Concept of Inn Along the Way

FOR RELEASE: Week 11, March 16, 2022

Submitted by Mary Ann Look

FMI: Sherry Flint; sherry@innalongtheway.org, 207-751-6261

News Along the Way

Concept of Inn Along the Way, Part 1

Realizing that the concept of Inn Along the Way, its vision and mission, is sometimes difficult to grasp I’ve come up with, what I hope, is a creative explanation.

This week will be cold hard facts. The next two columns will be a snapshot of two different imagined days in the future. The first piece of fiction takes place during the fall of 2022. The second will take place about five years in the future.

I hope this works!

Let’s first talk about our vision.

The vision of Inn Along the Way is to build a vibrant, interdependent community where living and dying can become a richer, fuller, and more human experience.

Visit the Inn Along the Way property located on the 31-acre Chapman Farm property, at 741 Main Street, Damariscotta and you will become acutely aware that the “build” portion of the vision is well underway.

The original farmhouse has been turned into an inn. The summer kitchen has become two ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant guest rooms. They will be rented out to the traveling public or as respite rooms, should the need arise. Upstairs will be three guest rooms and two shared baths.

On the first floor is a renovated kitchen, dining room, sitting room, and reception area.

There is also a room for the live-in manager.

Once open, the inn will be manned by volunteers and will become a revenue stream for the rest of the project.

The “interdependent community where living and dying can become a richer, fuller and more human experience” part of our vision happens every day in our work and interaction with each other.

Our volunteers work to fill the needs of this project; they participate on committees, they plant, tend, and harvest the garden, they stock the roadside wagon with vegetables and flowers. Volunteers also mow the lawn and fields. The barn sales are run by volunteers. Volunteers paint and build. Volunteers are the heart and soul of our project. Their deeds add the richness and full human experience to our project.

The interdependent part is evident by the fact that we all live our own independent lives yet join in to support the growth and very existence of Inn Along the Way.

Once the houses are built on the property and the rooms are rented the interdependence will shine through as the residents work with and support each other while also living their own lives.

Our mission “a collaborative community offering older adults, and those seeking temporary relief from the responsibilities of caregiving, an environment of support, purpose, and sustainability in a multigenerational and mutually interdependent setting” is being lived and supported every day, even while we are still under construction. We hold many workshops throughout the year. These are both via zoom and in-person meetings. We are mindful of the ever-changing covid restrictions and precautions.

Although the next two columns are fiction, they offer a glimpse into what life can and will be like at Inn Along the Way. We are building our way to that future.

Come join us. Come check us out.

Remember, if you’ve lost a loved one and are grieving; are a caregiver, in need of support; if you are at a point of transition and in need of a sounding board or friendly companionship, you are not alone. Please call, 207-751-6261, or email us at info@Innalongtheway.org.

Please check the calendar on our website for any future events.

(Inn Along the Way is a non-profit organization with the goal of transforming the historic 31-acre Chapman Farm in Damariscotta into an innovative neighborhood-style setting for older adults and caregivers. The finished product will consist of small, environmentally-friendly homes. There will be respite cottages for caregivers, an artist-in-residence cottage, quiet house, gardens, farm stand and barn venue. The project is currently in the construction and fundraising phase. Please stop in or visit our website, innalongtheway.org, to learn more.)

Written by Nancy Monroe

Inn Along the Way

https://www.innalongtheway.org