Aging Better. Stay at Home.

Jean, now in her mid-80s, no longer navigates steep basement stairs with an armload of laundry in her Northeast Portland home thanks to volunteers who come twice a month to assist with laundry and change her bed. When her grandson was occupied with finals, volunteers restained her deck. Even more important, by being a member of a neighborhood-based “village”, Jean has greatly expanded her network of friends close to home and looks forward to new social activities such as coffees, walks, dining out and going to movies.

We are facing a silver tsunami. Between 2010 and 2030 the number of adults over 65 will double. According to AARP, 89% of seniors prefer to stay in their homes. Most can with a little help. Through the national Village Movement, “Villages” are being created across the country to address this looming social issue.

Villages NW has brought the Village Movement to Portland. In the past 3½ years, we have grown from one Village in Southeast Portland with 30 members to 8 Villages with more than 500 members in the metropolitan area with three additional Villages in development. Lyn Trainer, a Villages NW Board member, will give an overview of the Village Movement and how it is transforming aging in our community.