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NICA Communities Directory for the Pacific Northwest
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Formed: 2005 Established: 2005
To Honor Intentional Community
Ione, Washington,
United States
(Latitude 48.688 & Longitude -117.388)
1912 Barn
 To Honor is an Intentional Community, currently under construction.
We've chosen to be organized under the term Intentional Community, rather than cohousing, because the former speaks to our intention to live in a community.
Five friends who share similar philosophies, ideals, and goals have come together to build the To Honor Intentional Community in northeast Washington State.
Here we are clustering modestly sized hybrid strawbale dwellings in proximity to the larger common buildings. The utility grid is being installed currently, and two homes of the eventual five strawbale residences are now under construction as well.
All will be constructed with green building methods. All buildings will occupy only five acres of the 719.
Within the common buildings residents will share workspace and resources, and demonstrate a collective compassion for others by operating a nonprofit respite retreat facility for those who work in end-of-life care.
It is our intention to honor family caregivers, nurse's aides, nurses, hospice, and social workers.
A no-cost retreat of three to five days, comfortable lodging, a healthy menu, and natural surroundings will all serve to restore the caregiver's vigor.
To Honor will take several years to construct, and we look forward to many volunteer helping hands to join in this effort.
  Status: Construction Underway
Website: http://www.tohonor.org
Contact:
Susan Swan Hobbs
PO Box 516
Ione, Washington 99139 United States
Phone: 509-442-3578 house-line (best), 509-680-8072
Send an Email
Last Updated:8/19/2009
 
Visitors Accepted
 (With courtesy of pre-arrangement.)
Visitor Process: Email Susan (tohonor@potc.net) to coordinate a time that would find us onsite and available to greet visitors.
Population
Adult Members:
2
(Two others are building, one other is intending to build by 2010)
Child Members:
0
Open to new adults:
Yes
(In the future, when our building of community buildings has slowed. Volunteers are welcome, and it affords a chance to get acquainted.)
Open to new children:
No Answer
(In the future we anticipate being open to this.)
Gender Balance:
60% M 40% F
Open to which gender(s):
All genders welcome
Age Focus:
No Focus
(When the time comes, we hope to invite vital partners in building our sustainable community.)
Government
Decision Making:
By consensus
(Primarily by consensus)
Identified Leader:
No
(Susan accepts the role of project manager, and pie maker.)
Leadership Core Group:
Yes
(The original five members will be our core.)
Labor and Money
Financial Style:
Members have independent finances
(The cost associated with maintaining the community such as increasing property taxes, landscaping, insurance, infrastructure & utilities maintenance and improvements, as well as annual expenses for garden seed, hunting licenses for shared harvest of game, all will be shared based on per-person impact.)
Labor Contribution:
Expected
(Everyone has something to offer. We'll try and match interests with needs.)
Join Fee:
Yes
(After a period of internship, during which an intern may rent living quarters, each accepted resident/couple will build their own standardized structure using community helping hands and wood milled here. The structure will establish a non-transferable exclusive lifetime lease, as opposed to ownership.)
Regular Fees:
Yes
(Resident member's share of utilities, taxation, maintenance, and project fund savings as well as emergency contingency pool.)
Land and Buildings
Rural
(We are the epitome of rural.)
Area:
719.9 acres (291.3 hectares)
(715 of the 719 acres will be in conservancy land trust.)
Land Owned By:
Individual community member(s)
(2 of the 5 members are title holders.)
Number of Residences:
3
(Over the next twenty years, a maximum of six dwellings will exist here. Five small residences, one existing farmhouse. All new buildings will be constructed in 'green' building methods.)
Cohousing:
Yes
(A rural version, with greater privacy/autonomy, but clustered in a small footprint off the riverfront, and off the road that runs through the acreage.)
Food, etc.
Percentage of Food Grown:
over 50%
(Easily over 50% currently.)
Share Community Meals:
2-5 times/week
(Estimated number.)
Dietary Choice or Restrictions:
Other
(Savory but healthy eating, organic, with fabulous deserts.)
Dietary Practice:
Other
(We like to eat, and we all enjoy cooking fresh foods.)
Alcohol Use:
Used occasionally
(In moderation.)
Tobacco Use:
Seldom used
(We're hopeful that any resident who uses tobacco will be freed of the desire; a natural extension of a more peaceful lifestyle.)
Social Factors
Open to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and/or Transgender members:
Yes
Shared Spiritual Path:
Yes
(Any individual's chosen path to enlightenment is respected.)
Which Spiritual Path(s):
Ecumenical (includes "all religions")
(A spiritual path of any kind/flavor is welcome.)
Educational Style(s):
Public schooled
(No children at this time, but locally there are fine educational options.)
Cohousing Details
Cohousing Status:
Building
Year Completed:
2012
(We'll be building for the next five years.)
Number of Units:
It will have a common house, a woodworking shop, a garage/classroom area, and several strawbale residences.
Square Feet in Common House:
3750
(This is the plan s.f. at this time.)
Architect:
By consensus, the members are the architects, but the stand-out craftsman and draftsman is Marc Willett.
Developer:
Matt & Susan
Commercial Lender:
We are self-funded.
 
 
1912 Barn
River Stillness
Click an image to see it full size.
Become an Editor Current editor(s): tohonor
 
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