THE VILLAGE MOVEMENT
Vashon's Senior Center Village is aligned with the Village Model to support older adults to live independently at home. This happens through everyday services provided by local volunteers and member-guided, neighborhood-based activities, events, and programs.
A VILLAGE...
-
- is a network of neighbors helping neighbors
- is unique, self-governed, and member-driven
- reflects the priorities and resources of the individuals living in the Village
- is volunteer-supported
- is created so that older adults can remain living in their homes and engaged with their communities
The Village Movement is growing in other countries, including the Netherlands and Australia. Most Villages—more than 400 in the U.S. and around the world—are non-profits, and some are affiliated with other organizations, such as senior centers.
The Village to Village Network was created in 2010 and is the national association for the Village Movement. The Network provides resources for communities to create new Villages and it supports existing Villages. The Senior Center Village is a member of the Village to Village Network.
The Village Movement originated in the U.S. in Boston's Beacon Hill area, with a group of neighbors who wanted to remain living in their homes, in the neighborhood they knew and loved—even if their individual needs and abilities changed as they grew older. Twenty years later, this Village continues to thrive.
Still curious?
Learn more about the first Village, Boston’s Beacon Hill Village—which is celebrating its 20th Anniversary in 2022—and another established Village, Village in the Ville, in Columbus, OH.
Have a look at the Village to Village Network's map of "open" Villages and those that are in development, too.
