Innisfree Village Volunteer Application

Thank you for your interest in joining Innisfree Village as a residential volunteer. As an intentional, life-sharing community, we are dedicated to supporting adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities—whom we refer to as coworkers—in a way that emphasizes mutual respect, care, and connection.

Innisfree Village is seeking individuals who are drawn to the beauty of rural living, passionate about service, and committed to helping build an inclusive, collaborative environment. Volunteers commit to spending a year living and working alongside coworkers, sharing in daily life and contributing to a meaningful, engaging community.

Each volunteer lives in a family-style home with a small group of coworkers and one or more fellow volunteers. Together, they share household responsibilities and support coworkers with daily living tasks, including personal care, home upkeep, and recreational activities. Volunteers also engage with coworkers in therapeutic workstations and participate in a variety of community events and programs across our beautiful 550-acre farm in Crozet, Virginia.

At Innisfree, volunteers play an essential role in daily life, helping create a space where all community members can grow, contribute, and thrive. Joining us as a residential volunteer is an opportunity to engage fully, explore your strengths, and make a meaningful impact within our life-sharing community.

As our work supports individuals with disabilities, applicants selected to join our community as residential volunteers are required to undergo a criminal background check.

Innisfree does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or military status, in any of its activities or operations.

The Volunteer application is completed in two parts. After an initial review of your information, selected applicants will be invited to complete Part 2 of the application.

Please note that, as part of our collaborative decision-making process, the information you provide will be shared with Innisfree Village volunteers and staff. This allows our community to offer input and feedback, ensuring that decisions reflect our collective values and wisdom.

If you have any questions about the application or the materials, please contact Julie Freeman-Mullins, Volunteer Recruitment Coordinator, at julie@innisfreevillage.org.

Thank you,
The Innisfree Village Team

If you’d like to save your progress and finish your application later, click the Save button at the bottom of the page. You’ll be prompted to enter your email—just click Skip Create An Account, enter your email, and click Send. Check your inbox for a confirmation email and use the link inside to return to your application where you left off.

If you have any issues, please contact us at info@innisfreevillage.org.

1. Family applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, taking into account village availability and finding the right balance between family life and volunteer responsibilities. Because bringing a family into the community can be more complex, we encourage applicants to share as much as they’re comfortable about their family in the application, so we can better understand your family dynamics.

2. Please note that when applying with a partner or spouse, both individuals must complete the application process independently. This ensures that both applicants provide the necessary personal information, background, and relevant details for our review process. Completing separate applications ensures a comprehensive evaluation of both individuals, while also considering the couple's joint circumstances. 

3. Please read the following guidelines to learn more about applying as a family.

4. Along with the application form, we ask that you also complete our family connection survey. This helps us better understand your family’s needs, interests, and dynamics, as well as how your family might fit into the rhythm of life at Innisfree.

The United States immigration services require that all international Innisfree volunteers have a B1/B2 non-immigrant visa to travel to the United States for a period of service in our community. Please answer the following questions about your current visa status. Before proceeding, please review the current eligibility requirements for international candidates here.

Additional note: It is the responsibility of the volunteer to finance any costs in acquiring the B1/B2 visa. Innisfree provides guidance throughout the visa application process, as well as providing documents for the visa interview that specify the volunteer position and the Innisfree mission. 

Volunteering at Innisfree Village is a wonderful way to be part of our community, but it does require strong English speaking and understanding skills. You’ll be communicating with adults who have intellectual and developmental disabilities, some of whom may have limited speech or unique ways of expressing themselves, so it’s very important that you can understand their needs and provide the right support.

We ask that you be honest about your English skills. While we value a willingness to learn, volunteering at Innisfree is not intended as a program to improve English—you’ll need to already be able to communicate effectively in English to succeed in this role. Your English ability will be considered carefully as part of the application process to make sure you can have a meaningful and successful volunteer experience.

Please answer the following questions to indicate your level of English fluency.

Basic – you can communicate on simple topics or know some phrases in this language.

Conversational – you can communicate on everyday topics with minor grammar or vocabulary mistakes but you can’t write in this language.

Fluent – you have the ability to express any idea without hesitation, with good vocabulary and grammar; people understand you easily. Both your spoken and written skills are good.

Please upload a clear, recent portrait-style photo to your application. We ask that your face be clearly visible and that no filters are used.

Why do we ask for a photo?

Including a photo helps us begin to get to know you as a person and start building a connection. As a close-knit community, it’s important for us—and for our community members who are involved in the application process—to be able to put a face to your application. This helps everyone feel more connected and supports a thoughtful, inclusive approach as we consider each potential volunteer.

While not required, we encourage you to submit a cover letter with your application. This is an excellent opportunity to share more about your experiences, motivations, and why you feel you would be a great fit for our community. If you choose to include one, it will help us get to know you even better, but please know that it is entirely optional.