeding the cows and chickens and pigs, checking traps, and working with others. He proudly tells me he is a farmer. I know his confidence has increased as he has separated from me and is creating his own life. Probably one of the best aspects of Camphill is the community. Social belonging is a fundamental human need. Lee knows everyone in this extended family; he lives and works with people he feels a part of and belongs to. Lee is not alone. He belongs. This cannot be underestimated in value. And things just keep getting better. Thank you to all who advocate for this unique model of community. -Linda Schmidt
Spot Light
An Interview with
In THE
Q: Where were you living before you came to Camphill? A: I lived in Buffalo. I worked there. Piece work. I put things together. Syringes. You twist. Q: Has your life has changed since you moved to Camphill? A:Yeah Q: What has changed? A: I think I’ve changed my dentist, my eye doctor. I would say..the jobs I have [have changed]. [In the garden] I do very well. I always bring the stuff I need to be outside. I bring sunscreen, bug spray, and water. And gloves. I feel like a professional gardener. I’ve had a garden with my dad and we grow veggies. [In the bakery] I think about what to put in for cookies and bread. I like to bake. I cut almonds. What I do is cut them two times and push aside. [And] I have been in Special Olympics, going to tournaments. Q: What do you want to learn? A: I would love to do pottery. I would like to learn how to weave baskets. I also like to learn how to read to little kids. I think they’re playful and nice and really good listeners. Q: Do you have friends in the village? A: Yeah. Ben, Sarah...pretty much everyone. Q: How do you feel about your friends here? A: I feel happy. And they keep me grounded. If there is a problem with someone, I go to them and talk it out. [I]Talk about my problem with someone… and we work things out. They always have my back. Q: How would your friends describe you? A: They would describe me as funny, smart, stylish, energetic, and loves to dance, and a major bookworm. Q: What is your experience when you’re dancing? A: Well, I’ve been dancing growing up. I love to dance. And on the inside I feel motivated and I like the beat to the music. Q: What makes you excited? A: I get excited about going to Florida next month with my high school teacher. She’s coming here to pick me up. I get excited to see my family. I do Facetime two times a week.” Q: Tell me about your house community at St. Christopher A: I like hearing their other languages... how they talk to each other, [in] German and Spanish. Q: What does routine do for you? A:It helps me to do something with my hands. Like when I get my book to read and when I pick up my shaker, that what I call it. It’s my dad’s tie that he doesn’t want Q: What do you do with it [the shaker]? A: I shake it. And I talk back when I watch videos. When I wake up too early, it helps me sleep (shaking the tie and talking to the videos) I had a mickey mouse tie but I had to throw it away. I wore it out. And when I read, I like to have audio, I like to hear someone else talk cuz I like to hear the characters. Q: What would you like to see in your future? A: I see me working hard and being on time. And doing fun things. Like Special Olympics. Have dances. Going to video night. Q: What do you want the world to know about you? A: I want them to know I’m a caring person. -Nicole
Nicole Demeules
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Nicole Demeules is a bright and buoyant young woman in our community. Given enough time and space she has a quick wit and a refreshing honesty. Nicole was interviewed about her time in the village so far, how her life has changed, and what she sees in her future. Here is her story.
Q&A
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Every week, Ann Luloff walks our land taking pictures of the changing flora and fauna surrounding us that then inspire beautifully written narrations. These essays are then published in our weekly forum. It is a joy to read the lush images coming to life on paper with the written word. Here is her story.
