Porter-Starke Services is a non-profit community health provider in Northwest Indiana with offices in Valparaiso, Knox, Portage, and La Porte. With a strong focus on serving individuals with mental health and substance abuse concerns, Porter-Starke also operates Marram Health Center in Hobart and Gary.
The Porter-Starke Services Labyrinth was established in the Valparaiso office in 2018. So, it's actually one of Indiana's newer labyrinths. The labyrinth is open any time and available to the public. There's plenty of parking in surrounding parking lots. The couple of times I've been here it's been easily accessible and it's pretty easy to use the labyrinth without interruption.
The Labyrinth is modeled after the medieval labyrinth constructed in the early 13th Century on the floor of Chartres Cathedral in France. The repurposed bricks lining the Labyrinth path are from buildings in Gary, Indiana and were donated by John Schiralli, President/CEO of Aavatar Enterprises. The Labyrinth was completed and opened to the public in June 2018.
As one might expect at a health center, the labyrinth is easily accessible by wheelchair if not particularly designed for use by one. You can tell by the entryway that there's a little bit of a lip and some grass to maneuver over. It's beautifully set, though perhaps not as serene as some park-established labyrinths that are more set apart. That said, it's clear that much intention has gone into the development of this labyrinth and it's a thing of beauty. It's a little distracting being relatively close to offices and a parking lot, though for the most part the area is quiet.
As someone who has long worked in the healing professions, I always get excited when health providers recognize the spiritual element of healing. That's very much the case here.
While the labyrinth alone is not likely worth a day trip to Valpo, there are lots of sights to see in Valparaiso along with a pretty beautiful Valparaiso University campus. It's not a long drive over to Lake Michigan and you could also check out my favorite spot in Indiana - the Michigan City Lighthouse.
It's well established that I'm a lover of labyrinths and any chance i get I visit them wherever I travel. The Porter-Starke Services Labyrinth is worth your time if you're in Northwest Indiana. read more