For many, Penn Alps checks are a major means of support, a fulfillment of the founder's slogan, "To help people to help themselves." Many have gained a new lease on life as a result of finding an outlet for the work of their hands. For the isolated and lonely, craft marketing has brought a meaningful contact with the outside world, and a new sense of dignity and worth.
Spruce Forest Artisan Village, a part of the extended Penn Alps campus, has grown from a few cabins to some 12 log and frame structures of early vintage, two of which date to the Revolutionary War Period. Most of these provide studio space for artisans. The Miller House and Compton School have narrating hosts who volunteer time during the summer. School groups and chartered bus tours often take advantage of the educational and cultural enhancement Spruce Forest Village offers.
Artisans work in various media, including: bird carving, basket making, hand-loom weaving, and hand-thrown pottery.
Also produced in the village are stained glass art, hand-forged iron, hand-crafted teddy bears, and hand-crafted natural soaps. Whether looking for a special family dining experience, a shop with unique gift selections, spending time with an artisan at work, basking in history or enjoying mountain scenery, a trip to Penn Alps on the Casselman is a must!