VOLUNTEER
Volunteer For a Year at the Farm or in Boston
Come be a part of our vibrant community of volunteers at Gould Farm! Our volunteers bring unwavering energy, enthusiasm, and commitment to our mission, making a meaningful impact on our day-to-day life. From the moment you join us, you'll fully immerse yourself in our work and culture, forming lifelong connections along the way. Our full-time terms of service take place in residence at the Farm in Monterey or Fellside, our Boston area program. If you're ready to embark on an unforgettable journey and contribute to a cause that truly matters, we invite you to apply and join our team of dedicated volunteers.
Who Should Apply?
We welcome mature and compassionate individuals who seek a distinctive living experience in a therapeutic community to consider joining our team at Gould Farm. As a year-long volunteer, you'll have the opportunity to make a significant and positive impact on the lives of our guests and community while receiving essential benefits such as room and board, health insurance, a monthly living stipend, and paid time off. Additionally, we offer a limited number of short-term internships throughout the year. If you share our dedication to healing and hope, we encourage you to submit an application.
What questions do you have?
To find out more about volunteering at Gould Farm, please don't hesitate to contact us. Our volunteer coordinator, Pauline Banducci, is available to answer your questions and discuss your interest in volunteering. We are excited to hear from you and explore the potential for you to join our team.
International Volunteers
Gould Farm has been privileged to welcome volunteers from all corners of the world, who share our passion for community and healing. To ensure a seamless international exchange, we have forged partnerships with reputable volunteer agencies such as BVS (Brethren Volunteer Services). BVS provides a wide range of support services and resources to help international volunteers navigate the logistics of their travel and stay. Although we are unable to sponsor visas ourselves, we encourage interested applicants who require a visa to explore the many resources and opportunities offered by BVS. With their assistance, you can embark on a transformative journey of personal growth and cross-cultural learning at Gould Farm. We look forward to welcoming you as part of our volunteer community.
Past Volunteer Stories
Meet Cara Hudson
After College Volunteer
I found out about Gould Farm because I joined Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) after college. BVS has over one hundred projects, and when I was looking through their booklet, Gould Farm jumped out at me immediately. I was drawn to the Farm because I could tell the organization valued community living, creation care, and mental health recovery– all things I am passionate about.
Meet Colby Wadel
Volunteer who stayed on as a staff member
I grew up in the agricultural world of Pennsylvania and developed a passion for it. I wanted to gain experience in a work-based therapy program and found out about Gould Farm through my Mom’s co-worker. I was drawn to the Farm because of my agricultural background and wanted to learn more about the human service side of things. I also wanted to take a year to explore whether college and a career in social work might be for me, as opposed to jumping right into college with no hands-on experience.
Meet Will Britt, PhD
Professional Sabbatical Volunteer
I first heard about Gould Farm from a close friend who volunteered there several years ago. After a writing fellowship at the Austen Riggs Center researching psychosis, I was looking for a way to stay in western Massachusetts and engage directly with folks struggling with psychosis (not just with clinicians). I was also looking for a chance to do physical labor in the beauty of the Berkshires. Gould Farm seemed to meet all of those desires.
Meet Twyla Barkakoty
Boston Program Volunteer
After I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, I was looking to spend a year in service before pursuing further education. An alumnus from my college referred me to his friend who volunteered at Gould Farm’s Boston Area Program, Fellside, about 25 years ago. I was aware of my affinity towards close-knit communities. After being able to speak with people, such as staff and former Resident Advisors, Fellside seemed like the best next step for me.
Meet Claire & Rusty Orner
Next Big Chapter Volunteer
We found out about the Farm 20 years ago. The executive director of Gould Farm back then, Brian Snyder, came to be our executive director at the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA). We were lifetime members of PASA and grew within that organization to be educators and business advocates and eventually board members, and found out about the Farm from Brian.
Meet Christine Rowghani, LMSW
Volunteer to Social Worker
I learned about the Farm in a very cool and happenstance way. In my senior year of college, I was at a networking event with alums. I met a staff psychologist, Amy Taylor, from Austen Riggs Center. She told me about The American Residential Treatment Association (ARTA). I was considering getting into mental health at the time, so I went on the ARTA website and looked at all the different programs.
Meet Louise Ranck, MDiv
Graduate Fieldwork Volunteer
In my final year of a later-life Master of Divinity degree program, I needed to find a place to do substantial volunteering in order to fulfill a fieldwork requirement. I learned of Gould Farm through a current staff member, who happened to be a former student of mine in my dim-distant high school music teacher days. The Gould community environment appealed to me, as well as its grounded approach to mental health challenges. I did not know how literally I would be doing “field work” in my time there!
Gould Farm has a long tradition of volunteers staying on as staff members
Pictured here are several of our current staff members who came to the Farm as volunteers and now work in every area of the Farm: from maintenance to clinical team and from administrative roles to work program leadership. Volunteers who stay on as staff bring a deep commitment to our mission and a love for the work and life on the Farm that took root in their first year as volunteers.
