| Community of Hope Foundation |
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The Community of Hope Foundation was established in 1998. It was founded in order to provide assistance and support for people suffering from autism and related developmental disorders, as well as their families. In particular, the goal of the Foundation is to build a permanent residence for persons with autism, which would also serve as a centre for work, therapy and rehabilitation. This centre, known as Life Farm, was started and it continues to grow in Więckowice, a village in the vicinity of Kraków, in the Zabierzów district. The overall plan is to build five houses for twenty-nine inhabitants in total, within the area of seven hectares of land. There will be infrastructure for occupational therapy workshops, various facilities for sheltered work and an essential rehabilitation centre for a wide group of users (100 or more). Modelled upon reliable Western European solutions, the centre will be the first institution of this type for adults with autism in Poland and in Central and Eastern Europe. The project has been enthusiastically received by parents of children with autism, as well as the Polish and foreign specialists working with persons suffering from this disorder. The Life Farm also gained the approval of Mr. Pat Matthews, who has visited Krakow several times. Mr. Matthews is the founder of model communities for persons with autism in Ireland, a long-standing European activist in the International Association Autism-Europe, and the president of the World Autism Organisation. Work preparing for the construction of Life Farm has been carried out since the Foundation was first established. The construction of the first house of the Life Farm began in 2004 and in October 2005 the building was ready. The construction of the second house was started in 2010 and completed in October 2011. Over the last six year, the whole area of the Life Farm has been arranged and developed for various functions. Since the autumn of 2005 we have held regular workshops, teaching farming skills to persons with autism. Workshop participants planted fruit trees and shrubs, created a soft fruit and vegetable garden, and a small copse in the recreation area. We were all very happy to be able to pick the first fruit and vegetables, and to make our own preserves. Life Farm is an organic farm, officially certified as such since 2008. More than 30 persons with autism are benefiting from a variety of activities and workshops within the Day Activity Centre. These activities include rehabilitation, as well as job training, in which participants prepare for work in such fields as gardening, retail, crafts (carpentry, sewing, embroidery), and cleaning services. In 2008, the first house at the Life Farm accommodated a “Family Home” (a type of social care unit). There are four persons with autism living there at present: two women, and two men. Further two residents will join them in 2012. The second house at the Life Farm will also be inhabited soon. Starting from January 2012, we have planned adaptation stays for seven new candidates (all of them men). We are planning to include the two houses within one organisational structure of a specialised social care home for 13 residents with autism. We plan to build more houses, keep domestic animals, grow herbs and develop further in making our own fruit and vegetable preserves. We also envisage the creation of a Social Enterprise at the Life Farm, which shall employ adults with autism. We hope for the Life Farm to be a model solution for other persons and organisations, thinking and acting creatively in the field of health and social welfare. This project is a great opportunity for persons with autism and related disorders – persons who are threatened with, or indeed suffer from, social exclusion.
(with english subtitles) Founders
Council
Board
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O nas
Działalność
Dołącz do nas