nature
Ann Luloff
When I was six and in the first grade I learned to read. My Mother liked to tell how I came home one day, all excited about reading. I pulled a book off of a nearby shelf so I could show her my newfound skill. I was evidently quite devastated when I couldn't read what was on the page. Where were all those words I had learned? I could read that book in school, why not this one? And what did all those other words all over the page say? I have spent the summer with similar feelings. When I first walked in the woods with the task of recording what I saw there, I found I didn't speak the language. I didn't even know what the letters were! It was all a blur of green and brown, highlighted with periods and exclamation marks of vivid color. The skill of identifying a plant, just like reading, requires learning some basics first. As a Master Naturalist, I was game for the challenge, eager to learn. The alphabet was one of stems and leaves, buds and petals. Seemingly infinite details marked the differences. I would look at a plant, take it's photo and continue on. When I got home I would try and ID it from the knowledge I had of it. I would read descriptions, looking for a match. I knew what color the flower was, wasn't that enough? Perhaps not. The book (which I had on the recommendation of a person who I knew really knew their stuff) used words that I didn't know. Glabrous, scarious, peduncles. Those I could look up. Knowing what details might be of use in later IDing was the real problem. I would look carefully at each specimen. Guessing what might be important data. Were the bracts as long as the calyx? The sepals deeply notched? Sometimes it was enough. Sometimes it wasn't. As in learning any skill, time and practice helps. The more of the alphabet I learned, the easier it became to see that that plant belonged to this family, or couldn't be that plant because of this detail. Sometimes just reading the letters that were the plant wasn't enough. As we all know, letters form words. It is with words that the real reading begins. The obvious plants, the ones that have none other like them, were the easy words. You learn to recognize them by sight, no longer needing to go through the steps of each letter. Then you learn to use them to help in [identifying] other plants around them. Is it a plant that only lives in a wetland? Then the one next to it is a wetland plant also. This narrows down the field. By the end of the summer, I was reading paragraphs. I no longer needed to focus in on each detail of every plant I saw. I could see a few plants at a glance and know what type of soil was beneath their roots. As I read the land, I learned, as most people do, that each fact led me to another. Questions answered gave me more questions. As I walked the woods, other beings showed themselves to me. Butterflies and Moths, dragonflies and spiders, grasses and sedges, endless varieties of fungi and lichen that are way beyond my current ability to identify. I turned away from these after a photo or three, leaving that pursuit for another year. The easy ones will have names, the other will just be labeled "unknown" for now. Now the land tells a different story. Gone are the plants that entranced me all summer. Little remains to show of their lives. The drying grasses and bare branches speak of a time to rest. A time to look inward. A time to contemplate what was, and what will be. Cruising through the photos is traveling through time. Vivid greens and bright blossoms tease me and remind me of all I saw and how much I still do not know. It is a time of reckoning. Lists of plants fill my files. Photos are sorted, known and unknown. There is still time to unravel their secrets, but at some point I must be at an end for this cycle. Names and numbers will be tallied. Photos gathered for their beauty instead of scientific detail. Then the sharing. What did I find in my travels at the edges of Camphill? Who has been hiding in plain sight, saved from demise by the steepness of hillsides and the wetness of the ground? That chapter has yet to be written. Translating into English, words that exist only in the breeze and drops of rain. The pulse of life that is a music of it's own. The smell of the earth. The language of the land. The real challenge, it seems, is not just in reading the language, but understanding. -Ann Luloff
By
...blossoms tease me and remind me of all i saw and how much I still do not know.
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Individual Donors Ament, Bob and Karen Anderson, Angela Anonymous Barstad, Mary Bernick, Jason Borgerding, George and Shirley Brown, Dave Brunkhorst, Juergen and Luan Burns, Betty Callaghan, Stephen and Kathleen Campbell-Wade, Elna and Jerry Carpenter, Rhoda and Paul Carstens, Chris Chapro, Susan Churchwell, Peg and Tim Cotter, Jack Cotter, Robert and Anne Dallman, Jack and Betty Demeules, Lawrence and Mary Demeules, Richard and Suzanne Dietzel, Dennis and Marianne Dittberner, Lowell and Audrey Donnelly, Jean and Mark Driscoll, William and Marsha Dryseth, Dorothy Eckes, Susan and Douglas Ekola, Lindberg and Tracy Ellison, Jeffrey and Cheri Emmel, Dale and Carol Engdahl, Mildred and Craig Erickson, Patty Fitterer, Michael and Jeanne Fitterer, Skip Flan, Mike and Lawlor, Susan Friswold, Fred and C. Marie Gamber, William Garrett, James and Elizabeth