24/04/2017
A beautiful project for all.
The serene French countryside is the ideal place for those seeking relaxation, rejuvenation, and tranquility. However, year-round affordable accommodations are difficult to find during the winter off-season, especially for those families who may require specific needs to accommodate a disabled family member. Often times, the prices surrounding the visit will skyrocket, as most vacation options in the area are not equipped for disabled accessibility. We want to change that!
Located in Haute-Saone in the Eastern region of Burgundy/Franche-Comté, we hope to transform our home into a sanctuary where families with a disabled family member or child may come to enjoy the peacefulness of the village, participate in structured activities, and spend time immersed in the English language. We are passionate about providing a safe space for families to spend anywhere from a weekend to a few weeks at once, knowing that their needs will be met so they can focus on family time, learning, and growth.
Our family of five created this dream in honor of my parents, Nano and Lucia, who were two of the most generous and beautiful people I have ever known. They never hesitated to open their doors to anyone in need, whether it be of food, shelter, or a bit of compassion, and they taught us to do the same. My name is Laurence and I am the leader of this project. My husband, Garret, is a welder from America, and we have three grown children: Audrey, Olivia, and James. We are all fluent in both English and French and having lived in America for many years, would be able to ensure a truly English-immersive experience. I am an experienced AMP, which is a caregiver focused on the psychological aspect of care, and can help to provide care to the guests that come to our home.
Outlined below are the goals of this project, details about our home and our location, and why we need your help!
Our Goals:
This project will center around three main values: Solidarity, Nature, and Exchange.
Solidarity- Any family with a special needs child will be welcomed to come and relax at the farm and will be surrounded with a sense of support and unity
Nature- Our countryside location offers fresh air, outdoor activities, organic food, and interaction with family pets
Exchange- Guests will be immersed in the English language and will experience an opportunity to exchange in both culture and communication, learning about American culture and communicating with guests in English from other parts of the region and even the world
We want to allow families to be able to spend their vacation worry free while participating in activities for the whole family and being able to improve their English skills. Some activities we will help to facilitate could include authentic French cuisine cooking lessons, visits to a local cheese factory or winery, and outings in our peaceful village. Places like ours are hard to find in the Eastern region of France, so the need for what we do is evident. Language immersion has been proven to be an effective way of learning, and by staying with us, both children and adults will be able to increase their English speaking and understanding through friendly communication.
We want to make sure that our house is always full of learning and stimulation, and depending on demand, we hope to eventually offer organized thematic sessions for French students starting to learn English in elementary school. This could include hosting students for day-trips to celebrate American holidays such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas; enabling them to learn about the culture while having fun. We also hope to one day host international students and tourists, which would offer even more opportunities for our English-learning guests to engage in English conversations.
Our Home:
Our house was built by my grandfather, and has been lovingly maintained for generations in his native village of Montagney. The house rests on four acres of land, surrounded by trees in the serene countryside, far from the chaotic tourism in the Western and Southern regions of France. Given the age of the house, we will need to renovate many of its systems, which we hope to carry out thanks to donated funds. Renovations will include upgrading the insulation, replacing the roof and windows, and installing a more sustainable heating system. We also plan to add private bathrooms to each of the four bedrooms to ensure the comfort and privacy of our guests. One bedroom will also be completely adapted for wheelchair accessibility for those who may require it.
Once renovations are complete, if funds allow, we would like to build a natural swimming pool and install stimulating outdoor games in the garden, such as frisbee golf, badminton, and a volleyball court. We would also reserve some areas for quiet relaxation next to our fish pond, and higher on the property where guests can enjoy the view of the village.
We cannot forget the loving animals that complete our project. Our two friendly golden retrievers, Elliot and Jaya, as well as our three cats, Arya, Tony, and No Name, will serve to offer extra companionship, playtime, and pet therapy to guests. Knowing the benefit that therapeutic exposure to animals can have, we would like to one day add hens, bunnies, sheep, goats, horses, and a donkey to the property as well. Our family friend, Annie, is a zoo-therapist, and will help with caring for the animals as well as setting up working sessions with our special needs guests.
This dream of ours has been held near and dear to our hearts for some time, and in the memory of my parents, Nano and Lucia, we are so excited to begin to make this dream come true. We can’t wait to start the necessary renovations on the house so we can get one step closer to our final goal: offering an affordable vacation escape to those families who may need it the most. We are ready to open our hearts and our home to extend hospitality and solidarity to all of the wonderful people whom we have yet to discover. But this dream is not possible without the help of generously donated funding! If you wish to donate to our cause, please visit our crowdfunding website: https://www.bulbintown.com/projects/chez-nano-et-lucia #/contributeurs. Here you can find more information including pictures and videos of our property, track our progress, and make a donation if you wish. Your generosity and kindness will be so appreciated, by both our family and the families that will one day share our home with us!
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