In its current form, Turtle Bower is a seedling place–an old 3 bedroom farmhouse in a small town just outside of Guelph, Ontario renovated to add a wing with four wheelchair-accessible bedrooms as well as a massive shared kitchen built for co-living. It’s ideally situated for gentle walks (at spoonie speed) to groceries, drugstore, cafes and eateries, and is tucked into a quiet corner, surrounded by trees and next door to a conservation area for long gentle soul nourishing walks in the woods.
Right now we are inhabited by a mix of abled and disabled folks all just trying to get through. We want to be more; we want to be a collaborative co-living household that takes care of all within its borders. Creating a space that is intentional, caring and gentle, where healing can permeate deeply and we slow down to make sure everybody is getting what they need. All flourishing is mutual.
The opportunity to blossom into a space like this is upon us, but we need help to grow to our full potential.
Right now the building is for sale and we have a unique opportunity to formalize Valerie’s vision for gentle convalescent living. This is a chance to catch all those spoonies floundering without the simple supports that would allow them to thrive, a chance to build community that envelops the slow moving instead of casting them aside, a chance to learn there are different ways to experience the world and we all have something to offer, even if it’s just to come quietly alongside and share a moment of peace.
Sounds awesome, right? But we can’t make it happen alone. This is a grassroots project, by spoonies for spoonies, that’s going to need a lot of help to get going. If you’d like to help make this a reality, contact us, even if you only have a spoon or two to spare, together we can do so much. And if you’re involved with an organization that might partner well with this project let us know. We’re still exploring, and definitely innovating so welcome new resources and ideas.
Our goals are lofty, but ultimately attainable. They will allow us to craft the community household we deeply need.
Join us on a mission to lovingly create a place for slow living, deep healing, and mutual support; a sanctuary for weary bodies and minds. Join us in bringing Turtle Bower to life. We can’t do it without you but together we can move beyond struggling for survival, and instead thrive. And in that thriving reach out and uplift others.