About our Community
Parents
Hearth Elders guide and support parents on a parallel path of internal exploration and discovery during this time of transition in their families. Through a series of evening gatherings with other parents in the program, {that begin close by after dropping off your daughters} held/hosted nearby during your daughter’s preparatory meetings, you’ll have the opportunity to connect with nature, song, themselves, and each other. You’ll enjoy meaningful potluck meals as bonds and self-nurturing deepen. Feedback over the years from parent participants suggests that this element has been supportive, transformational and root feeding.
Our parent support group provides direct support and care to the girls in our program and one another throughout their child’s time in our programs. If you are interested in joining or would like to know more about our fantastic parent support group, email westernmasswildernessrites@gmail.com
Elders
The Hearth Elders are a wonderful web of women in their 60s and beyond compromising a circle of care. They participate in every element of Hearth with the Girls, Parents, Guides, and Aunts. They are the closest link to the Ancestors, bringing a spiritual and ceremonial component, as well as good humor and practical guidance. Elders offer life-earned wisdom, unconditional support, open arms and warm hearts. As deep listeners, Elders offer compassionate reflection, insight, and perspective through a longer view.
Aunts
To be an Aunt in Hearth is to step into a loving, attentive, and steadying role in a young woman’s life. Aunts walk alongside one participant for the year, offering a safe space for her to share fears, frustrations, stories, and dreams as she moves through her rite of passage. Through deep listening, thoughtful questions, and heartfelt presence, Aunts mirror the girl’s growing strength and help her recognize her own gifts. This relationship becomes a vital thread in the larger web that holds Hearth—an intergenerational circle of women supporting the next generation as they cross the threshold into young adulthood.
We also welcome community volunteers who want to share their wisdom, knowledge, time, and skills. If you are passionate about making a positive, lasting impact on your community, we’d love to hear from you. All participant-facing volunteers undergo a mandatory child safety background check.