Gillespie, Patricia Goan, Joan Goddard, Stephen and Anne Gray, Lisa Green, Deborah Greene, Edith Groebel, Barry and Joanna Gunlogson, Eric and Kathleen Hall, Robert and Norma Hanson, Merlin and Karen Helgeson, Donald and Sue Shepard Helgeson, Michael and Karel Hennen, Robert and Mary Jane Herman, Bill and Betsy Hershberger, Mary Louise Himanga, Elizabeth and James Huber, Peter Irwin, Cheryl Jennissen, Chuck and Laurie Stange Jennissen, Tony and Marlene Johnson, Bruce and Jan Johnson, Lynden Johnson, Mary Ann Jordeth, Roger and Mary Kaul, Jan Kelley, Dale and Elena King, Colin and Christina Esposito King, Tim and Jan Klick, Renae Kowalenko, Andy and Geri Kroll, Anthony Kudrna, JoAnne and Chris Leddy, John Leisen, John and Arlene Lukaska, Gerry Magrath, C. Peter Mahon, Gerald and Marjorie Mahowald, Martin and Betsy Manley, John and Susi McCarter, Jerry and Maureen McKanan, Dan and Tammy Meltzer, Shelley and Donald Meyer, Darryl and Jo Montgomery, Marcia and Corey Munger, Mary and Art Nemcik, Dorothy Olson, Bernice Orr, Barb Pfeifer, Vern and Jeanette Poechmann, Eugene Porter, Dwight and Chris Pullen, Deb Rickley, Becky Ringsmuth, Dennis and Karol Ritter, Ken and Rita Rivers, Barbara Ross, Douglas and Anita Sander, Stuart and Mary Ann Sanvik, Lowell and Carol Schaffer, M. Patricia and David Weissbrodt Schiltz, David and Sandy Schneider, Marianne Schwartz, Jerry Selle, Eric and Haidee Sheets, Shawn and Sheila Shields, David and Linda Simpkins, Linda Sinning, Tom Sitkowski, Geanine Smith,Terrence Strong, Sid and Sandra Swanson-Scheier, Trudy Sykes, Joshua and Abigail Sykes, Julie Tack, Lloyd Tembreull, Carol Tempero, Jonell and Richard Torrey, George and Shirley Traut, Lorrayne Tschida, Vernon and Marlene Veden, Doris Vialle, Marilyn Walkley, Bruce Walkley, Evelyn Walter, Allen and Elaine Watkins, Don and Jan Weeks, Russ and Raeann Weingartz, Leonard and Penny White, Barbara White, Christine and Edward Ryan Wiant, Jim and Kathy Wiese, John and Connie Wilson, Don and Kristin Windfeldt, Gene and Sheelah Zambrano, Frank and Karen Zetah, Donna Foundations, Corporations and Organizations AgStar Financial Services Amazon Smile Foundation American Heritage National Bank Anderson Trucking Service, Inc. Belgrade Knights of Columbus Betty Schenk Fund of the Catholic United Financial BJ Bayer Properties Buzz and Carolyn Pierce Family Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation Camphill Foundation Caridad Foundation Central Specialties, Inc. Church of the Good Samaritan Community Connection of Sauk Centre Dan Welle Southtown, Inc. Education Advancement Fund of the Central MN Community Elrosa Baseball Club, Inc. F & W Exhaust Felling Family Partnership Fund of the Central MN Community Foundation Felling Trailers, Inc. Freeport Knights of Columbus Gerald and Carole Otto Family Fund of the Central MN Community Foundation Grey Eagle-Burtrum Lion’s Club Hugh J. Andersen Foundation J.A. Wedum Foundation John Wiese Ford, Inc. Knights of Columbus Grey Eagle/Burtrum Leo and Luella Louis Family Fund of the Central MN Community Foundation Little Sauk-Long Bridge W.E.L.C. Long Prairie Knights of Columbus Long Prairie Packing Company McVay Foundation Minnesota National Bank of Sauk Centre NuStar Energy Sauk Centre Area Combine Fund Sauk Centre Community Foundation General Fund of the Central MN Community Foundation Sauk Centre Fleet Supply Sauk Centre Knights of Columbus Sauk Centre Lion’s Club Sisters of the Order of St. Benedict St. Valerias Mission Group Swanville Lion’s Club Sy & Sons, Inc. The Casey Albert T. O’Neil Foundation The Klick Foundation Thomas and Joyce Schlough Fund of the Central MN Community Foundation United Methodist Women United Health Group Employee Giving
THANKS
to
IN
Our
Generous
Donor gifts are an integral part of the operation of our organization . We are grateful for your your generous support and continued contributions to our programing. Thank you, from all of us.
DONORS
Donations received from April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018
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Prairie Days
Special Olympics State Competition
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Coborns Shopping Run
Sinclair Lewis Days Parade
Salsa Fest
Volunteering at Step On In Thrift
2017 was a year of outward participation as we engaged with the wider community in many new, and many not so new, ways. Meeting fresh faces and reaching out towards others has been a joyful experience for everyone involved. Here is our story, in pictures.
Farmer's Picnic
Hemker Park & Zoo
Library Jam Session
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f
eek
l
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Patrick Fitterer frequently writes letters to friends and alumni recounting his week. These letters give an amazing outline of the fullness of daily life in community, as well as a snapshot in time, artistically rendered on paper. Patrick has written a letter for us all to get the chance to read, describing a week in his life at CVM. This is his story.
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What is the work of the heart in our lives? What is the purpose of the humble servant from the middle part of this country? Emma Ryan writes beautifully about our relationship to the landscape and how it can be reflected to those around us in the piece that follows.
