St. Sentimental's Foster Home for Adults
St. Sentimental's Foster Home for Adults is here for you. Modern society has no manuals and forces each of us to struggle alone against all of life's woes. Our house is an establishment of temporary respite and personal growth to help you recover and find your new trajectory. Stay an afternoon... Stay a year...
Our house has dormitory living quarters for each resident. We will randomly assign you roommates or you can come as a group. Each bedroom has its own full bathroom, lock, and noise-insulated walls to ensure everyone can sleep and wake on their own schedule.
Every dormitory also has a common room where its event planning and community meetings take place. After you arrive, if you find another dormitory's policies work better for you, moving around is encouraged. One policy that is universal at our house is a mutual respect and commitment of non-discrimination based on class, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, and mental condition.
Our house also has dormitories equipped for families with children, including cribs, rooms for milking, and staffed childcare and classrooms.
Some of the more popular activities at our house include platonic hand-holding, hugs, and cuddling because many of our residents haven't received this kind of care nor positive affirmation from others in years. Every resident is also paired with an onsite therapist and social worker so that they can process their past and new experiences with a professional.
Additionally, we have an optional, house-only dating service. Many of our residents have met long-term partners here during their stay. Our residents don't “ghost” each other like on modern dating apps and consent is a priority.
Our extensive alumni network also has many volunteers to help residents buy clothing, start exercising, manage finances, learn a new skill, or just talk about their experience.
Regardless of which dormitory a resident lives in, everyone eats in the same cafeteria. Our onsite cooks make food for a variety of diets and our food is sourced from nearby ranches and farms committed to reducing animal suffering and carbon emissions. Extra food eventually ends up in the gardens in our yard.
In the back yard, there is a large playground made specifically for adults. It includes a ball pit, a raised playground, trampolines, and a VR obstacle course.
We understand that many people need a certain kind of environment to carry out their life's work, so our house has a wing dedicated to focus and productivity. Whether a resident needs a private office with fast WiFi, a sound-proof piano practice room, a meditation zendo, or a space to throw paint at the wall, our house's facilities will make it possible.
Finally, many residents choose to seek adoption after staying at our house for several months or years. Sometimes living on one's own in a dormitory is not what a resident needs anymore, so the adoption service pairs residents with (usually) older folks looking to house and care for someone in an earlier stage of their life.
Our house is indebted to all the older folks and alumni that have donated to our Pay It Forward fund. Pay It Forward is our donor-advised fund that aims to use assets leftover when a donor passes away to support younger people in their healing and exploration. “Let the young live!” is our motto.
If you are interested in becoming a resident of St. Sentimental's Foster Home for Adults, please fill out the form below.
Making Of
St. Sentimental's Foster Home for Adults is an imaginary place thought up, written, and creatively directed by me, Ulysse Pence. Théodore Lin drew and painted the beautiful pictures. The idea was inspired by an observation a friend made that many of us adults seem like orphans in modern society. It was also inspired by my own desire to find community throughout my life and failing. So many adults need more love and companionship.
As I grew up, media such as Where the Wild Things Are, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Little Big Planet, Adventure Time, Sesame Street, Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard, The Huns, Animal Collective, and Full Metal Alchemist reminded me of the simple, playful moments of my childhood. Having an authority to defer big problems to without worrying about the open ended, unlimited number of choices in front of me was liberating as a child. Since then, I've found guidance and mentorship from friends, but nothing has completely filled the void left after I moved out of my parents' home.
So I asked myself, “What would an adulthood look like with more support and more play?” Autonomy is important to adults, but so is structure and so is fun. I wanted to create a place where I would feel comfortable exploring and reliving some of the more pleasant moments from my childhood without the complications of securing employment or being alone.
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