By Donald H. Harrison
SPRING VALLEY, California — Since 1983, Noah Homes has been offering refuge to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It provides residences and caretakers for 70 people spread over eight homes with such Spanish names as Casa de Fe (Faith) and Casa de Paz (Peace.) Currently the charitable organization, which was conceptualized by a Roman Catholic parish in Coronado, California, is constructing two more houses–these for people needing memory care.
In that its clients are people of all faiths and backgrounds, Noah Homes can be likened to the biblical Noah’s Ark, in which representatives of every species of animal were saved from the Great Flood. With such a name as Noah Homes, it is not surprising that the organization has amassed a fairly sizable collection of miniature Noah’s Arks, made from ceramics, wood, and other materials. The representations of Noah and the animals are quite imaginative, and as they were inspired by the Book of Genesis, they are beloved by adherents of the three Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
Following are some photos taken through the glass windows of two display cases, so please pardon the extraneous reflections from the outside.
Love this story and shared both on FB!!!!
–Mimi Pollack, La Mesa, California