History

Innisfree was founded in 1971 when a group of parents decided they wanted a bright future for their sons and daughters with intellectual disabilities.  We are especially grateful to parents, Gerald and Henrietta Luria and original Director, Heinz Kramp, for their vision and dedication.  More than 30 years later, Innisfree is a stable, therapeutic alternative to institutional or group home living.  We are a charitable organization with a 501(c)(3) status.  Initially housed in a 200-year-old farmhouse, we now live in eleven modern, family-style homes around a one-mile loop in the center of 550 acres with stunning views of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains.  We are home to 38 coworkers (or adults with intellectual disabilities), 20 full-time residential volunteers, and 15 support staff.

Our Mission

Innisfree, a voluntary community with adults with intellectual disabilities, is dedicated to providing a life-sharing home and work environment in an atmosphere of beauty, warmth, and respectfulness.  All community members are valued, and all are encouraged to explore a meaningful and challenging life.

Innisfree shall -----

1.         Be a model therapeutic environment with people with intellectual disabilities, emphasizing empowerment, interdependence, and mutual respect of all community members.

2.         Evolve with the changing needs of the individuals with intellectual disabilities within the Village community and beyond.

3.         Value work and foster creativity through artistic crafts, stewardship of the land, and daily community life.

4.         Promote efforts in the stewardship of our land to acknowledge the reciprocal relationship between our human health and our natural environment.

5.         Encourage the integration of our community members into the larger society through participation in cultural, educational, recreational, religious, and volunteer programs.

6.         Rely for its financial resources upon family support, the spirit of volunteerism, and private funding.

7.         Support and encourage the talents and individuality of community members from diverse educational, national, ethnic and social backgrounds.

Innisfree, incorporated in 1971, is a nonprofit corporation governed by a Board of Directors.  While the business of the corporation and its finances shall be dealt with exclusively by the Board of the Corporation, the desires and opinions of the Village community shall be solicited, expressed and represented by participation on the Board and Board Committees.  Flexibility in the manner of control and direction by the Board should be the norm.  Open communication shall be maintained among all those responsible for the administration of the Village and its everyday life.

Things We Make

At Innisfree, coworkers and volunteers participate side by side in a variety of workstations.  We are proud of the beautiful, delicious, or practical results of our hard work.  Our gardens produce vegetables, fruit, flowers, and herbs for the entire community as well as for sale at local farmers markets.  In our bakery you'll find loaves of fresh bread (sesame oat, onion dill, cinnamon raisin, and honey whole wheat) as well as cookies, scones, and our famous granola, that is for sale at many local stores.  Our most popular items in the weavery are our placemats, baby blankets and chenille scarves.  In the woodshop we make cutting boards, end tables and decorative boxes.  The weavery and woodshop items are sold at various local retail shops.  We have a pottery studio where coworkers and volunteers can tap into their artistic energies.  In the community center kitchen, we prepare a wholesome lunch for the entire village (about 60 people). ^ BACK TO TOP

Board of Directors    
Carolyn Ohle, Executive Director    
Wes Andrews, Associate Director Board Emeritus
    James Kimsey
Officers Trisha Costello Harriet Levinson
Craig Dreilinger, President Zack Dameron Phyllis Sato
Barbara Fried, Chairman Wes Kitchens Lee Walters
Rich DeMong, Vice President Keith Lewis  
Greg McDonough, Treasurer Frank McDonough  
Tom Nicholson, Asst. Treasurer, Laura Neff  
Krissy Lasagna, Secretary Geri Schirmer  
Melinda Robinson, Asst. Recording Secretary Cindy Westley  

2009 Board Meetings

Saturday December 12  at Fried's office in conjunction with Open House

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Staff
Carolyn Ohle, Executive Director, first came to Innisfree in 1976 as a volunteer.  She has a bachelor's degree in special education and psychology from Ohio University.  After years as the head of the weavery, she became the community coordinator and later the Executive Director.  In 1996 she returned to graduate school for a Master's degree in Genetic Counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University's Medical College of Virginia.  She returned to the village in December 2004 from her position as a Genetic Counselor at the University of Virginia to become the Executive Director for a second term.



Wes Andrews, Assistant Director, first came to Innisfree in 1985 as a volunteer.  He was born in Burma (now Myanmar), but was raised in England.  He had worked as a psychiatric nurse in England, in various facilities.  His second year as a volunteer at Innisfree was in 1988.  In 1994 he returned to Innisfree, this time with a family: Megan, born in 1989, and Aaron in 1991.  They were lucky enough to win the “green card lottery” and are able to permanently live and work in the United States.  He was trained as the financial officer in 1996 and moved into the position of assistant director in 2000, continuing in his financial work.  Wes has a home in Afton and likes tennis and soccer.



Rhonda Miska came to Innisfree in 2008 after four years on staff at the Church of the Incarnation in Charlottesville where she worked in social justice promotion and with the Spanish-speaking immigrant community. She has her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin and is currently pursuing a master's degree on a part-time basis at Boston College. Before moving to Charlottesville she spent two years in rural Nicaragua serving as a Jesuit Volunteer. She currently lives in Halcyon with Julian, Nicky, Angelica and Chris Lasagna. She enjoys dancing, singing, creative writing and staying involved in the local community through social justice work.
Izrael "Iz" Zak came to Innisfree with his wife, Leigh Sato, in 1996. He has a BA in sociology from Rutgers University and is a certified Feldenkreis practitioner. Iz was born in USSR (now Uzbekistan), lived in France until he was 12 years old, and then moved to New York City. His work at Innisfree is twofold. One part is running a fitness program that includes coordinating Special Olympics events and working out with coworkers at the Fried gym. The other part is as a financial assistant, recording all incoming monies and maintaining various databases. Leigh and Iz are the busy parents of Gabriel and Ilo. Iz enjoys sports and reading.

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Our Essential Volunteers

In Trilluim - Annamaria Little and Eric Shaffer-Whitin

In Halcyon - Rhonda Miska and Julian-Martin Dittmann (Germany)

In Oakwood - Marianne Roberts

In Laurel - Denny Gobert and Laura Neff and Tom Wool

In Oz - Arvin Cohen

In Dogwood -

In Sunflower - Chirs & Ruth Haske and baby Maia

In Meadow - Zachee Suka bin Ponio (D.R. of Congo) and Melanie Joyce & son Kahlil and Jana Witschard (Germany)

In Amity - Dan Ruppert and Bettina Liewald and Sarah McArthur

In Walden - Katie & Nathanael Schwarz and baby Milo

In Magnolia - Jane Paulete Alves (Brazil)

In Bittersweet - Peter & Deb Traverse (farmers)

In Echo - Carolyn Ohle or Wes Andrews (1-2 days per week)

In Walnut Level - Tom Clay & Family (maintenance)

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