Returning to Reason

A Healed and Empowered Society

Finding Camelot is uniquely designed to foster emotional intelligence and heal generational trauma, offering a model for personal and communal transformation.

Our structure and values create a nurturing environment where members can reconnect with themselves and others, breaking harmful cycles and fostering resilience, empathy, and self-awareness.

By fostering emotional intelligence and addressing the root causes of generational trauma, Finding Camelot is laying the groundwork for a society where individuals are whole, relationships are harmonious, and the cycles of pain and disconnection are broken. This is not just about survival; it’s about creating a culture where everyone has the opportunity to thrive emotionally, socially, and spiritually.

Image symbolizing healing, emotional intelligence, and transformation

Our Philosophy of Gentle Accountability

At Finding Camelot, our philosophy of gentle accountability is integral to the communal living experience across all our households. This foundational principle relies on the communal environment as a natural enforcer of what is socially acceptable, which helps manage and moderate behaviors through the presence of our peer groups.

Being Observed as a Behavioral Check:

The simple act of being seen by others serves as a subtle but effective check on behaviors that may be antisocial or harmful.
The visibility of actions within communal settings creates a natural deterrent to negative actions and encourages a more socially aware and considerate community.

Supportive Interventions:

Gentle accountability allows for the community to address issues in a supportive, rather than punitive, manner.
When behaviors that disrupt communal harmony are observed, the community can engage in supportive interventions.
These include discussions that aim to understand the root causes of such behaviors, offering support or resources to address them, and providing constructive feedback to encourage better choices.

Cultivating a Culture of Mutual Respect:

This philosophy also fosters a culture where mutual respect and support are paramount.
We empower our members to participate actively in shaping a community that values respect, inclusion, and personal growth.

Empowering Personal Responsibility:

Members are encouraged to take personal responsibility for their actions.

The communal environment supports individuals in recognizing the impact of their behavior on others.

This promotes a shift towards more positive interactions and personal development.

At Finding Camelot, gentle accountability is more than a policy; it’s a way of life that enhances the well-being of every community member, fostering environments where everyone is motivated to act as responsible and proactive members of their community.

Nurturing Growth Through Structured Independence

At Finding Camelot, we believe that independence is not just a milestone but a journey—one that requires guidance, structure, and intentional support. Our approach to structured independence is designed to instill confidence, responsibility, and self-sufficiency while ensuring that every member, regardless of age, has the support they need to thrive.

A Balanced Approach to Independence

Our philosophy is rooted in the idea that true independence comes from structured opportunities for growth rather than sudden or forced self-reliance. We achieve this through:

Gradual Responsibility Progression – Members and dependents take on increasing responsibilities based on their abilities and readiness.
Age-Appropriate Privacy and Autonomy – Dependents are given privacy levels that match their developmental stage, ensuring they grow up with the right balance of security and freedom.
Community Support with Individual Agency – While members are encouraged to support one another, personal agency is always respected.

Learning in a Supportive Environment

Structured independence ensures that children and dependents understand that they are worthy of care and support, regardless of their contributions.

It also prepares them for adulthood by framing independence as an achievement, not a burden.

Our model addresses the modern challenge of failure to launch syndrome. By experiencing progressive responsibility and structured decision-making, they develop the skills necessary for long-term personal and financial stability.

The Role of Community

While independence is the goal, no one thrives in isolation. Our structure ensures that members are:

Encouraged to seek mentorship and peer guidance.
Given opportunities to contribute meaningfully to the household.
Prepared for the realities of self-sufficiency in a collaborative environment.

By integrating structured independence into our core values, we create an environment where members grow confident in their abilities while remaining connected to a strong, supportive community.

Teaching Things We Don't Know

Structured Independence: The Tools to Thrive

We embrace an approach to child-rearing called structured independence—a philosophy that balances guidance with freedom, ensuring that children develop responsibility, confidence, and self-reliance in a safe, supportive environment. Structured independence is the idea that children should be given the space to:

Make Choices
Solve Problems
Develop Self-Discipline

Instead of micromanaging every decision, we provide children with age-appropriate freedoms, all while having a reliable framework of guidance and support.

Allowing them to take ownership of their responsibilities and experience the natural consequences of their choices within a secure, communal setting.

How Children Benefit from Structured Independence

Confidence & Self-Reliance – When children are trusted with responsibility, they develop a sense of competence that carries into adulthood. They learn to trust their own judgment, problem-solve, and take initiative.
Stronger Social & Emotional Skills – Living in a communal environment teaches children how to navigate relationships, resolve conflicts, and collaborate with others—skills that are crucial for personal and professional success.
A Healthier Perspective on Boundaries – Structured independence ensures that children earn their privacy and privileges at a pace that aligns with their maturity. They grow up understanding that freedom comes with responsibility, rather than expecting independence before they are ready to handle it.
Preparation for Adulthood – Many young adults struggle with the sudden transition to independence. In communal living, children gradually step into adult responsibilities, ensuring they are prepared to manage their own lives successfully.

This approach recognizes that independence is not something suddenly granted at adulthood—it is built, step by step, from an early age.

A Trauma-Informed Community

At its core, Finding Camelot operates as a trauma-informed space—a community that acknowledges the impact of generational trauma and actively works to disrupt it. This is reflected in the supportive communal living model and programs like CareShare, where members take turns helping each other with childcare and other emotional labor.

