Fire 3

Dear Friend,

You may be aware of our Cascading Waterfall, our historic Shaker building, our Edible Food Forest, or our work to help Feed Those in Need in the local community. You may have heard about the recent fire at our Guesthouse and Permaculture Sanctuary on Monday, November 4^th.  There have been many unusual events from the day we first took over the property, to the time we turned it over to a nonprofit and to the fire on the day before a contentious election.  The mysterious unfolding continued in the days leading up to the fire itself, and I want to briefly share that story.

On Saturday, November 2, the traditional celebration of All Souls’ Day in many cultures, we had a wonderful dinner at the Cascades dining room. Some 24 people, including many who had helped us gather food for two years to feed those in need, shared a common table. We remembered those who made a positive difference in our life who, even in their physical absence, continue to touch our hearts. It was a beginning of the sort of heat-felt connection we looked forward to sharing with the local community on a regular basis after 8 years of hard work to make the 200-year-old Shaker Guest House welcoming to all. 

And then the hand of fate came down in the form of an unexpected fire that did serious damage to the Cascades. The fire blazed on the upper stories for some 12 hours, and five fire companies poured 300,000 gallons of water onto the structure in order to control the blaze. The good news is that no one was injured and that our Permaculture and Agroforestry efforts were undamaged. 

Given the length of the blaze, and the enormous amount of water it took to the bring it under control, there were a number of unusual events worth noting. While the upper floors were almost completely decimated, the structure and the kitchen and common spaces on the lower floors were waterlogged but intact; and the waterfall room, our prize jewel, and the workshop can be made useable with a reasonable effort. In addition, the second-floor room of a woman devoted to universal mother love, in the form of the Italian grandmotherly folk figure LaBefana, had her room virtually untouched, while all around it was a bombed-out city. Hard to know what to make of these occurrences, such as every statue of the Buddha, of Mary, of St Francis and of sages from around the world were left untouched despite water, fire and falling beams.  Our Guesthouse & Permaculture Sanctuary modeled an atmosphere of peace. For some reason the symbols of that hospitality were left untouched. At the same time the revenue provided by the Guesthouse, a primary support of our agriculture and community initiatives, has been eliminated.

We aim to serve a higher purpose by offering a venue for sacred hospitality in order to facilitate genuine connection and deep learning. In that context we helped to feed the local community and to provide opportunities for individuals, particularly young adults seeking a life and a living, to develop skills related to food and farming. Healthy soil, healthy food, healthy people and a healthy planet has been our mantra and that continues.

Our historic building is in need of major repair; and financial resources are needed to bring it back even more beautiful than before the fire. We need support to continue our nonprofit’s higher purpose: to provide a profitable venue for all those seeking their life’s purpose and to contribute in significant ways to their own well-being, the well-being of future generations and the well-being of the Earth.

If you feel drawn to our mission and would like to know more please check out our Nonprofit's Website or connect with us directly at 203-430-0777. Even more important as the cold approaches, you might feel drawn to help us get through the winter and then to bring this amazing structure back to it full glory by a contribution of your time, your creative talent, or your financial resources. Any help you can offer will be deeply appreciative. Please follow the link below, and we hope to hear from you as we engage in the next step of our important journey to support the health and well-being of the earth and of our children and grandchildren.