Tending the Land in a Shared Living Community

The Garden Program is part of daily life and community connection. As a volunteer, you will join participants, staff, and other volunteers in caring for the gardens and greenhouses that help sustain our residential and day programs. This role is grounded in shared work, mutual learning, and inclusion. The gardens provide fresh vegetables, flowers, and herbs for our homes, Culinary Program, and Farm Store, while also offering meaningful, hands-on activities for the people we support.

Role and Responsibilities

• Assist with the care and maintenance of greenhouses, garden beds, and production fields
• Work alongside program participants in garden activities, adapting tasks to individual interests and abilities
• Support harvesting and distribution of produce within the Stanton Home community
• Collaborate with staff to maintain daily routines and program schedules
• Contribute to an inclusive, respectful environment that encourages active participation
• Help ensure continuity of garden projects as needed

What to Expect

Volunteers are part of the team. Responsibilities are practical and collaborative, and relationships are central to the experience. You do not need to be an expert gardener, but you should be open to learning, working outdoors in varying weather, and engaging with people of different backgrounds and abilities.

Volunteering offers an opportunity to contribute to a community-based program, gain experience in sustainable gardening, and share in the everyday rhythm of life at Stanton Home.

WHAT THE PLACEMENT OFFERS

Stanton Home offers a meaningful, hands-on opportunity for volunteers to grow personally and professionally while making a direct impact in the lives of adults with diverse abilities.

Founded in 1986 as a shared-living community, Stanton Home provides a supportive, relationship-centered environment where volunteers are valued members of the care team. Volunteers gain real-world experience in residential life and community-based programming, developing skills in communication, teamwork, caregiving, and leadership.

What is shared-living?

Shared-living is a model of communal living that brings together individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and those who support them. It involves living together with conscious intention, sharing daily routines, responsibilities, and life experiences with the goal of fostering personal growth and building mutually meaningful relationships.

Our Mission - To partner with adults with diverse abilities to actively pursue healthy, self-determined lives.

HOW VOLUNTEERS SUPPORT

Volunteers bring unique skills, life experience, and a commitment to building meaningful shared experiences. Volunteers support individuals in daily living while encouraging independence, confidence, and personal growth. Through shared living, meaningful interaction, and participation in daily routines and activities, volunteers help create a nurturing, respectful, and vibrant community. Volunteers assist with interest-driven activities that build life, occupational, and social skills. They encourage participation, support personal goals, foster positive relationships, and help create an inclusive environment where each person’s contributions are valued and community connection is strengthened.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Stanton Home will provide supporting documentation for the volunteer’s visa application upon request. Volunteers are responsible for the visa application fee and all associated costs. The volunteer coordinator is available to assist and guide volunteers throughout the visa application process.
• Volunteers receive formal and informal training, guidance and supervision from the house managers, case managers, staff, volunteer coordinator and other members of the administrative team. The volunteer coordinator may also serve as an on-site mentor, offering additional support throughout the volunteer experience.
• Additionally, English language tutoring is available locally for volunteers who wish to improve their skills.
• Your scheduled hours depend upon organizational needs and will be determined when you arrive at Stanton Home. You will be guaranteed 2 days off per week and vacation is earned at 2 days for each month of service completed.
• Volunteers are expected to take initiative and personal responsibility in managing their time and involvement in ways that promote the safety, health, and well-being of all residents and day program participants. While Stanton Home becomes a home for volunteers during their stay, it is the long-term home of the individuals we support. Volunteers are asked to thoughtfully consider the needs of others when making personal decisions, requests, and plans. This mutual respect fosters a community grounded in empathy, responsibility, and shared appreciation.

ACCOMMODATION AND MEALS

Stanton Home provides both housing and meals for volunteers. Volunteers receive either a private or shared bedroom and share a bathroom, with accommodations located in one of our residential homes, the volunteer house, or at the farm. Volunteers have access to the food provided in the residential home where they live. Nutritious, locally sourced meals are prepared during volunteer shifts, often using fresh ingredients from the Stanton Home biodynamic farm.