Emma Ryan
Renewing Heartland
Most of us have experienced “heartbreak” on some level. We know that when the heart is not well, it affects the wellbeing of the rest of our body - we cannot eat, sleep, often even move. The heart is more than a muscle, more than an organ; it is the center of us, both physiologically and spiritually. It holds our deepest secrets, fears, love, guiding intuition. Our lifeblood flows from this center, in so many ways. Our area of the country is often referred to as the “heartland” of the nation. We have particular, quintessentially American values and customs that thrive in this heartland, and it is the people and cultures of this region that maintain the strength and love to keep the lifeblood flowing. While often overlooked by those living closer to the coasts, those of us who call the Midwest home can feel the grounding and stabilizing force present in the natural spaces and communities of the heartland. Those who have traveled often away from the Midwest can probably relate to the experience of how negatively - or perhaps dormantly - the rest of the country perceives our homeland. We hear terms such as “flyover states,” that remind us that we are inconsequential, uninteresting and unoriginal. I’ve heard many things in my travels, from people out West who expressed how lucky I was to experience the beauty of their neck of the woods (true, but I made sure to ask them if they had ever been to Minnesota or Wisconsin, and assure them that we have more than our share of natural beauty to experience), to Californians who apologized after hearing where I was from and East Coasters who couldn’t fully grasp why I still wanted to live in Minnesota after visiting other Camphill communities. Often, living here in the middle of America, I wonder at the obliviousness of other people’s perception of the heartland of our country. I’ve regularly heard people speak about us being so far away. So far from what, exactly? We are smack dab in the middle of it all, is the way I see it. In the middle of the beauty, the reality of life, and indeed the current turmoil of our nation. This mindset, combined with the assertion that the proud and attainable rural, Midwest ways of life are becoming more distant and abstract, are leading to a sort of identity crisis in the heart of our country - the heart that must be strong and steady for the rest of the whole to thrive. When I am away from Camphill for too long, I become acutely aware of the individualistic, social-media based communities that dominate our country and encourage detachment and lack of deep human connection. Surface-level interaction with the world around us leads to surface-level feeling; we begin to lose touch with our shared humanity. I experience a constant speeding-up notion that encourages a feeling of being lost, values and morals becoming suspect or even invisible. Everything is changing and is able to be questioned; there is literally no stability when things are encouraged to transform so fast. Of course, there are so many benefits to this rapid-speed culture that gives voice to all: injustices can be called to attention quickly, social justice and equality movements can swiftly gain widespread supporters, our global connections and opportunities for growth are greater than ever before. However, we must find ways to renew and rejuvenate lost cultures, rather than leave them behind completely. True community values are needed and essential in the rural heartland. This is the lifeblood of our country and it is slowly being drained - we need to enliven this bodily process together - indeed, the integrity of the rest of the country depends on it. When I look at the mission of Camphill Village Minnesota, “To create and sustain a community where people with and without disabilities live, work and care for each other to foster social, spiritual, cultural and agricultural renewal,” some of this rejuvenation is called to mind. I get the feeling that often some who live here feel inadequate standing next to this lofty mission statement, that perhaps we are falling short or misrepresenting ourselves while faced with the very human flaws we deal with each day as we try to live and work together in the rural heartland. However, I believe this intention and collective striving is precisely what is needed in our corner of the world today. Camphill is one of the many enlightened communities needed in the Midwest to create an adequate movement towards social renewal and change. We need to nurture this seed that has been started, and we also need to make sure this lofty striving can be propagated in other communities and pockets of our region. People often don’t know that an alternative to the individualistic society they encounter exists - they see that the “American dream” of separate family living often no longer makes sense, but are disconcerted when looking for other options. We perhaps are too humble about our way of life, focusing constantly on our shortcomings and what we can do better, rather than standing up and showing the world one way we have found to bring love back into our daily interactions with each person we meet. I believe people need to be offered alternatives and to know that healthy, viable options exist - real community connections that can stretch into any group of people wanting to consciously take up deeper human relationship and an invigoration of the love that runs through the Being of the heartland. This is not just a task for Camphill! We face many struggles in our little community, and so often we feel especially like we are swimming against the tide living out in the rural Midwest. We can feel that no one understands what we are doing, no one wants to come live with us, no one wants to stay - people are always pulled in other directions. It can be easy to feel discouraged because of this, but I would argue that it is all that much more important to stand true and strong in this tumultuous environment - we are at the forefront of the