Friends Southwest Center

  • Communities

About the Communities

  • Established
  • Ecological
  • Rural

Founding year

  • 1975

What we do

We’re a multi-generational Friends village dedicated to the Quaker SPICES (S implicity, P eace, I ntegrity, C ommunity, E quality, and S sustainability or S tewardship). We’re in the very beginning stages of four new mission areas: affordable housing, the creative and performing arts, organic agriculture, and war tax resistance.

Our Mission

“SPICES” is our acronym. The six letters stand for: Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, and Stewardship/Sustainability.
Simplicity means “it’s a gift to be simple, it’s a gift to be free.” Peace is not merely the absence of war. Peace is the absence of the need for war, as Gil Scott-Heron reminds us. Integrity is a call to say what we mean and mean what we say. “Let your Yes mean yes and your No mean no” (Mt. 5:37). Community is the reason we exist. We’re convinced we’re better together (though it doesn’t always feel like it). Equality means that if we live in the Light, we’re “neither Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, male nor female, for we are all one” (Gal 3:28). Stewardship/Sustainability reminds us that we have a planet to heal.

  • Purpose
  • Ecological
  • Community type
  • Cohousing
  • Coliving
  • Ecovillage

Commemorative dates

  • January 1, 1975
  • Started planning
  • January 1, 1975
  • Started living together
  • 5 Total members
  • Open to new members
  • Open to visitors
Total
9

How to join

Membership process individual to each inquirer

Basic expectations or agreements for members

Call or email us. You need to have your own tent, camper, RV, etc. Let us know if there’s congruity and interdependence between your mission and ours. Leave a phone number if you’d like a callback. Quaker worship is most Sundays at 11:00 am in the Meeting House.

Decision-making process

  • Modified Consensus

Generally seek agreement, but have backup methods when consensus isn’t reached.

Governance structure

  • Collaborative/Horizontal

Power and responsibility are shared relatively equally among members.

Economic model

  • Independent Finances

Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.

Economic scenarios for this community

  • Members need to pay fees, dues, or similar to live there on a per month or per year basis
  • There is a labor obligation
  • Members typically need to have their own job or other personal source of income to cover their expenses while living in the community?

Additional economic information

Regular fees: Yes
Labor: Yes (20 hrs/week)
We’re passionately involved in all the pressing issues of a planet in need of healing: solidarity with immigrants, preserving our groundwater, a non-toxic food system, resilient local communities, dismantling the carceral state, resisting US imperialism, and more. We’re not living in the world and going to church. We’re living in the embrace of the worldwide Quaker communion and going to the world.

Shared resources and amenities that are accessible to everyone in the community

Common House, Library, Workshop, Tractor & Farm Equipment, Fire pit

Frequency of communal meals

  • 1-3 times per month

Dietary restriction

  • People can cook and eat what they want in their own residence

Substance use culture

  • Substance use is prohibited in the community
  • Religions
  • Christian
  • Buddhist
  • Quaker

Gender composition

  • Roughly balanced (no group over 60%)

Age demographics

  • Multi-generational (all ages well represented)

Property status

  • Privately owned

Property owner

  • By a Land Trust, Home Owners Association, or corporation

Setting

  • Rural

Countryside locations with significant distance from urban centers.

Community type

  • Cohousing

    Private homes with shared common facilities, designed for neighborly
    interaction while maintaining independence.

  • Coliving

    Shared living spaces with private bedrooms/bathrooms and communal
    kitchens, dining, and social areas.

  • Ecovillage

    Integrated communities designed around ecological principles with sustainable living practices.

  • Intentional Neighborhoods

    Geographically close groups of independently-owned homes whose residents actively cultivate community relationships and shared values.

  • Spiritual Retreat Centers

    Residential communities focused on providing space for meditation, spiritual practice, and personal growth retreats.

Self-produced energy

  • Up to 33%

Energy sources used

  • Photovoltaic Solar

Self-produced food

  • Up to 33%

Local, organic, or fair trade food

  • Up to 33%
  • Land area size
    68 acres

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Location

  • Arizona, United States

Needs and Offers

Offer
  • Communities with Openings
7 months ago

Worktrade Opportunities on Big Island Hawaii

We are continuing our work-trade program at Bridge Hawaii for the right people on this beautiful 86-acre land located along the Hāmākua Coast. Ideally, we want to host those individuals who can help with the garden and who can support with build projects for up to a 3 month stay. This work-trade would include lodging, food staples, community kitchen, running hot water showers, off-grid electricity, and laundry. There is access to high speed wi-fi. We often have a car that can be reserved. We also have full bar signal strength with Verizon cellphone service. We have about 2 acres of permaculture garden that needs to be cared for including; weeding, planting, picking up mulch, some tree trimming, ect. We are currently in a building stage on the land. We have a few current grant projects we are working on and some build projects that are underway. We are an intentional community with about 8 permanent residents. There are rescue dairy cows, mini cows, mini donkeys, horses, a donkey, cats, dogs, and active bee hives. We are a drug and alcohol “free” space. A glass of wine or beer with dinner is fine, but absolutely no day drinking or parties. We have a meditation temple and many waterfall pools that are wonderful for swimming. Close to some of the nicest beaches on island. We have snorkeling gear and a kayak. Since this is an animal sanctuary, we limit the consumption of meat on the land. Fish, eggs, honey, and dairy are fine. Let me know if you’re interested by sending an email or text for our application. Maomi (801) 623-0738 ma***@*****************ii.com

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Communities

A residential project: people live here as their primary home.

Organizations

An institution, business, network, or project that isn’t a residence (e.g. a learning center, farm, or network with no one living there full-time).

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