Visiting an FEC Community

Welcome to the world of intentional community!

Visiting one of our communities is a special opportunity to partake of
a genuine attempt to live out ideals of connection, sustainability,
economic justice, and more. Even as a visitor you are part of the
hopeful work of creating community. All of our communities are open to
and excited about hosting YOU! We value the flow-through of
information, perspective, and fun that visitors bring to our lives.

Contact the particular community you are interested in visiting and be sure to arrange your visit through the appropriate channels.
You don't need to be considering membership to visit. Many people have
been profoundly changed by their visits whether they went on to live in
community or not.

Part of our responsibility as a federation committed to social change,
is to offer hands-on experience of community life: the joys, warts,
spring flowers, shared visions and all! 

Things to Keep in Mind

• Plan Ahead: No FEC community welcomes drop-in visits - contact the community you want to visit well in advance.
• Length of Stay: Each community has a different visitor
  program: length of visits range from a first dinner at one of our urban
  communities, to a few days or up to three weeks depending on the place.
• Work: Visitors of more than a day or two are expected
  to work around the same amount as members. This helps you make social
  connections, gives you a sense of what it's like to live with us, and
  gets needed work done. You will have some flexibility in what kinds of
  work you undertake.
• Accommodation: In most cases a dorm-style or private room will be available for you to sleep in; if not then you'll need to bring a tent.
• Money: Please contribute some money if you can, but don't let lack of money stop you from visiting.
• What Else to Expect: The amount of structure between
  visitor programs varies wildly at different communities, including how
  much formal orientation and scheduled work shifts you receive as a
  visitor. You'll receive information packets or be assigned a liaison
  from each community you contact. Feel free to ask more questions of
  each individual community.

Taking Responsibility for Your Experience

Communicate clearly with your contact person about any special needs
you have; for example, the need for absolute quiet to sleep, if you're
on a wheat free diet, or have restrictions on the kind of work you can
do.
Visiting another country is a learning experience - so is
visiting intentional communities!

In intentional communities we have
the rare opportunity of creating our own culture. Daily life in any FEC
community challenges conditioned stereotypes and we strive to see
individuals as whole people. We ask visitors to put your best foot
forward and come with an attitude of openness and curiosity, respecting
and learning from the differences between our homes.