A “Village” is a group of like-minded people within a defined area who come together to develop resources they will need to age comfortably in their own homes. Villages embrace the strategy of bringing services to people rather than moving people to services.
The first Village - BEACON HILL VILLAGE in Boston began about 25 years ago when 12 older adults joined forces to create a way for them to “age at home” and remain independent as long as possible. There are now more than 350 existing Villages nationwide and another 150 in development.
The purpose of Villages is to enable people to age in place as well as they can for as long as they can for the lowest possible cost. Villages do this by bringing friends and services to the member’s door. By volunteering and being neighborly, Village members expand their network of friendships close to home. We gather for social activities like coffee, walks, book and movie clubs, picnics and holiday parties. Volunteers do tasks friends and neighbors might do like providing transportation, household chores, yard work and assisting with technology.
This kind of “Village” is not a real estate development or a retirement community. Village members continue to live in their own homes and can be homeowners, renters, seniors sharing housing or living with relatives.
Most Villages nationwide are self-governing 501(c)3 nonprofit membership organizations run by a Governing Council elected by the Village members. They are supported by a combination of fees, grants, individual donations and fundraising.
Villages are neighbors helping neighbors stay neighbors. They are networks of support that foster interdependent aging in community.
UpRiver Village is a group of volunteers committed to helping older adults comfortably age in their own homes so they can maintain vibrant and connected lives in the homes, neighborhoods and communities they love. UpRiver Village is currently offering several social activities each month and will begin delivering services to our senior members on our anticiated LAUNCH DATE OF JULY 1, 2025.
UpRiver Village is an active participant in the Villages Movement, and a member of VILLAGES NW. Villages NW currently includes 10 existing and three developing Villages. We are also a member of the national VILLAGE TO VILLAGE NETWORK.
PBS News Hour recently ran a segment that includes information about the village movement. It’s part of their “Rethinking Aging” series and also covers retirement communities and intergenerational relationships.
The Village content starts at around the 4:40 mark and features interviews of a Washington, DC Village member and the Executive Director of the Village to Village Network. It also includes some eye-opening cost comparisons showing how cost-effective Village membership is as compared with hiring helpers or moving into assisted living. We invite you to watch the segment and share it with your friends and neighbors. Click HERE to watch.
According to the 2024 Social Threats to Aging Well in America conducted via an online poll of 2,051 Americans Aged 65 & Older between April 30 to May 21, 2024, with additional surveys in Arizona, Nevada and North Carolina reaching a sample size of 100 per state for analysis, the findings are as follows:
Seven out of 7 out of 10 (69%) seniors identified AGING IN PLACE as a top priority. Many seniors prefer to remain independent in their own homes, but that can come with a variety of related issues.
Almost 2/3’s of seniors 64%) cited lack of transportation and access to medical care as a major barrier to their health. Their ability to attend appointments, obtain necessary treatments and manage chronic conditions can be limited or restricted for a variety of reasons i.e. available drivers through public or private transportation sources. Being part of a Village can help fill in this gap by providing transportation services through fully screened volunteers.
Mental health and loneliness are significant social barriers to maintaining good health. One in five seniors (20%) identified social barriers as a challenge. The intent of each Village is to build and sustain a vibrant, diverse community that strengthens social connections utilizing the skills, talents, experience, and interests offered by volunteers.
UpRiver Village invites you to join us as a volunteer to help us move from development to FULL LAUNCH ON JULY 1, 2025 so we can meet our goal of providing services to our local senior community. Please follow this link to become a volunteer: www.uprivervillage.org.