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“Village” support system

7 pm, Thursday August 14, in a private home in Terra Linda

Would you prefer to age in your own home, rather than move to assisted living? Wish you could do volunteer work, but don’t have the time or means to drive to a volunteer location? Need support in caring for a child or teen with disabilities? Concerned about aging parents who are still living alone? New grass roots efforts in the Portland area (Villages NW) are addressing such situations and more.

The “Village Movement” started in the Beacon Hill area of Boston in the early 2000s when 12 aging adults got together and decided they wanted to continue to live in their own neighborhood where they had established meaningful relationships. Organizing themselves as (nonprofit) “Beacon Hill Village,” they contracted and vetted local services at rates they could afford, raised funds, developed social programs and created a volunteer network to assist with household chores. Today, the Beacon Hill Village concept has spread across the US and Canada, with more than 150 established and developing villages.

In greater Portland, seven villages are in various stages of development. In Washington County, “Village Without Walls,” serving Forest Grove, Cornelius, Hillsboro and Aloha-Reedville, will start providing services to members in 2016. “Viva!Village” (vivavillage.org), serving Beaverton and beyond, which will include Cedar Mill, Cedar Hills, Oak Hills, Bonny Slope and parts of Bethany, is in the early planning stage.

To learn more about the village concept and how you can get involved in creating a village, sign up to attend an introductory session (Villages 101). The next Villages 101 in the Cedar Mill area will take place on August 14. Call 503-646-2031 to reserve a spot.

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