The Community of Hope Foundation was established in 1998, with the mission to provide assistance to people suffering from autism and related developmental disorders, as well as their families. In pursuit of that goal, the Foundation undertook to build a permanent residence for those persons, which would also serve as a centre for their rehabilitation, therapy, and work.  The centre, known as the Life Farm, was started in Więckowice village in the vicinity of Kraków, in Zabierzów district.

The plan is to build five houses for 29 inhabitants in total, on an area of 7 hectares of land.  There will be occupational therapy workshops, various facilities for sheltered work and an essential rehabilitation centre for 100 or more users. Modelled upon reliable Western European solutions, the Life Farm is the first institution of this type for adults with autism in Poland. The project has been enthusiastically welcomed by parents who have children with autism, and by Polish and international specialists working with autistic persons. It also gained the approval and patronage of Mr. Pat Matthews, the founder of the model Dunfirth Farm for autistic persons in Ireland, a long-standing European activist in the Association Autism-Europe, and the president of the World Autism Organisation.

The first house at the Life Farm was completed in October 2005, and the first 3 residents moved in. The house is multifunctional, with offices and occupational therapy workshops in addition to living quarters. 30 non-resident persons with autism commute to the Farm to take part in various day activities and workshops (gardening, cooking, carpentry, etc.). An orchard and a vegetable garden were planted, and in 2006, we were all very happy to be able to pick the first home-grown fruits and vegetables, and make our own preserves. In 2008 the Life Farm obtained an organic farming certificate. A recreational area was also organised, with a bicycle path, linden alley, and site for summer picnics. In the future, we plan to rear animals and continue developing our Farm.

All tasks and activities at the Life Farm are performed by persons with autism, together with occupational therapists and care assistants, and the work they do brings them joy and satisfaction. This is particularly important, as many of the persons concerned had been suffering from severe behavioural problems for many years. It is a great success that residents and users of the Life Farm accepted this place for their own.

In 2010 we are planning to start the construction of the second house at the Life Farm. We have already obtained the construction permit and partial financing. We have submitted funding applications for state-funded and EU-funded grants, and while waiting for results, we continue our fundraising efforts.

We hope for the Life Farm to be a model solution for other persons and organisations, thinking and acting creatively in the field of health and social welfare. This project is a great opportunity for persons with autism and related disorders – persons who are threatened with, or indeed suffer from, social exclusion.

(with english subtitles)

Founders

• mgr Witold Dygoń
• prof. Jerzy Perzanowski
• dr inż. Józef Roman Butscher

Council

• prof. Karol Musioł - Chairman
• dr Leopold Zgoda - Deputy Chairman
• mgr Dorota Wąsik - Secretary
• dr inż. Józef Roman Butscher - Member
• dr hab. Edward Kunicki - Member
• dr Małgorzata Frazik-Adamczyk - Member
• mgr Barbara Grodowska - Member
• mgr Radosław Sosnowski - Member

Board

• mgr Alina Perzanowska - President
• mgr Teresa Jaśkiewicz-Obydzińska - Vice president
• mgr inż. Zbigniew Wendorff - Secretary
• mgr inż. arch. Krystyna Hubczenko-Łyczakowska - Member
• mgr inż. Jolanta Wójcikowska - Member
• mgr Edward Bolak - Member
• mgr Piotr Ćwik - Member
• Gerard Dobelli - Honorary Member

• Office:

  Fundacja Wspólnota Nadziei
  The Community of Hope Foundation

  Więckowice, ul. Ogrodowa 17
  32-082 Bolechowice

  phone: +48 12 378-43-57, +48 12 378-43-58
  fax: +48 12 378-43-59
  mobile phone: +48 606 837 302
  e-mail: Adres poczty elektronicznej jest chroniony przed robotami spamującymi. W przeglądarce musi być włączona obsługa JavaScript, żeby go zobaczyć.

• Registered at:

  ul. Krakusów 1A/43
  30-092 Kraków