📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
Divergent Labs is an autistic-run organization with a mission to advance the economic status, spiritual growth, human rights, and representation in the public sphere of disabled and disenfranchised people. Ocate Cliffs is a retreat center and autistic workspace, which is a laboratory for growth and empowerment.
💼 What the programme involves
Volunteers will work on one or more construction projects at the retreat center, which might include trail construction and other outdoor projects; building a barn, tent pad or deck; and laying tile, paint, and other interior finishing work. We will work a morning and afternoon shift each day, leaving the evening free for personal time or activities. We will also take a recreation trip on one or two days. Training and tools provided for all the projects.
You will be accompanied by a small number of our residential staff.
The people involved cover a wide range of abilities and communication styles, and you should expect LGBT and questioning people, those with other less common identities and those with traumatic histories.
🏠 Accommodation on site
Sleeping is on the floor in the unfinished staff house. There are not separate rooms because the walls are not finished. There is no gender segregation. If you want more privacy you can bring or arrange (in advance) to borrow a tent.
Amenities: Water is available outside only. Toilets are operational. Clothes washing is done by hand in a bucket. Cooking is done on a propane stove. There is no electricity as of this writing, but we're working on it, and it may be available by summer. There is an outdoor solar shower.
Altitude: At 9,000 feet (2800 m) elevation, be prepared for a lot of rest the first day or two.
Food: Volunteers will cook meals together. Vegetarian food provided.
Warnings! There are wildcats and bears in the area so this site needs to be kept free of meat odors. Also fire danger can be very high so we do not allow anything making a spark or flame. (One exception is smoking, but only in the designated safe area.)
📍 About the location
On the mesa top there are hiking trails and lots of views of the New Mexico mountains and plains. We'll also rely on you to come up with evening games and discussion topics. On our travel days we will go choose between a wilderness hike, Eagle Nest Lake, or the alpaca ranch in Mora.