MissionAs an organization, the Vineyard Home was started with
certain goals in mind. February 10,1980 is the date that three Catholic
ladies signed corporate papers to officially commence an association to
exercise an apostolic work of living with and for persons with mental
handicaps. They were following the philosophy of Jean Vanier, founder of
the L'Arche movement, and most importantly the Beatitudes, to animate the
temporal order of living, working, recreating and worshiping with the
Christian spirit in conjunction with persons with mental handicaps. By
design they and their successors, men and women, girls and boys of all
ages, backgrounds and abilities have applied the teachings and examples of
Christ to the mentally handicapped
A quote from Vanier brings it together rather clearly: "I have come to
realize with ever greater clarity that to live with the handicapped we
must be penetrated with the values of the Gospel (respect for the human
person, especially the most fragile; the primacy of compassion over
efficiency and productivity).... Our community implies two aspects: an
element of faith which is central, and a more human element of
psychological progress, culture, work, and so forth. It is realized in the
profound love and respect without necessarily practicing the same faith,
and in the joy of seeing one another progress in the ways of the Holy
Spirit."
These goals along with all the help and support of family friends,
staff and volunteers, « are what makes The Vineyard the wonderful place
that it is today. We have a staff of 11 part-time employees and over 35
volunteers that come in on an "as needed" basis to give of their time and
themselves for special projects such as Apple Butter making, cattle fence
repair, building repair, wine bottling, the Art Show and much more.
Without the caring and love of good people this home would never have
survived.