1. Breaking Cycles of Isolation

Generational trauma often isolates individuals and families, perpetuating patterns of mistrust, shame, and disconnection. Finding Camelot’s model creates intentional relationships that foster belonging and mutual respect.

How It Fosters Connection:

Weekly household meetings encourage open dialogue and collective problem-solving, teaching members to express needs, listen actively, and collaborate without fear of judgment.
Members are supported in practicing vulnerability in a safe environment, learning how to ask for and provide help—a crucial skill for overcoming trauma.

How We Live Together

Keeping a Household

To keep a house means to do the cooking, cleaning, and other tasks involved in the running of a household. This is what comprises a significant portion of a homemaker’s job. Housecleaning is done to make the home look and smell better and to make it safer and easier to live in. The secret to keeping a clean house is doing these simple tasks daily, so messes and clutter never get out of control.

Small tasks add up quickly; if it takes less than a minute to complete, do it immediately.

Dirty countertops attract pests and make your kitchen look awful.

Wipe the sink basin and faucet after you’re done getting ready for the day.

Keep a container of disinfecting wipes under your bathroom clink, so they’re handy.

Daily Tasks

There aren’t many things in a home that need to be done every day, but the ones that do make a significant impact on the quality of life in that home. Though the upkeep of private spaces is at the general discretion of the individual member, following list is for the maintenance of the communal areas of the property:

Wipe down wet bathroom counters.
Squeegee the shower doors, walls, and floors after every shower.
Wash dishes after each meal.
Sweep or use a cordless vacuum on any heavily trafficked spots.
Put things back where they belong after you’re done with them.

Each member and dependent have an expected amount of participation in the process

2. Using Privacy as a Tool

Finding Camelot views privacy as a precious commodity, particularly in communal living. By offering tiered accommodations based on room credits, it ensures that everyone has access to private space when they need it.

How It Heals Trauma:

Privacy fosters self-reflection and emotional regulation, allowing individuals to decompress and process their emotions.
The intentional balance of private and shared spaces teaches members to set and respect boundaries, a critical step in healing from trauma rooted in violations of physical or emotional space.

3. Multi-Generational Support Systems

Generational trauma often results from unmet needs cascading through families. Finding Camelot interrupts this by creating multi-generational support systems, where elders, adults, and children coexist in a balanced and mutually supportive environment.

How It Heals Trauma:
- Elders contribute wisdom and stability, while younger members bring energy and innovation, creating a sense of continuity and purpose for all ages.
- Members have the opportunity to rewrite harmful narratives by witnessing and participating in healthier relationships.
- Dependents see adults modeling emotional intelligence and accountability, breaking the “do as I say, not as I do” cycle that perpetuates trauma.

How We Embody Sovereignty

The Household Leadership Team

Each household within the Finding Camelot network operates under a horizontal power structure designed to balance responsibilities among members. The leadership team consists of three elected positions, filled by members in residence:

Executive Homemaker (EH)
Executive Earner (EE)
Assistant Homemaker (AH)

Executive Homemaker

The Executive Homemaker is responsible for managing household scheduling, specifically overseeing the CareShareprogram. Members submit their unavailable hours at least one week in advance, and the EH prepares the schedule for distribution at the following weekly meeting.

EH Responsibilities:

Maintaining an up-to-date rotational chore chart.
Overseeing communication methods for task-specific needs.
Managing the household shopping list and stock of essentials.
Handling meal prep scheduling.
Managing household finances according to the budget.
Directing the interior aesthetic of common areas.

The EH has the authority to delegate tasks and create leadership roles as needed, subject to household vote.

Executive Earner

The Executive Earner is responsible for the financial stability of the household.

EE Responsibilities:

Develops the Monthly Budget.

Grants final approval for large household purchases

Ensures all dues are deposited by the 5th of each month.
Works with members to develop structured payment plans, if necessary

Oversees the allocation of entrepreneurial resources.

In the future, the EE will handle the local Community Membership and Extended Household Memberships.

4. Changing the Narrative

The philosophy of Finding Camelot directly challenges the narratives of scarcity, individualism, and competition that perpetuate trauma on a societal level. Instead, it champions abundance, collaboration, and mutual care.

How It Heals Trauma:

Members are immersed in an environment that proves another way of living is possible, breaking the internalized beliefs that lead to fear, mistrust, and conflict.
Generations raised in this system will grow up with a new story—one rooted in love, resilience, and interdependence.

A Vision Through the Mist

Community-Driven Solutions

Finding Camelot is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating cooperative housing communities that empower individuals and families through affordable living, shared responsibilities, and personal growth.

Our mission is to foster emotional intelligence, heal generational trauma, and promote economic empowerment by providing sustainable, community-driven solutions.

By prioritizing people over profit, we aim to build a culture where everyone has the opportunity to thrive emotionally, socially, and spiritually. We are:

A network of cooperative households owned by the nonprofit, renovated through tax-deductible donations.
A system that allows people to live together peacefully in close quarters, starting with a single household and expanding from there.
A model that reduces the cost of living through cooperation, enabling members to control how their labor is applied.
A movement that empowers the working class by fostering collective bargaining on a massive scale.