Daily Life

At the heart of the Innisfree experience is life-sharing among Innisfree’s more than 80 coworkers, volunteer caregivers, and long-term staff. Life-sharing at Innisfree means that coworkers and their caregivers live, work, and play together, sharing the joys, sorrows, satisfactions, and frustrations of everyday living. In this close-knit environment, everyone learns from each other and community members can develop profound, lifelong relationships.

Volunteering is an essential part of life-sharing. Innisfree’s caregivers are volunteers who forgo traditional employment in the mental health field, which can advocate detachment between caregivers and care receivers. They choose life-sharing instead because they are seeking a way of life, not a typical job. They commit to at least a year of service to Innisfree. They range in age from their early 20s to their mid-70s and come from all walks of life and all over the world, bringing cultural traditions and ideas that enrich community life.

The following are examples of what a typical week at Innisfree might look like. Of course, each day holds something new, something for us to learn, to grow, and to discover.

Daily Routines

  • 7:30-9:00 AM: Morning Routines and Breakfast
  • 9:00-10:30 AM: 1st Period Workstations
  • 10:30-12:30 PM: 2nd Period Workstations
  • 12:30-1:30 PM: Lunch
  • 1:30-3:00 PM: 3rd Period Workstations
  • 3:00-4:30 PM: Various community meetings, downtime, extracurricular activities for coworkers, dinner prep, etc
  • 4:30-7:00 PM: Dinner prep and Dinner at 5:30
  • 7:00-9:30 PM: Bedtime for many coworkers, includes evening medication
  • After 9:30 PM: Time to relax, gather with other volunteers, socialize, or go out on your night off

Saturdays and Sundays

Weekends at Innisfree are a time to relax and unwind. It’s the perfect time for special outings and day trips as well as spending a quiet day at home. Going on walks through the village or doing brunch with your neighboring house, weekend opportunities are a great way to continue building community and life-sharing with one another. Sometimes there are village activities planned by the activities committee or Special Olympics depending on the season. Often, coworkers go home with their parents on the weekend, and there is a group of coworkers that goes to church on Sunday mornings.

Volunteers also enjoy 2 days off per week, either Friday/Saturday or Sunday/Monday. With one weekend day each week, volunteers have opportunities to enjoy their personal time in their own ways; i.e. dinner at the Charlottesville Downtown Mall with fellow volunteers, a day hike in the Shenandoah National Park, an overnight trip to Richmond, fun night-life activities in Charlottesville, tours of Virginia wine country, and much, much more.

Tuesdays

Tuesdays at Innisfree are a house day with no workstations. Most volunteers and coworkers will work on their weekly chores like laundry, cleaning rooms, grocery shopping, and sometimes appointments for coworkers. Occasionally there are activities planned in the afternoons and evenings, as well as seasonal activities like our horse ride therapy groups.