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A community is not simply a group of people who live together and love each other. It is a place of resurrection, a current of life, one heart, one soul, one spirit.
Community and Growth, Jean Vanier
Volunteers at Farm of the Child come together in community because they feel called to live together, pray together, share in each other's lives and work together to respond to the needs of the poor, most especially the children of Honduras. All volunteers live together in a Catholic faith-based community. The success of the community depends on each individual's commitment to accept, challenge, respect, and care for one another. Communal life requires that its members share in house responsibilities and participate in the established house activities, business meetings, community prayer times, and the larger Farm community activities. Living and working so closely with others can be difficult at times, but through effort, dedication, good communication, perseverance, and love, community life can be a nurturing environment and an enriching experience for its members.
The individuals that are a part of the community make it what it is; together they work to set the guidelines and expectations. Community members are all asked to commit to the same basic ideals and to follow the basic guidelines. However, each member has different ways of participating in community life and each brings meaningful gifts to the community as a whole.
Each volunteer works to clean the house and prepare meals. Volunteers commit to sharing meals together in the volunteer house, praying together daily and participating in a weekly community night that includes dinner, personal sharing and an hour of reflection and discussion. The group may decide upon additional community activities.