disintegration of the existing American norm - and we must also be at the forefront of the movement for renewal, revival, deepening, and enlivening. I observe further how we are in a unique position to take up the task of bridge-building. Living in this particular location, where we are able to interact with and get to know local people and a certain culture that many of us in Camphill, coming from all around the world, would not interface with ordinarily if we weren’t called to this particular community. I hope we bring to this area new ideas and concepts that rural Minnesotans might not often encounter, and indeed I hope we can continue to learn from our interactions with those with varying social, political and spiritual viewpoints. Looking around the country today, there seems to be so many labels placed on different groups of people - and a constant discussion of how these groups cannot understand each other’s lifestyles and points of view. I believe bridge-building among different groups of people is incredibly important in the current state of our nation. Many of us are familiar with the term “Minnesota Nice.” This expression is nuanced and is perceived quite differently by many. It refers not just to the kindness Minnesotans express to their neighbors and strangers, but has also been extended to indicate being nice to a fault - being nice when indeed you should be speaking your grievances directly or when you are being passive aggressive. As I walk through our neighborhood, not a car drives by without a friendly wave; you can’t go to the local gas station without expecting a cordial exchange about the weather. Some feel that this simulated friendship is pointless, that it is lacking in true humanity and getting to know each other on a deeper level. I feel, however, that more kindness from strangers and pleasant daily exchanges is just what we need right now, to begin on the path to deeper connection. What good is it to assume that these connections cannot go deeper, that the other person you are encountering is too different from you? There are people in my Camphill community who know each and every dark crevice of my soul; this is the love and understanding that buoys me through my daily life. But when I think beyond my closest circles to the world outside, the global picture of humanity, I am overwhelmed. I remind myself: approach everyone as if you know the deepest, most human parts of their being and treat them accordingly. Recognizing this in our small, daily exchanges is the first step towards living love on a deep level and bringing renewal to our heartland. - Emma Ryan
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Kyle Schiltz August 1981-April 2017 Be kind to everyone and do your part to make the world a better place.
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In Loving Memory
In April of 2017, we all awoke to tragedy when we learned that our beloved coworker, Kyle, had left this earth. Kyle was involved in so many aspects of village life, and the empty space that is left in our lives as well as our hearts is enormous. Kyle brought a deepness of thought, an encouraging diligence for learning, and a sense of humor that always sparked laughter in our lives. His reminders to stay on a simple path were important to the grounding of our work and daily tasks. His commitment to the true spirit of community continues to live within us all.
--Jeffery Krafty, Jokes BY
CREDITS Editor-in-Chief/Art Director-Chrystal A. Odin Contributing Editors-Lindsey Flicker, Emily Trenholm , Emma Ryan CONTENT CREATORS Ben Cotter, Patrick Fitterer, Emily Trenholm, Chrystal A. Odin, Jeffery Krafty, Stephanie Pothen, Nicole Demeules, Lindsey Flicker, Ann Lulof, Linda Schmidt, Katie Johnson, Monte Mullan , Emma Ryan, all photographic contributions are recognized as integral and we are grateful for the many photographers that are featured in this edition. CVM is proud to offer our upcoming Newsletters in PDF formatting. Would you enjoy the ease of our newsletter delivered directly to the inbox of your choice? If so, please send an email* with the heading "Newsletter PDF List" to chrystal.a.odin@gmail.com and you will be added to our list of recipients through Mailchimp. We are also now offering a monthly Alumni Newsletter. Please email Lindsey@camphillmn.org if you are a CVM Alum and would like to receive monthly updates specially for you! *Please note that all email listings are confidential and will not be used for solicitations or promotions.
What did the Garlic say to the marble pancakes? The loon sat on the bumble bee game!.
-Jeff Krafty Jokes
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
instagram.com/camphillmn
We create and sustain a community where people with and without disabilities live, work and care for each other to foster social, spiritual, cultural and agricultural renewal. Camphill Village Minnesota is a life-sharing, residential community of fifty people, including adults with disabilities. Our lives, work and celebrations are woven into the rhythms of nature found in the glacial hills, abundant waterways, and prairie grasslands of Central Minnesota. Our community is deeply rooted in the belief that every individual, regardless of limitations, is an independent, spiritual being. Each person is part of the fabric of Community experience and is worthy of recognition, respect and honor.
Camphill Village Minnesota, Inc 15136 Celtic Drive Sauk Centre MN 56378
facebook.com/camphillmn
Camphill Village Mn 15136 Celtic Drive Sauk Centre, MN 56378 cvmn@rea-alp.com www.camphillmn.org
NONPROFIT PRSRT STD POSTAGE PAID SAUK CENTRE, MN PERMIT NO. 16
The Camphill Resident's Trust The Camphill Resident's Trust is a non-profit pooled trust providing sound investment managment and thoughtful oversight to support and enrich the life of a loved one with special needs while protecting government benefits. Contact Us Sandra Volgger-Balazinski, Administrator 610-291-5079 info@camphilltrust.org www.camphilltrust.org
