Living beside the Esopus Creek, we deepen our community through cooperative work, play and breaking bread together. This is the vision of the Cantine’s Island Cohousing Community in Saugerties, a family-friendly neighborhood where multi-generational members live cooperatively in nineteen privately-owned homes sitting on over 9.5 acres of community-owned land.  On this episode of The Good Work Hour, co-hosts Terri and Susan are joined by Cara DeVito and Dorothy Varner, two residents of this isolation-disrupting community that works towards a Just Transition.

Cara DeVito is an independent documentary filmmaker, who worked at NBC Network News in NYC for 20 years, as an editor and producer of news segments. The overarching focus of her work is telling stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things to overcome injustice.  She relocated to the Hudson Valley from NYC 22 years ago. In the Hudson Valley she produced films at the FDR Presidential Library, has worked with autistic children, and for the Omega Institute.  In her quest for ways to build community, she joined the Cantine’s Island Cohousing community in Saugerties, 8 years ago.

Dorothy Varner serves  as the outdoor educator for the Middle Way School in Saugerties. She also offers nature programs for young people through a local Boys and Girls Club. A peripatetic adventurous spirit has nurtured her love of wild places, and beings, and she lives gratefully with a clear sense that sharing awe and wonder is her service to the world she loves.

www.cohousing.org  (the National Cohousing Association site)

www.cantinesislandcohousing.org

www.filmsofyou.net   (if you want to check out Cara’s video site)