Life Needs Co-op, a not-for-profit organization, covers the operation of a large "family" extended through the inclusion of people with special needs - people whose lives have challenged them to stretch beyond the range most of us are usually called upon to deal with some of whom have mental retardation, some have autism or epilepsy, emotional disturbance and many have two or more issues. Living this way we call lifesharing. Activities are in an old New England farmhouse about a mile and a half from the town of Great Barrington. Here Nick and Andrea Stanton have created a home for sixteen to twenty people, eight of them with disabilities, four to six volunteers and themselves. Four of their five children live within three miles of the house. There are eight grandchildren. Around the household has gathered a community of friends and helpers. Some of whom live-in, some of whom come to work with us and some who just stop by once in a while to see how we are doing. North Plain Farm belongs to the Cadmus Lifesharing Association, a state certified placement agency and local association of six or seven households through which resources and experiences are shared for the mutual benefit of all.

In general there are three main areas of activity, helping with the needs of others, work around the property and participation in events and activities in the community. Helping with the needs of others can be helping someone take a bath, giving someone a ride to a therapy or to work, change a diaper, make a phone call, do their laundry or attend a play or a concert. "Helping with the needs of others" is not limited to the household. The social awareness extends beyond the house, to neighbors, friends, community needs often to the whole world. So we are active in recycling, hospice work, community clean ups, etc. Working around the house can be repairs, cleaning, garden work, cooking, building, making a compost bin or sorting the tool shed. We are very flexible. Our aim is to create a network of strengths to support our various weaknesses so that as a group we can achieve a productivity we can all enjoy. In the summer we go swimming at one of the nearby lakes and often take a picnic. There are certain fixed points in our weekly schedule, Horseback Riding, Eurythmy, work, classes such as painting, clay work or drumming and massage therapies. We weave, bake, cook. We do different things to help people such as moving someone to a new apartment or baby sitting for a grandchild. Some of us stay home to do chores, like getting supper ready or spending time getting ready for the next step in life.

We all are home from our various activities by about six o'clock. We have supper together and do the dishes. After supper we enjoy each other's company; we read, sometimes to each other. We hang out or we might watch a movie or go to a play or concert. We talk about how the day went and how we might be able to have things go better the next day. There is no television. But we do have a movie theatre for rainy days and long winter evenings.

• As in any family there are things to be done from dawn to bedtime. We plan together how the days will go, trying to balance everyone's contributions and needs as much as possible.
• We ask that everyone who lives here carries as a personal concern the well-being of the whole. We ask that volunteers who come for a few months or a year consider that this is the permanent or long term home of the people with handicaps and take this into account when making personal choices, decisions and requests. The more we consider the needs of others before thinking about our own needs the happier we will all be.
• Generally, free time is one day per week with other time off for special things by arrangement.
• We have an active cultural life with many visitors and much discussion of current topics.
• We meet once a week to keep all this flowing as smoothly as possible.

We are currently happy in our long term arrangements. We do some respit care and can accept applications for short term placements though we are somewhat limited for space.