A Community of Mutual Support—The “Village Common” Encourages Healthy Aging in Rhode Island
Thursday, November 07, 2019
Cyrus O’Neil, a founding board member of The Providence Village and an organizer of The Village Common, appeared on GoLocal LIVE where he talked about the launch of a new statewide effort to establish local Villages in cities and towns across Rhode Island, to support healthy aging and communities of mutual support.
O'Neil spoke to the various facets of the organization intended to help older adults, which includes "practical support" — helping seniors with rides, errands, light home maintenance, tech support — "for all those gadgets you have in your home," he said.
“We’ve got referrals and timely information. Things come up, people need references to a contractor that they can trust, and will return their call when they try and reach them," he said.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“Another important part of our community is the social engagement — the opportunities to get out there with old friends and new, [such as] potluck suppers,” he said, mentioning there are often “theme dinners.”
About the Village Concept
“Rhode Island has a growing population of older adults who are active and involved in their communities. The Village Common will help establish social connections and communities of mutual support for older adults around the state,” said O'Neil. “We’ve had a lot of success building the Providence Village. Now we want to support local leaders in other communities to create their own local Villages, ones that respond to the specific needs of the older adults in their cities and towns.”
The Providence Village was established in 2015 and has grown to over 115 members and 80 volunteers. Nationwide, the Village Movement is comprised of more than 200 Villages that actively support over 40,000 older adults in living full lives in their own homes and communities. Villages provide members with practical support (including transportation and handy work around the house), social activities, and opportunities to volunteer in their community.
“Over the past three years, the Providence Village has learned that the social connections of a community of mutual support are key to a better way of growing older. We’ve learned about the services older adults want and need,” said Village Common Executive Director Jo Ellen Mistarz. “The Village movement is growing, and we are prepared to support new Villages across Rhode Island, including communities that have been underserved. We’re excited to make this announcement today and look forward to supporting Villages across the Ocean State.”
As The Village Common grows to support local Villages across Rhode Island, the central organization will provide materials and expertise to support new Villages, organizational support and funding to support volunteer recruitment and training, and a system to accept and process member service requests. The creation of a statewide Village Common aims to accelerate the development of new Villages, eliminate redundant administration costs, and provide local Villages better resources to focus on their members’ needs.
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