Recent News:

Support grows for 'Celebration of Life' special-needs campus
By Ellen Mitchell
Tribune-Review - Thursday, July 1, 2010

Barbara Balcerek of Irwin finds it difficult to think about the future of her 35-year-old daughter, Tracy, who has moderate mental retardation.

"I can't allow myself to think about a situation like that. It's just too hard," Balcerek said.

"Celebration of Life," a proposed residential community for mentally and physically disabled people, could be the answer for parents like Balcerek.

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A LIVING & LEARNING CAMPUS

The issue: Increasing numbers of adults with disabilities require our compassionate help to lead lives of meaning, and to make their own contribution to our society.

Envision a vibrant educational, vocational and residential community nestled on 30 to 300 acres, utilizing GREEN building and environmental technologies, that would serve adults with cognitive and physical disabilities. Imagine a setting very similar to a college campus offering workforce training and development, university collaborations of work-study student interns in all fields of academic study, and an early retirees/senior citizen core of mentors and job coaches partnering in work-teams with adults with disabilities. The first pilot site will be in Pennsylvania, with plans to replicate the project nationally. International expansion is also under discussion.

The campus would feature five distinct on-site businesses, each of which would offer employment opportunities to client residents as well as to members of the surrounding community. Product sales of plants, organic vegetables, fresh herbs & spices, and flavorful, exotic hybrid varieties of produce would be one very lucrative outcome from acres of technologically-controlled hydroponic greenhouses. Another future social enterprise business would offer pet care services. Lavish animal kennels, grooming & bathing salons would allow residents to lovingly care for the adored pets of business travelers and vacationing pet owners.